How Big-Eater YouTuber Zousan Pakupaku Finished Ryuji's First-Ever 5kg "Good Fortune Oyakodon"

The request was to come up with a "good fortune recipe" for October 1, 2026, a day when Tensha-nichi and Ichiryu Manbai-bi, both considered auspicious, fall on the same date. Fortune-teller Shiuma-sensei supervised and named ingredients believed to bring good luck. Rice, since it is obtained by harvesting a crop, is said to be linked to financial luck and fruitful results, and chicken, along with the eggs that come from it, are also considered ingredients that boost financial luck. With rice, chicken and eggs, "there's only one option," so Ryuji settled on oyakodon.

Still, just making a regular oyakodon for good fortune wouldn't feel special. So Ryuji themselves proposed making a giant oyakodon as a play on "MEGA BIG." But their own staff are all light eaters and couldn't finish it. So they invited Zousan Pakupaku as a guest, someone Ryuji had watched for a while and thought ate very neatly. This is reportedly the first collaboration with a big-eater YouTuber on this channel.

According to the show's introduction, Zousan Pakupaku is a big-eater YouTuber active mainly on YouTube, and their way of eating deliciously and joyfully, born from a desire to support restaurants and the food industry, has won fans across a wide range of audiences. Since advancing to the main round of "Strongest Big Eater King Championship 2022" as a show-recommended entrant, they have reportedly made more terrestrial TV appearances. Their record so far is 9kg of curry, and they said that at that level it gets pretty tough. On the other hand, they said that when it comes to a big oyakodon, "all things considered, I may never have had one."

Ryuji said they had imagined big eaters as people who shovel food in at full speed, but Zousan Pakupaku eats everything neatly, which is pleasant to watch. Zousan Pakupaku said they don't much like being called a "food fighter." They don't want to look like they're struggling, and even on TV they ask to be introduced as "someone who eats deliciously and joyfully."

The ingredients for 10 servings were 1.2kg of chicken thigh (3–4 pieces), 20 eggs, mitsuba and a Japanese leek (naganegi). Six cups (go) of rice were cooked, yielding about 2kg. It was also Ryuji's first time using 20 eggs. The goal was the kind of oyakodon served at a yakitori shop: the chicken is seared until fragrant, then bound with egg. The bowl prepared for the dish was so large it could be mistaken for a gardening planter, and Ryuji bought a new large frying pan so it could all be made at once.

The leek is cut diagonally, yakitori-shop style, and it's fine to include a bit of the green part. According to Ryuji, 10 servings call for about 250–300g. Mitsuba adds an effective splash of color, but they said it can be left out.

Ryuji repeated that supersized dishes are hard. Making 10 servings at once takes skill in managing moisture. Oyakodon is simmered in dashi, but if you don't keep the initial liquid low, it ends up soggy like zosui (rice porridge). Ryuji called this "the principle of why large batches fail," and explained that when cooking in bulk, keeping liquid to a minimum is extremely important. This thinking is reflected in the seasoning amounts later on as well.

A portable cassette stove was used for cooking, but placing a large frying pan on it tends to make the surrounding area hot. Since a heated gas canister is dangerous, Ryuji cautioned to keep it as far away as possible. In fact, it got too hot partway through, and the stove had to be swapped out once. Ryuji said it was their first time replacing one because of overheating.

The chicken is placed skin-side down without even salting it. A single serving would be 120g, but even then, it's better to sear it whole rather than cutting it into bite-sized pieces. Once cut, the skin faces every which way, but with a whole piece, all of the skin is in contact with the pan. Searing the skin until browned brings out a yakitori-shop fragrance and gets rid of flabby skin. It reportedly also renders out fat, making it healthier. Ryuji said they prefer searing even for a regular oyakodon.

Once it's crisp like a chicken steak, the other side is seared lightly. This makes it easier to cut. It's fine if the inside is still raw, since it will be simmered later. A large amount of fat came out into the pan, but since it would get in the way of a big-eating challenge, they didn't use all of it this time, leaving only enough to sear the leeks. This chicken fat is delicious in things like fried rice, so Ryuji recommended saving it rather than throwing it away.

Asked how to cut it, Zousan Pakupaku answered that smaller pieces were "not particularly" easier to eat. Ryuji said, "From the cook's side, that's a huge relief," and cut it into large pieces. At home, it's fine to cut them a bit smaller. As for seasoning, some big eaters prefer it mild, but Zousan Pakupaku said a normal level of seasoning was fine.

Searing the leeks in the chicken fat brings out their aroma. Getting some browning on them makes them fragrant and also brings out their sweetness. The chicken was then returned to the pan along with its juices.

Twenty eggs come to about 1kg. Ryuji cracked them into a bowl meant for kneading pizza dough. About three yolks were set aside for topping, but this was for looks, and at home you can just beat them all together. Use chopsticks to beat them, stopping while some of the white is still visible. If you mix completely, it becomes flat and "tastes the same no matter where you eat," which gets boring. Ryuji explained that leaving streaks of white is to create a contrast in texture.

The seasonings were 150cc of water, 180cc of mirin, 130cc of soy sauce, and just under 3 tablespoons of chicken bouillon powder. For one serving, the water would be about 3 tablespoons, so simply multiplying by 10 would give around 300cc. But because of the large volume, 150cc was enough. This ties back to the earlier point about moisture. For one serving, the alcohol in mirin cooks off right away, but with 10 servings it takes a while, so it needs to simmer for some time.

Chicken bouillon is added as a nod to the fact that many yakitori shops make their own stock, and it reportedly adds depth and makes the oyakodon tastier. Ryuji said that at this stage the flavor was quite strong.

