Kichi Kichi: Kyoto’s Viral Omurice Restaurant

Located down a small alleyway in Kyoto is Kichi Kichi, famous for its omurice

Kichi Kichi in Kyoto is famous for its omurice (omelet rice) and the theatrical cooking style of its charismatic chef, Motokichi Yukimura. The small, cozy restaurant may not win awards for its food, but it’s become world-famous for the chef’s entertaining and skillful performance.

In recent years, videos of Chef Motokichi preparing omurice have gone viral on social media, including YouTube, Instagram, and many travel shows.

His signature move—slicing the omelet so it gently unfolds over the rice—has fascinated diners and made him a sensation in Japan and internationally.

With its popularity and limited space, the restaurant has become a must-visit for visitors to Kyoto. While they do take reservations, they’re hard to get and fill up fast. I know from personal experience, and I can say it’s worth trying at least once.

Kichi Kichi had always been on my list, but it wasn’t until my recent visit to Kyoto that I finally managed to reserve a seat and try it for myself.

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Kichi Kichi Reservations: How to reserve a seat at Kichi Kichi

If you want to visit Kichi Kichi, your best option is to reserve a seat online. While they accept some walk-ins, it’s rare and usually only happens when cancellations occur.

During my visit, the staff turned away many people, so I don’t recommend showing up without a reservation.

Reserving a seat online is easy at https://kichikichi.com/kichikichi-reservation/. They only offer same-day reservations at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM (Japan time). Spots fill up quickly—often in under 30 seconds.

When you visit the reservation website, if you see “We are currently fully booked. Reservations cannot be made at this time.” or “We are not accepting reservations at this moment.” then you can’t make a reservation.

It took me a few days to snag a reservation. I recommend refreshing the page at 9:00 AM, for lunch on weekends, and 1:00 PM, everyday for dinner.

Remember that the restaurant only offers lunch seating on weekends and holidays. You cannot reserve a spot at 9:00 AM on weekdays for lunch.

You must type fast if you get through to the reservation page. Once on the page, you will select your language, then enter your name, email address, country, phone number, number of people, seating preference (bar or table), and reservation time.

If successful, you will see a confirmation on your screen, but you will not receive an email. At least I did not. After I submitted my reservation, I got the message, “The reservation has been confirmed.”

I also confirm or cancel my reservation at https://kichikichi.com/kichikichi-reservation-confirmation-and-cancelation-page/.

Arrival at Kichi Kichi

I made a reservation for a seating time of 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM with an arrival time of 5:40 PM. My reservation warned me that if I did not arrive by my arrival time, my reservation would be canceled.

To be safe, I arrived at 5:30 PM. The restaurant, while not hard to find using Google Maps, was hidden down a small alleyway off Kiyamachi-dori, making it easy to miss.

On my arrival, there were already a few people ahead of me. Confused about what to do, I joined the line and waited with everyone else.

Staff member checking reservations and taking orders

After a few minutes, a staff member exited the restaurant and walked up to the line. She asked each person in line if they had a reservation and for their name.

She confirmed my reservation and handed me the menu. A few minutes later, she returned to take my order and asked if I would pay with cash or a credit card. I think they also took Apple Pay and Ali Pay.

A few moments later, the staff member guided everyone into the restaurant and directed them to their seats.

Interior of Kichi Kichi

Cozy interior of the restaurant, Kichi Kichi, Kyoto, Japan — Cozy interior of the restaurant

The interior of Kichi Kichi was small and cozy, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. With limited space, I understood why reservations were needed.

Though small, the restaurant had a homey and charming feel. The woven lattice ceiling, stickers posted on the wall, framed posters, and balloons added character. Photographs of the chef cooking and with past customers added a personal touch.

My favorite thing inside the restaurant was the colorful painting of Chef Motokichi hanging on the wall near the front door.

On the left side of the room was a long wooden counter with about eight seats overlooking the open kitchen.

Since I was dining alone, I reserved a spot at the bar, where most people had also made their reservations during my seating time.

The best part of sitting at the bar was having a close-up look at Chef Motokichi as he prepared food and put on his show. If you can, this is where you want to sit, right in front of the action.

In the back of the dining room was a small nook with a table big enough for a small group. If you select Table with your reservation, you will be seated there.

Kichi Kichi Menu

The menu at Kichi Kichi, Kyoto, Japan — The menu at Kichi Kichi

If you’re visiting Kichi Kichi, you’ll likely order the omurice, a Japanese dish of an omelet served over fried rice and topped with savory sauce.

You can choose the regular size with three eggs or the small size with two eggs. The only other difference is the amount of rice.

If you are unsure which size of omurice to order, the staff can show you the rice molds they use. This can help you decide which size is best for you.

Each omurice was made with beef, cream, butter, and chicken. If you can’t eat these ingredients or have allergies, inform the staff before ordering. No changes were allowed after ordering.

There was also the choice of non-beef omurice and vegetable omurice, both flavored with a ketchup-based sauce.

