"Huge Chinese Fried Rice at Goku in Ginza, Tokyo"
There is a new term on restaurant menus in Japan that has recently gone viral: mega-mori (メガ盛り).
Mega-mori literally means mega-portions--servings that make your usual large-size orders look like you picked something from the kids' menu. This new term has been growing in popularity on social networks, which is probably where most people have been hearing about it for the first time.
In fact, these days we're stumbling upon more and more pictures of mega-mori food on Twitter and Facebook, and the sole impact of these enormous amounts of food has earned the original posters a ton of likes and retweets.
However, the majority of folks have yet to truly witness mega-mori with their own eyes and stomachs. And even when it is on the menu, most of us wouldn't dare order so much food...
One man was staring at such pictures on the internet with a skeptical eye. "Quite impressive but...how does this measure up in real life? Isn't it really just the angle? Some of them look photoshopped!" His name is Fukuchan--our man on the street and a veteran foodie.
After some time, an idea runs through Fukuchan's mind. He suddently stands up and declares,
"Alright, I will be the one to bring all the mega-mori foods to light!!"
With this daring statement, "Fukuchan's Food Adventures: A Journal of Gigantic Meals" was born. (All expenses directly from his pocket of course.)
To start this series with panache, Fukuchan decides to head to Ginza in Tokyo, a downtown district where you can feel style and history intertwine. For the first round, we pick the Chinese restaurant Goku. Their mega-mori fried rice dish had recently been picked up for a special article by the website Naver.
Heading to Ginza
We hop on the metro in Hibiya and get off at Ginza-itchome Station.
It is already past 12:30 and Fukuchan's stomach is growling so loud it's almost embarassing to be with him. He doesn't say anything, but his light, fast-paced steps betray his urge to start the fight against the mega-mori.
Arrival at Goku!
After a few wrong turns, we finally make it to Goku. The façade has a definitive Asian look, the vivid red decoration confirming that this is indeed a Chinese restaurant.
We find the mega-mori fried rice on the menu, but it seems they cook all kinds of succulent food in here. This place seems to be wallet-friendly for the salary men working in the neighborhood who are looking for a nice filling lunch. It is only natural then that Goku is so popular...
Luckily, we quickly find a table. Picking up the menu, we find out that the mega-mori weighs a whopping 3.5 kg! Even Fukuchan, a hardened foodie, seems to be hesitating. He says he might order one size below (toku-mori, 1.6 kg). It is worth noting that the monstrous mega-mori is surprisingly cheap (JPY880).
We push Fukuchan to get the mega-mori, but in the end, he chickens out and goes for the smaller toku-mori. (Just to let you know, Fukuchan is a chubby middle-aged man. Despite coming to such a place, it looks like he is worrying about his weight...) Fukuchan waits with excitement for his order to come. The menu says that the fried rice is accompanied by a vegetable side-dish and soup.
Toku-mori fried rice makes its appearance!
It has finally arrived. Fukuchan cannot suppress the urge of immortalizing this moment with his smartphone camera. The gigantic pile of rice attracts the attention of people sitting at other tables. The boy sitting next to us gazes in awe.
Fukuchan digs into the mountain and brings to his mouth his first spoonful of fried rice. "This is so good! I'm going to finish it all!" he exclaims. The rice, generously covered with egg, flamboyantly shines on the table. Fukuchan's spoon travels between the plate and his mouth over and over again...
"Delicious, delicious! I could go on forever!" Fukuchan keeps on eating. He is too busy to talk. Other customers are still glancing our way, some of them whispering things like, "I couldn't eat that much food!"
The colossal mountain of rice is already crumbling down. Fukuchan looks likes he still has space in his stomach. "This is so good!" he says. Is this going to be an easy victory? Then, just as we were expecting that we'd soon see a clean plate without a single grain of rice left, our new adversary launched a unexpected counter-attack.
What's happening to Fukuchan?!
"I need something to wash it down," says Fukuchan, reaching for the soup. (Everybody knows water and soups fills the stomach!) Grabbing the bowl, he takes a gulp, puts it down, and says, "Ok, let's do this."
"I can't stop sweating... Oh my... It doesn't stop!" Fukuchan says more than once. Meanwhile, the fried rice... It hasn't diminished in size for some time. Fukuchan wipes away the sweat again and again.
It seems that he is spending more time wiping his forehead than actually holding his spoon. His forehead shines with dripping sweat. "Who knew mega-mori was such a monster..." Fukuchan lets slip.
The motionless spoon
And then...finally...Fukuchan gives up. This is the end of the battle.
At Goku, if you cannot finish their fried rice, you can take it back with you. They charge JPY500 for the takeout box. But this feels reasonable considering the disproportionate size of the toku-mori.
If you can't finish the fried rice, takeout is possible!
Fukuchan goes out of the restaurant, carrying what's left of his lunch in a tupperware box. Well, we all know what Fukuchan is having for dinner tonight... Let's have a look at the consequences of the first round of the mega-mori challenge (though this time it was toku-mori).
People can change this much in such a short period of time! Mega-mori foods... Gratifying our gluttonous desires... Beware! The other guys who tagged along with Fukuchan ordered other menus, all of which were tasty and set at reasonable prices. The cold dandan noodle dish (spicy ramen) was especially good, with its strong sesame flavor and sharp taste. The perfect choice for a summer lunch. Each dish comes with a vegetable side-dish, soup and a small bowl of rice. For the hungry office worker, this is an ideal place to have a fulfilling lunch. It is also worth noting that every table has a bowl of zhasai (pickled mustard greens), and customers can ask for as much as they want.
How was it, Fukuchan?
"Until halfway through, I really thought I could finish the whole thing...
But there was so much...
Even though I lost this time, I won't give up here and am looking
forward to the next challenge."
Goku's fried rice... the real deal!
We hope you enjoyed this first episode of Fukuchan's Food Adventures! We will be back soon with a new exciting mega-mori challenge. As long as there are mega-mori foods on this earth, Fukuchan will be here to take on the fight.
