Name: Loco Moco Crunchwrap
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: Large flour tortillas; Shredded Monterey Jack cheese; Cooked rice; 6 oz Burger patty; Curry gravy; Fried egg; Togarashi or chili flakes; 150 g butter; 1 tablespoon garlic (minced into a paste); 1/2 cup yellow onion (finely minced); 150 g flour (equal weight to butter); 1 tablespoon S&B Oriental curry powder; 1 tablespoon black pepper (or to taste); 2 cups beef bone broth; Dried or fresh scallions (to taste); Salt to taste; Citric acid to taste or lemon juice

How a Late Night Seattle Staple Turned Into the Ultimate Crunchwrap.

There are certain dishes that stick with you long after you stop cooking them every night. Loco Moco is one of those for me.

When I worked at Palace Kitchen in downtown Seattle, Loco Moco was a late-night staple. We sold a lot of them. It made sense. We had a great burger, rich gravy, rice that soaked everything up, and an egg tying it all together. Simple food, done well, meant to keep people happy late into the night.

Years later, that same idea popped back into my head while reading a comment on one of my videos suggesting turning Loco Moco into a Crunchwrap. Once that seed was planted, it was over. Loco Moco already has all the components of a perfect wrap. Protein, starch, sauce, fat. All it needed was structure.

This is not a burrito. This is a Crunchwrap. Sealed with a cheese crust, cooked hot in a skillet, and built to be eaten with your hands.

If you want to make it exactly like this, the recipe is in here. If you just want to steal pieces of it, that works too. Honestly, everything in this is great just served over rice.

Why Loco Moco Works So Well in This Format

Loco Moco is Hawaiian inspired comfort food at its core. A hamburger patty, gravy, rice, and egg. It is already layered. It already wants to be stacked.

The Crunchwrap format does three important things:

It keeps everything contained
It gives you texture from the toasted tortilla and cheese crust
It turns a plate dish into something portable without losing its soul

The key is not overthinking it. Build it like you would a plate of Loco Moco, then wrap it.

Ingredients

Crunch Wrap

Large flour tortillas
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooked rice
Burger patty
Curry gravy
Fried egg
Togarashi or chili flakes

Curry Gravy

150 grams butter
1 tablespoon garlic, minced into a paste
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely minced
150 grams flour (equal weight to butter)
1 tablespoon S&B Oriental curry powder
1 tablespoon black pepper, or to taste
2 cups beef bone broth
Dried or fresh scallions, to taste
Salt to taste
Citric acid to taste or lemon juice

How to Make Loco Moco CrunchWrap

The Burger Patty

I use a hybrid smash style here. Not paper thin, not a thick pub burger.

I form the patty, smash it down with patty paper, and sear it hard. Salt goes on early. Black pepper goes on after the patty has seared on both sides so it does not burn. I cook it to mid-rare, then let it rest on a rack while I build everything else.

This keeps the burger juicy even after it gets wrapped and toasted.

The Curry Gravy

This gravy is inspired by the style we used to make at Palace Kitchen in Seattle.

Method

Melt the butter in a pot and let it get lightly browned. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.

Whisk in the flour until it looks like wet sand. Add the curry powder and black pepper.

Slowly whisk in the beef bone broth until smooth.

Add scallions. Season with salt and citric acid or lemon juice. Keep warm.

This gravy should be savory, peppery, and just thick enough to cling.

The Egg

I fry the egg in neutral oil and pop the yolk while it cooks. I want it set but still rich. This matters because a runny yolk inside a Crunchwrap turns into a mess fast.

Season with salt and pepper. Keep it circular.

The Rice

I use Japanese short grain rice because that is what I had. Use whatever rice you like. The rice is there to absorb gravy and add structure.

Pack it lightly. Do not mash it.

Building the Loco Moco Crunchwrap

You will need

Large flour tortillas
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooked rice
Burger patty
Curry gravy
Fried egg
Togarashi or chili flakes

Assembly order

1. Sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese in the center of the tortilla

2. Add a layer of rice

3. Place the burger patty on top

4. Spoon curry gravy over the burger

5. Add the egg

6. Sprinkle with togarashi

7. Add a little more gravy

Fold the tortilla into six folds, working around the center.

The Cheese Crust Seal

This part is essential.

Heat a skillet to medium high, around 350 degrees. Sprinkle a generous layer of Monterey Jack directly onto the pan. Once it melts and starts to bubble, place the Crunchwrap seam side down onto the cheese.

This seals the wrap and creates a crispy cheese crust.

Once set, flip and toast the other side until golden.

The Final Cut

Let it rest briefly, then cut it in half. Serve with extra gravy if you want.

If you skip the tortilla entirely, everything here still works beautifully just served over rice. This is not about the gimmick. It is about taking a dish that already works and giving it another form.

Why This Dish Matters

This is how restaurant food actually evolves. Not from trends, but from repetition. From cooking the same thing a thousand times and realizing it can live somewhere else.

Loco Moco will always be a plate of rice, burger, gravy, and egg to me. This version just happens to fit in your hands.