The beaten eggs went in over medium heat in three batches. At home, about two batches is fine; for one serving, Ryuji recommended 2 eggs over low heat. This time, medium heat was used because the quantity was so large.

As a tip specific to supersized dishes, Ryuji explained that moving things around with chopsticks lets the egg get all the way to the bottom. At this point Ryuji even praised themselves: "I might actually be pretty good at making supersized dishes." Dividing the eggs into three stages creates a contrast in texture.

On the other hand, Ryuji was also candid about the difficulties. Parts where the white has set in a slippery mass are hard to cook through, so cutting them with chopsticks helps the heat get in. However, once fully cooked, the soft, half-set quality is lost. Parts far from the heat tend to stay undercooked while parts close to it tend to get firm, so it's better to move things around frequently. Ryuji let slip, "Supersized dishes really do take experience." They also said that with oyakodon, the contrast between the white and yellow parts is important, and if it all sets, it isn't good anymore.

About 2kg of rice was scooped into the bowl with a large rice paddle. Since the sauce has a lot of liquid, it's best to cook the rice on the firm side. Judging that the egg was at its best right then while still half-set, Ryuji slid it all out of the giant frying pan at once and successfully plated it.

Overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it, Ryuji forgot to add the mitsuba along with the egg, so it was scattered on at the end. When using it raw, tearing off the leaves and placing them on top works well. The reserved egg yolks were added, and gold leaf was sprinkled over as a good-fortune touch. It's a finish that never appears in Ryuji's usual viral recipes. And with that, the "MEGA BIG Good Fortune 5kg Oyakodon" was complete. Zousan Pakupaku said it "looks like a display sample."

Between cooking steps, they also chatted about the top first prize of 1.2 billion yen. Zousan Pakupaku said much of their salary disappears into food costs. If they won, they said they'd like to do a project eating an entire cow, and would like to eat their fill at a high-end, non-conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. However, they worried it might be a nuisance to the chefs. Ryuji said there are chefs who would be happy to do it and promised to introduce them to a good sushi restaurant. As for places they'd like to visit, Zousan Pakupaku named Aomori, and also said they'd like to eat their fill of T-bone steak in Hawaii.

Asked about any routines for luck, Zousan Pakupaku said they've had their own personal good-luck rituals since childhood, things like "if this stone goes into this hole, everything will be fine." Ryuji prefaced with "I can't lie," then said they aren't very attached to good fortune and don't go to shrines much. They do, however, like fortune-telling.

Zousan Pakupaku also mentioned that after coming home from shoots, they don't eat much at night and drink alcohol instead, and that in their private life they eat Ryuji-supervised products from convenience stores and Hotto Motto.

Zousan Pakupaku skipped meals for this day. Their impression after the first bite: "It's way too delicious." They praised the good balance between the dashi and the fluffiness of the egg, and the fragrant chicken. Because the rice was cooked on the firm side, they said the amount of moisture was perfect. They also said it was amazing to hit this balance on a first-ever supersized dish, and that it was good enough to want to eat at a restaurant.

Asked partway through how full they were, they answered "about 50%," surprising Ryuji. But according to Zousan Pakupaku, they're often asked how full they are and don't really know; in terms of "the range where I can eat it and still enjoy it," it was about 40–50%. They said it's common to order 3kg at a restaurant and get 5–6kg, and Ryuji also said this portion should be more than 5kg.

Ryuji had prepared three flavor changes.

The first was Iwashita's Shin-Shoga pickled ginger, chosen on the thinking that some acidity would make it easier to keep eating. Zousan Pakupaku already loves it enough to buy it often as a snack with drinks, and praised how well the ginger's tartness, refreshing flavor and fun texture went with the dish.

The second was "Majisco," a spicy condiment Ryuji created. It isn't extremely hot, but Ryuji recommended it as something that should pair well with oyakodon. Zousan Pakupaku loves spicy food and reportedly even bites into green chili peppers as a regular habit. Of Majisco, they said the heat is restrained yet the flavor whets the appetite, and it seems like an all-purpose sauce that could be used not just for oyakodon but for all sorts of dishes. Ryuji gave them a bottle to take home. It also came up that Zousan Pakupaku's manager makes Ryuji's recipes almost every day.

The third was the finale. Ajinomoto's chicken paitan soup, simply dissolved in hot water, was served with leftover mitsuba and nori, with wasabi added to taste, and poured over the rice to eat hitsumabushi-style. Ryuji explained that they had prepared it thinking Zousan Pakupaku would be wanting something soupy around then, turning the meal into a course. Zousan Pakupaku said it was their first time eating it this way. Ryuji also said they'd like to do this style of eating going forward.

Both the bowl and the soup dish were left empty, without a single grain of rice remaining. Zousan Pakupaku said, "Every single bite was pure happiness," and that from start to finish they wished this time could last forever. They also said it was the first time they learned that a single oyakodon could be eaten like a course meal with four different flavors.

Ryuji looked back, saying they were a little moved at the moment it was finished. A dish they had made while thinking about how to make it enjoyable to eat had been eaten down to the last bite. What's more, as a cook, they were happy that Zousan Pakupaku ate it neatly and with a smile until the very end. Ryuji said they'd like to collaborate again, and Zousan Pakupaku agreed.

Finally, returning to the purpose of the project, Zousan Pakupaku, having eaten 5kg of good-fortune food, bought 10 entries of MEGA BIG to wrap things up. Ryuji noted that since 5kg would probably be difficult, they had posted a single-serving recipe in the video description. The steps are reportedly the same as this time.