Doria Day

What Is Doria Day?

October 29th is "Doria Day" in Japan. It was established by Hotel New Grand, a historic hotel facing Yamashita Park in Yokohama, and was certified and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association in 2021. The date marks the arrival in Japan of Saly Weil, the hotel's first head chef and the creator of doria, on October 29th, 1927.

Doria: A Western-Style Dish Born in Yokohama

Doria may sound Italian, but it was actually created at a Japanese hotel. The date of Weil's arrival was chosen because, without him coming to Japan, doria would never have been born.

• Creator: Saly Weil (1897-1976), a Swiss chef invited from Paris for the hotel's opening
• How it began: an improvised dish for a guest feeling unwell who asked for "something easy to swallow"
• The first doria: butter rice topped with shrimp in cream sauce, covered with gratin sauce and cheese, and baked in the oven
• How it spread: it became a regular menu item, "Shrimp Doria," and spread through Weil's apprentices to Western-style restaurants across Japan

Napolitan and Pudding a la Mode Came from the Same Hotel

Besides doria, Hotel New Grand also introduces "spaghetti Napolitan" and "pudding a la mode" as dishes that originated there. Weil passed on authentic European techniques in Japan for about 20 years, and after returning to Switzerland he welcomed Japanese trainees, who affectionately called him "Swiss Papa." It is said that without him, the development of Western cuisine in Japan would have been delayed by decades.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Choose doria for lunch or dinner
• Make homemade doria with leftover rice and white sauce
• Look into the roots of Japan-born Western dishes like Napolitan
• Explore the historic buildings and streets around Yamashita Park in Yokohama

A Dish Born from Care for a Guest

Doria was born from a chef's hospitality in answer to a guest's request. On October 29th, enjoy a piping-hot doria and think about the story behind it.