TKG!

TKG! Or what it is affectionately known in Japan as たまごかけごはん (Tamago Kake Gohan). For those of you who have never heard of this dish, it is simply a raw egg mixed over hot rice with a splash of soy sauce. Many Japanese people enjoy TKG for breakfast, or whenever they need something quick, easy, and comforting for lunch or dinner. It is incredibly simple, yet incredibly delicious.
I have enjoyed this classic Japanese dish many times at home, but I never imagined I would come across a place dedicated to serving the ultimate TKG experience with premium eggs. Today, I will be talking about Tsukuba’s own, Kuramochi no Tamago Biyori.

Kuramochi no Tamago Biyori

Kuramochi no Tamago Biyori is located in the Akatsuka area of Tsukuba City, along the busy road that leads to the former You World and also passes by my favorite Korean restaurant, Chinmitei.
How I discovered this place is actually a bit of an interesting story. I was attending an event at Tsukuba Center when I came across a booth where a few staff members were selling two packs of eight eggs for just 500 yen. Thinking it was a great deal, I bought two packs. Afterward, they had me try my luck in a lottery drawing, and I ended up winning a ticket for an all-you-can-eat TKG meal. The staff at the booth told me about their restaurant and egg shop, so my wife quickly decided that we had found our Sunday morning breakfast destination.
I had heard that the Kuramochi company had been in the egg business for many years, so I was excited to see what they had to offer. We pulled into Tamago Biyori and parked our car. Before heading inside, I noticed something that immediately caught my eye, a 24-hour egg vending machine. Apparently, if you happen to have a two-in-the-morning craving for TKG, Kuramochi has you covered.
After admiring the egg vending machines for a bit, my wife and I stepped into the restaurant and shop.

Inside

When we walked into Tamago Biyori, the first thing that greeted us was, of course, the eggs. A variety of different eggs were available for purchase, sold either in cartons of eight or in small boxes containing fifteen eggs. Tamago Biyori also sells pudding and an egg sandwich. The sandwich looked absolutely amazing, and I am hoping to pick one up to take home on my next visit.
As tempting as the sandwiches were, our main focus that morning was the TKG. Right next to the entrance is the register, where you pay and receive your ticket for the all-you-can-eat Tamago Kake Gohan experience. Even though I had won a special ticket, it turns out that Sunday mornings are already all-you-can-eat days. For my wife and I, the total came to just 1,200 yen.
Isn't that insanely cheap?
After paying, we were handed our tickets and escorted to the TKG area.

TKG Time!

When we handed our tickets to the kitchen staff, they gave us a tray with a bowl of steaming rice, a bowl of miso soup, and some pickles. We were then directed to the small egg station, which is where the fun really began.
That Sunday, we were given four different types of eggs to choose from. The brown eggs on the top row were the dark-yellow-yolk eggs (I'm about 90% sure that's the correct translation), while the other brown eggs were free-range eggs with deep-colored yolks. Below those were the onsen tamago (hot spring eggs), and finally, I believe the white eggs were just regular eggs. I decided to start by trying the two different brown eggs and the onsen tamago.

Let's get our egg on!

I don't know how you feel when you crack a raw egg and watch it slide onto a beautiful bowl of freshly cooked white rice, but for me, it's a euphoric feeling. Now imagine cracking three eggs and doing that three times. That's an incredible experience.
I had never mixed three different types of eggs into one bowl of rice before, but that day I did just that and created the ultimate TKG. Of course, I couldn't forget the soy sauce. Tamago Biyori offers two different types: a regular soy sauce and a spicy soy sauce. I went with the spicy option.
Was it actually spicy? Not really, at least not to me. However, it did have a pleasant kick that added an extra layer of flavor to my TKG. I grabbed a spoon and mixed everything together. My TKG was ready.
I took my first spoonful of that beautiful golden-yellow rice, and it was incredible. The rich flavors of the egg yolks, combined with the slightly spicy soy sauce and the freshly cooked white rice, were exactly what I needed to start my day. The miso soup and pickles were excellent as well, but the true star of the meal was the TKG.
Mrs. Ibaraki Eats finished her bowl and immediately declared that she was going back for more. She grabbed another serving of rice along with all the four types of eggs and made herself a second TKG. She looked like she was in TKG heaven.
Naturally, I did the same.
Of all the eggs, the onsen tamago takes first prize. It was incredibly flavorful, and its soft, silky yolk burst with richness in every bite. It was absolutely heavenly.

After finishing our second bowl of TKG, we were completely satisfied. We had enjoyed our fill of delicious eggs and rice, and it was time to head out. Before leaving, we thanked the staff for the amazing meal and told them that we would definitely be back.
Our experience at Tamago Biyori was both pleasant and memorable. It was fascinating to see the wide variety of eggs available for purchase, and the TKG experience itself was incredible. Being able to compare different types of eggs and create our own perfect bowl made for a unique breakfast that we won't soon forget.
I hope to return for breakfast again soon.

So, if you find yourself around Tsukuba and are looking for a Japanese breakfast packed with delicious eggs, why not give Kuramochi no Tamago Biyori a try? Who knows? You might even see us there, creating our perfect bowl of TKG with all the different eggs that Tamago Biyori has to offer.
Enjoy!

For more information on Kuramochi no Tamago Biyori, check out their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tamagobiyori/

For the older blog posts, check out the WIX Ibaraki Eats.

https://regaladom24.wixsite.com/website