Once at my seat, I also had the option to have my omurice sliced open on the plate or the flying method, where the chef flips the omelet from the pan onto the rice. I chose the traditional slicing method.

I assumed omurice was the only item on the menu at Kichi Kichi, but that wasn’t the case. The menu also had soup, croquettes, chicken in cream sauce, chicken cheese cutlet, ox stew, and beef stew.

While most people ordered the omurice, a few people ordered another dish.

As for drinks, you had a selection of alcohol, including beer, shochu, sake, umeshu, cocktails, and wine.

There were also soft drinks, including tea, Coca-Cola, ginger ale, orange juice, coffee, and black tea.

Cooking Performance

Motokichi Yukimura, one of the most famous chefs in Japan

The best part about visiting Kichi Kichi, and why you will pay more than other omurice restaurants in Kyoto, is the cooking performance by Chef Motokichi. Even if you’ve seen his viral videos online, experiencing it in person is much better.

The performance started only moments after I sat down. It began with the chef preparing fried rice in a large pan with chicken, diced onions, shimeji mushrooms, and lots and lots of butter.

I also saw him adding ketchup. The Japanese-style ketchup was sweet and tangy with a rich, umami flavor.

As Chef Motokichi prepared the rice, I enjoyed how he described each step and explained to customers the ingredients he added to the pan.

He danced, sang, and smiled as he cooked while everyone in the small restaurant had their phones out, filming the performance. Those sitting at the table at the far end of the dining room came over to the counter to watch.

Chef Motokichi clearly enjoyed the attention and fully embraced social media, even providing phone holders on the counter so people could film without tiring their arms.

Even with the restaurant packed with people, the chef gave each customer his full attention, especially while preparing their omelets.

Like with the fried rice, he explained the process to each customer in a friendly and interactive manner.

I found the performance entertaining, though a bit gimmicky, mainly when he talked about the omurice equipment he was selling, from pans and knives to rice molds.

He even mentioned that he earns over 2 million yen monthly from selling these items on Amazon.

But in the end, it was a fun experience to do once.

Regular Omurice

Regular size of Omurice, Kichi Kichi, Kyoto, Japan — Regular size of Omurice

I ordered the Regular Omurice. At 3000 yen, this was one of my most expensive meals in Japan. But for the experience, I knew it would be worth it.

After watching Chef Motokichi prepare the omurice, I was excited to try it for myself. It was my first time, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would the food live up to the hype?

The omurice looked beautiful. When the chef sliced into the omelet, the eggs gently flowed over the rice like a work of art. The eggs were perfect, moist but not overly runny and firmed up as they mixed with the rich sauce.

Even without cream or butter added to the pan, the eggs had a creamy texture and a fresh flavor. Despite its simplicity, the skill required to create this dish impressed me.

Poured over the eggs was their famous demi-glace sauce. The sauce was delicious, a blend of salty, sweet, and beefy flavors. Its rich umami taste reminded me of Worcestershire sauce.

The sauce started with browning Hida beef, followed by sautéing aromatics, deglazing with wine, and simmering tomatoes, water, and a bay leaf.

The sauce, thickened by a roux, reduced to become rich and flavorful. Topping the eggs and sauce was parsley.

Underneath the eggs and sauce was a generous portion of rice. The rice, fried in the pan, was mixed with small chunks of tender chicken, sautéed onions, and made rich with butter.

My favorite part of the dish was the green soybeans, which added color and a fresh, crunchy bite. Also mixed in was the same demi-glace sauce, adding rich, beefy flavors to the rice.

The combination of flavors and textures between the creamy, golden eggs, savory demi-glace, and fried rice was excellent.

Service

I found the service and staff at Kichi Kichi to be friendly and attentive yet professional.

Upon arrival, a friendly staff member greeted me and confirmed my reservation. After a few minutes, the same staff member led me and the entire group inside the restaurant and to our seats.

When I sat down, my drink arrived immediately. Moments later, Chef Motokichi Yukimura began cooking and started his famous omurice performance.

Although the other staff members took a back seat during the performance, they were always nearby in case I needed anything.

While I never felt rushed, it seemed like the staff wanted us to eat quickly, pay the bill, and move on for the next group once the performance was over. While this isn’t unusual for restaurants in Japan, it’s something I noticed.

That said, I appreciated how Chef Motokichi came to each guest after the meal to take photos, share a laugh, and even gave me a hug before I left.

Conclusion

I am glad I could finally try Kichi Kichi after being on my list of restaurants to try in Kyoto. I enjoyed the experience, performance, food, and meeting famous Chef Motokichi Yukimura.

With that said, I probably would not return unless I were visiting with a friend who wanted to go for the first time.

So why would I not return?

First, it can be challenging to get a seat reservation. Second, it was expensive. While I understand I was paying for the performance and experience, there are restaurants with better quality food and more affordable prices in Kyoto.

Lastly, after watching the performance once, I don’t think I would enjoy it again as much.

But it was fun, and everyone should try Kichi Kichi in Kyoto at least once to experience it for themselves.