As my knife and fork slid into the lofty, fluffy omelet to reveal a mountain of fried rice inside, I immediately felt like I was back in Japan.

Omurice or omelet rice is one of the many delicious mainstay dishes that I fell in love with while traveling through that country. So, when I read that there was a new place in downtown Palo Alto serving it, I was all over it.

Demi is the recently opened namesake restaurant of Chef Demi Ebara, who hails from Kyoto. She is also the owner of Demiya, which has five locations in the Bay Area.

Both concepts specialize in yoshoku food or Japanese-style versions of Western dishes that are homey and comforting. It’s the type of food that you can find served in Japan not only in mom-and-pop places but on upscale tasting menus, too.

Demiya is more of a fast-casual restaurant with an emphasis on Japanese curry dishes, while Demi is a kicked-up, sit-down restaurant.

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