Otaku no Mayo Heads to Supermarkets: Four Easy Recipes from Ryuji and Hiroki Yasumoto

Otaku no Mayo is a junk-food-style mayonnaise sauce with bacon, garlic and pepper that the two developed together. Ryuji explains that when it was sold online-only before, it was more popular than they had imagined, and many people asked for it to be sold again, so it will now be stocked in supermarkets.

The online version cost around 950 yen. The two recall that "we worked hard to get it under 1,000 yen, but it was still expensive." The new supermarket version is 678 yen (before tax), about 300 yen cheaper. Ryuji says the price cut was probably possible because the retailer agreed to carry a fairly large quantity. However, quantities are limited, and sales will end once it sells out.

The two share the view that because Ota-Mayo is a complete flavor on its own, it pairs well with simple dishes. The recipes this time were chosen with that idea in mind.

The first recipe is a Caesar salad that turns Ota-Mayo into a dressing. It uses two bags of store-bought pre-cut vegetables and bacon, which is torn by hand instead of cut with a knife. Ryuji laughed, saying that washing dishes is a hassle too, and when eating alone he actually eats things like this; even a cooking researcher is only human. If you like crispy bacon you can cook it, but he says it doesn't change the flavor that much.

For the dressing, mix 2 tablespoons of Ota-Mayo with about 2 tablespoons of unsweetened soy milk (milk also works) to thin it, then add a pinch of consommé powder and 1½ tablespoons of grated cheese. Ryuji explains that mayonnaise on its own is too heavy, but loosening it with soy milk gives it the consistency of "a Caesar salad at a slightly fancy restaurant." Caesar salad normally includes garlic and pepper, but Ota-Mayo already has them, so there's no need to add more; that is the idea behind this recipe. Black pepper is sprinkled on at the end for looks.

Tasting it, Yasumoto exclaimed in surprise, "It's a Caesar salad!" and said there was no taste of soy milk at all. According to Ryuji, Ota-Mayo's seasoning has so much impact that the flavor still holds up even when cut with soy milk. The two also praised how well the cheese came through. Yasumoto noted that even if a friend drops by unexpectedly, you can buy packaged vegetables at a convenience store, and Ryuji added that the dressing itself gives the dish a "homemade" feel.

The second dish is a maritozzo-style egg sandwich. Crack 3 eggs into a microwave-safe container, break them up lightly, and heat in a 600W microwave. Ryuji says, "You don't need 3 minutes, so start with about 2½," cooking them until they're almost like fried eggs. He adds that firmer is better, but it's also a matter of preference.

Break up the cooked eggs and add Ota-Mayo. Ryuji says to add it "until you're satisfied," and after putting in 3 to 4 tablespoons he said, "I'm still not satisfied," ending up with about 5 tablespoons. He says the more you add, the better it tastes, which Yasumoto described as "brute force by numbers." Breaking up the yolks helps them blend with the Ota-Mayo. The only seasoning is salt and pepper, and at this stage Yasumoto said, "This alone would be fine."

The filling is stuffed generously into three small slit French rolls, so much that they won't close. Ryuji says ordinary home cooks can start with a bit less, and suggests about one egg per mini French roll as a guide. Sliced bread or rice also works.

At the tasting, both agreed it's best eaten while warm. Yasumoto said it would go well with rice, but bread is better, and suggested it could be breakfast, or that the bacon from earlier could be added. Ryuji explains that Ota-Mayo has a strong garlic kick, but because it's been heated, the smell isn't that strong. The two also marveled that it wasn't cloying despite how much they'd used. It was shared with the camera crew as well, and Ryuji says it could also be used on grilled chicken or chicken with tartar sauce.

For the third dish, spaghetti Napolitan, Ryuji says that mixing Ota-Mayo with ketchup produces a "frighteningly good flavor." Yasumoto says they had also mixed it with ketchup before and knew the two paired well.

The pasta is 100g of thick 1.8mm spaghetti. Ryuji says Napolitan tastes better with thicker pasta, and breaks it in half before placing it in a microwave-safe container, joking that this is the kind of thing that makes Italians angry. Add 280cc of water, tear 3 sausages by hand and drop them in, and season with salt and pepper. When Yasumoto teased Ryuji for taking out a knife and then not using it, Ryuji replied that as an otaku, he's busy with anime and games today. Tearing makes the cut surfaces uneven, which gives a meatier feel. Cutting them with scissors is fine too.

Microwave at 600W for 11–12 minutes, uncovered. Ryuji says that casually introducing something this simple should make people think, "Wow, it's this versatile."

After heating, add ketchup and Ota-Mayo. He initially added too much Ota-Mayo, then added more ketchup to get a 1:1 ratio of 2 tablespoons each. Add black pepper, 3 pinches of sugar, and salt and pepper, and it's done. Because it's cooked in one pot, the sauce thickens. Ryuji says it won't turn out well unless you use thick pasta.

At the tasting, the two agreed the ketchup adds sweetness and umami. Yasumoto pointed out that the torn sausages had a texture like meatballs, and said, "I'd want to make this every day after work." Ryuji explains that ordinary mayonnaise lacks punch, so you'd need to add grated garlic, bacon, consommé and so on, but Ota-Mayo has those built in from the start. Yasumoto described it as an "all-in-one seasoning."

