Image: Wikimedia Commons
Ebi Meshi is a local specialty that originated in Okayama City: a shrimp pilaf stir-fried in a secret, dark brown sauce combining demi-glace sauce, ketchup, and caramel. The classic style tops it with shredded omelet and finely shredded cabbage, giving it a striking appearance and a distinctive sweet-and-savory flavor. Its roots trace back to a curry shop called 'Indeira' in Shibuya, Tokyo, where an employee from Okayama, Idei Tatsumi, learned the technique through a form of shop-branch permission and brought it home, serving it at the Western-style restaurant he opened in Hokanmachi, Okayama City—said to be the origin of Ebi Meshi. Its reputation subsequently spread mainly through central Okayama City, and today it is served at many Western-style restaurants and cafes both in and outside the city, making it one of Okayama's representative local B-grade specialties.
Origin
The roots of Ebi Meshi are said to lie in a curry shop called 'Indeira' that once stood in Miyashita, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. Idei Tatsumi, an employee originally from Okayama Prefecture, obtained the shop's permission for a form of branch licensing, brought the technique back to his home region of Okayama, and opened his own Western-style restaurant in Hokanmachi, Okayama City—an event said to have led to the birth of Ebi Meshi.
History
Born in Hokanmachi, Ebi Meshi gained a reputation mainly in central Okayama City and eventually spread to Western-style restaurants and cafes throughout the city. 'Ebimeshiya,' which traces its lineage to the originating shop, still operates multiple locations today, carrying on the original flavor. It is now introduced as a standard dish in tourist gourmet guides as a representative local specialty of Okayama Prefecture.
Features
Its defining feature is shrimp pilaf stir-fried in a secret sauce combining demi-glace sauce, ketchup, and caramel sauce, finished in a dark brown color. The basic style tops it with shredded omelet and finely shredded cabbage, though some shops add hamburger steak or fried shrimp, or serve it in an omelet-rice style, creating a range of variations.
Main Ingredients
How It Differs from Home Cooking
At home, it is often prepared simply with store-bought demi-glace sauce and ketchup, whereas the originating shop uses a secret sauce built up over many years, producing a deep dark brown color and complex umami that differ from the home-cooked version.
Famous Shops
えびめしや 万成店
岡山県岡山市北区万成西町2-53
A popular shop tracing its lineage to the birthplace of Ebi Meshi. A plate of Ebi Meshi topped with fried shrimp costs around 1,250 yen.