Extra Fluffy, Super Soft and Custard-y Japanese Style Tamagoyaki French Toast

This Japanese tamagoyaki-inspired french toast is soft and custardy on the inside and crisp on the outside. The perfect combination of sweet and savory!

I am a true lover of french toast and all it’s varieties. I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about my dream french toast restaurant before – the one that would kind of be like IHOP but for french toast instead of pancakes. Needless to say, I’m a french toast fanatic. I like to try french toasts wherever we travel to. Usually they tend to be just like the classic french toast: bread dipped in eggs and milk and fried, but sometimes I encounter a new style of french toast. My most recent french toast obsession is Japanese french toast! It’s soft and custardy and very similar to classic french toast while being completely different.

What is Japanese Style French Toast

Japanese style french toast is almost just like regular – it uses bread and eggs and is fried, but somehow the sum of its parts ends up being different than the french toast you know and love. First off, Japanese french toast starts off with shokupan: super fluffy milk bread. The crusts are almost always cut off and the super soft and fluffy bread soaks up liquid like a sponge. They also tend to soak their bread in a more custard-y egg mix with eggs, milk or cream, and sugar. The bread is soaked for a long time so that the bread is completely saturated. There’s a famous french toast at a popular Tokyo hotel that soaks their bread overnight which results in the most tender, custard-y french toast ever. The bread is then cooked low and slow ensuring that the insides are creamy and cooked through while the outsides are just the slightest bit golden. The eggs get puffy and fluffy and it is just SO GOOD. Lots of the cafes in Tokyo do Japanese style french toast as well.

What is Tamagoyaki

Tamagoyaki (literally grilled egg) is one of my favorite sushi pieces. It’s the one that is bright yellow and looks like egg (duh!) and is sweet and savory and really good. Essentially it’s a rolled omelette made with with eggs seasoned with soy sauce and mirin (a kind of sweet Japanese very low alcohol content rice wine). I love making tamagoyaki and I love french toast so I thought I’d combine the two into the ultimate Japanese french toast, mixing sweet and savory.

Reasons Why You Should Make Japanese Tamagoyaki Inspired French Toast

You love french toast. You love tamagoyaki. You have some mirin in the pantry and want to use it up. You have some fluffy bread hanging around. You love custard-y french toast and hate french toast that is dry in the middle. You want to try a new french toast technique!

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices thick cut bread preferably shokupan
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy low sodium
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • oil for the pan

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    To Serve

  • whipped cream
  • maple syrup
  • powdered sugar

    • Instructions

  • Trim the crusts off the bread and set aside.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, soy, and mirin. If you want to go the extra mile, strain the egg mixture.
  • When ready to cook, heat up a non-stick pan over very low heat. Add a touch of oil and add the custard soaked bread (let the excess drip back into the shallow bowl) and cook, over low heat, covered, for 8-10-15 minutes, until slightly golden on the bottom side. Gently flip and continue to cook, covered, until the other side is golden and the toast is puffy.
  • Serve and enjoy hot, either unadorned or with whipped cream, syrup, and powdered sugar, if desired.



    • Recipe from I am a Food Blog.