Renga-Tei

Yōshoku is a style of Japanese cuisine, albeit one significantly influenced by the West. It dates from the days of the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), when foreign dishes—such as curry, cutlets, omelettes, and steak—arrived in Japan. Many of them were adapted to suit the Japanese taste and availability of ingredients.

Opened in 1895, Renga-Tei is a quiet, old-fashioned restaurant that sits amid the hustle and bustle of the Ginza district. It's credited for the introduction of many Western-Japanese dishes to the general public, such as hayashi rice (hashed beef with rice), ebi furai (fried prawn), kaki furai (fried oyster), and the world-famous omurice.

Originally created as an easy-to-make staff meal, this "rice omelette" (as Renga-Tei calls it) joined the official menu in 1901 by popular demand and proved to be extremely popular. It consists of white rice wrapped in an oval omelette, unlike the ketchup-fried rice topped with a thin layer of egg that is today's omurice.

Renga-Tei is also believed to have popularized tonkatsu, deep-fried pork cutlet which has been adopted into traditional Japanese cuisine. Initially served with demi-glace and steamed vegetables in French style, it evolved over time to fit the public's liking, replacing demi-glace with Worcestershire sauce and steamed vegetables with julienned cabbage.

Back in the early Meiji era, bread was commonly served alongside the dishes as in the West. By demand from its patrons, Renga-Tei started serving rice instead, plating it up on round platters instead of traditional chawan bowls and making it easier to eat with forks and knives. Other yōshoku restaurants soon followed suit, and today the practice can be found anywhere in Japan.