Japanese Food Lab | Chef Series by Shintaro Eleazar Okuda | Yoshoku Omurice

All of us have a favorite comfort food – something to eat when under the weather, feeling blue, or simply nostalgic for the flavors of our youth. For many Japanese, that perfect dish is omurice, an omelette with fried rice that can satisfy any late-night craving. It’s also a modern classic of Japanese fusion cooking. From mentaiko fish roe spaghetti to cheese croquettes, Japan has always been adapting Western cuisines for local palates, producing a distinct hybrid cuisine called Yoshoku (Western-influenced Japanese cuisine).

Coinciding with his appearance at the 2020 Japanese Food Expo, Chef Shintaro Eleazar Okuda of Bar Moga NYC will conduct a special Japanese Food Lab spotlighting the deceptively simple omurice. As a yoshoku expert, he will share the cross-cultural history of this dish and others like it, as well as demonstrate his own technique for cooking omurice, with tasting to follow. Participants will learn tips on how to make omurice at home, ask questions and chat with this rising culinary star, and explore Japan’s unparalleled mixing of global flavors – always with delicious results.

*Not suitable for vegetarians.

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Chef Profile

About Shintaro Eleazar Okuda
Born in Hokkaido, Japan in the small city of Kitami, Chef Shintaro Eleazar Okuda found his love and appreciation for food at a young age. Surrounded by an abundance of wildlife and nature, it seems as if he was destined to pursue a career in the culinary world. From watching his grandfather hunt and cook game meat, to helping him catch and prep fish, and following his grandmother to the mountains to harvest herbs and plants, Shintaro’s lifestyle embraced Mother Nature and the bounties of the Earth.

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Shortly after moving to New York at the age of 18, he began working at Ippudo NY, as a member of the opening staff. Initially a server, he quickly worked through various positions and apprenticed under the Ramen Master, Fumihiro Kanegae. Under his strict training, Shintaro learned how to incorporate the ethos of Japanese craftsmanship and professionalism into cooking, which would characterize his unique culinary style.

After nearly a decade at Ippudo, a brief position at EN Japanese Brasserie was influential as he was introduced to Chef Takanori Akiyama, the Executive Chef of Sakamai and his future mentor. This encounter led Shintaro to his first role as Chef de Cuisine at Bar Moga in 2017. Seeking to bring a different side of Japanese cuisine to the New York scene, Shintaro took this opportunity to introduce Omu Rice, one of the most popular yoshoku dishes.