While the Napolitan was in the microwave, the two talked about past products in the "Otaku no" series. In addition to Otaku no Mayo, they've released a dressing and did a collaboration with a shabu-shabu restaurant. Yasumoto said they went with several friends from the same industry, and everyone raved about it; they were surprised by how good the curry served after eating lots of vegetables and meat was, and that it was cheap even with all-you-can-drink included. Yasumoto went two days in a row.

What the two recommended was dipping pork shabu-shabu in the broth they created and eating it on top of the curry. They said the collaboration runs until mid-March.

The final recipe is Yasumoto's. Thinking that Ota-Mayo can be used in many dishes and dramatically transforms the flavor when added, Yasumoto chose Taiwanese-style mazesoba, which pairs well with ground meat. Yasumoto had also used ground meat in a previous recipe with green peppers. They bought the ingredients themselves at York Mart after work; Ryuji's side had said they would provide them, but Yasumoto bought them anyway.

The noodles are extra-thick noodles sold at York Mart, which apparently come in several thicknesses. The other key ingredient is pre-prepped burdock root found at York that can be added as is. Yasumoto uses it regularly, adding it to keema curry and putting leftovers in miso soup. Since Ryuji had barely used a knife, Yasumoto decided to cook without one too, and brought from home a "Bunbun Chopper," which they also take to work.

The garlic is 30g. This time it was 2 large heads' worth, or about 4 if they're small. It's chopped in the chopper until it's about as fine as the ground meat. The 50g of burdock and 3 slices of ginger go into the chopper together. Ideally they'd be separated according to how they cook, but Yasumoto said doing them together is fine because separating them is a hassle, and Ryuji agreed: "That feeling of 'what a hassle' is important."

The burdock is there for texture. According to Yasumoto, when they tried it with green peppers before, the chopper pulverized them and the bite was weak. Burdock has a strong enough texture to hold up even when chopped finely, so it's just right.

The seasoning mix is 1 tablespoon of sake, 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder, a little soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, and doubanjiang to taste. The sake is there to dissolve the chicken stock, so not much is needed. Yasumoto doesn't usually use much sugar but added 2 pinches to match Ryuji.

As for the seasoning being light and the flavor mild, Yasumoto explains that it can be mild because Ota-Mayo will be added at the end. The idea behind the dish is not to complete the flavor with just the lined-up seasonings, but to let people enjoy the world that opens up after the flavor changes.

About 1 tablespoon of sesame oil is used for frying. First, fry the garlic without burning it to bring out the aroma, and when it's about to burn, add 250g of ground pork. On the amount of garlic, Yasumoto said they don't use this much when cooking at home, but bought 250g of meat and increased it to match, adding that less is fine. Once the meat changes color, add the burdock and ginger, then add the seasoning mix.

While stir-frying, the conversation turned to how often Yasumoto cooks at home. With ground meat on hand, you can make not only mazesoba but also keema curry, and Yasumoto sometimes makes hayashi rice with ground chicken. Ryuji also mentioned that Yasumoto properly made nanakusa-gayu (seven-herb rice porridge) on the day of the Seven Herbs Festival.

The extra-thick noodles are meant to be boiled for 5–6 minutes, but Yasumoto said 6 minutes tasted better and recommends them slightly soft. There's also a chilled style, but this time they're eaten piping hot. The noodles are thick, but rather than the so-called hearty, chewy "washi-washi" style, they have a plump, springy texture.

The garlic chives were cut with scissors instead of a knife. Yasumoto admitted that honestly a knife would be faster, but said it was a challenge to match Ryuji. Normally, mazesoba has the sauce at the bottom of the bowl, but since that's a hassle, the meat is seasoned well instead and the dish is meant to be mixed thoroughly before eating. Top the noodles with garlic chives, the meat miso, and an egg yolk, drizzle with chili oil, and it's done. Yasumoto says they want people to enjoy it normally at first, and that the star, Ota-Mayo, coming in later is more fitting for a hero.

First, mix it and eat it as is. Ryuji commented that the garlic was quite strong. Yasumoto says it should be fairly tasty even like this, but when it starts to feel like something is missing, that's when Ota-Mayo comes in. After adding Ota-Mayo and mixing again, Ryuji responded, "Now I understand why you call it the premise," and also said it was surprisingly refreshing thanks to the ginger.

Next, sprinkle on crumbled nori bought at York, then bonito powder. If you don't have bonito powder, you can microwave bonito flakes and crush them. Yasumoto said it's fun how the flavor changes step by step, adding that you can add vinegar if it starts to feel lacking.

Finally, since some ground meat inevitably remains in the bowl, add a small amount of rice, add more Ota-Mayo, and mix. Yasumoto said the dish includes this finishing rice. Ryuji said, "It's fine to assume rice from the start," and that this part might be the best of all. The two called this progression a "course meal."

Yasumoto said the process itself is simple, and since it includes meat, it makes a full meal, suggesting it might be good for households with kids. On the other hand, Yasumoto also reflected that if they had used a knife, they would have added more garlic chives. Ryuji described it as a dish that keeps you enjoying it the whole way through and then delivers the finishing blow at the end. The staff also tasted it and were surprised at the difference before and after adding Ota-Mayo.

At the end, they announced once more that Otaku no Mayo will roll out in limited quantities at Ito-Yokado, York and other stores starting March 5. Ryuji said all of today's recipes are recommended, and especially Yasumoto's mazesoba was really delicious, so viewers should try making it. He closed the video by encouraging viewers to pick up Otaku no Mayo, which the two made in earnest, in stores.