8 Donburi Dishes to Try

Donburi is a Japanese meal that involves steamed rice topped with vegetables and meat or fish. The name donburi refers to the large bowl that the dish is served in, which is known as a ‘don’. The donburi is often served accompanied by sides such as miso soup and pickle. Donburi cuisine originates from the 17th century, when bowls of rice were topped with slices of grilled eels as a dish for theatregoers in (what is now) Tokyo to enjoy. Since the initial dish creation, the donburi has seen a wide range of varieties develop, with chicken, beef or different forms of seafood added to the top of rice. We take a look at some of the best donburi dishes.

Unadon

The first type of donburi dish created, unadon, remains one of the most popular forms in Japan, with slices of grilled eel topping the rice. Unadon, and, as such donburi dishes, were created during the Edo period by Imasuke Okubo. He made the dishes in an area of Edo (now Tokyo) that featured major theatres, making the dish popular with theatregoers.

Ikura Don

Ikura don sees the steamed rice topped with salmon roe, which is known as ikura. The salmon roe gives the dish a bright orange colour and shiny appearance, making this an attractive, yet simple dish. As you bite into each roe, the orb bursts with a buttery texture that compliments the rice well.

Gyudon

One of the most popular forms of donburi in Japan, gyudon are beef bowls. This type of donburi is famous enough that there are a number of restaurants and fast food establishments that specialise in serving up beef bowls, with a great deal of competition between each. Gyudon features thinly sliced beef that has been simmered in a broth with onions. It is served on top of the rice and can be accompanied by items such as poached egg, kimchi and pickle.

Chukadon

Chukadon is a type of donburi dish that is commonly enjoyed as a form of fast food in Japan. The topping is an assortment of meat, seafood and vegetables cooked in a Chinese stir-fry style. It is served over the rice with a thick sauce. Commonly included vegetables are bamboo shoots, cabbage and mushrooms.

Oyakodon

An interesting concept for a dish, ‘oyako’ don means ‘parent and child’ rice bowl, which involves pieces of chicken (the parent) cooked with egg (the child) in a broth with onions. This mixture is then poured on top of the rice, which becomes deliciously flavoured by the broth.

Katsudon

A katsudon incorporates the delicious Japanese food style of katsu into the dish, with a breaded and deep-fried pork or chicken cutlet topping the rice bowl. The katsu pork or chicken is simmered in a dashi and soy sauce broth for incredible flavour and topped with scrambled egg and slices of spring onion.

Ten Don

Ten don, short for tempura donburi, covers any type of donburi that is topped with tempura. This could be ebi-ten don (tempura prawn), yasai-ten don (tempura vegetables), or any other tempura ingredient. The tempura should be crispy and light.

Kaisendon

Kaisendon is the seafood version of a donburi and is a speciality dish in Hokkaido in northern Japan. For this dish, the rice is topped with an assortment of fresh seafood (a traditional dish would use whatever has been bought in that day), with fresh sea urchin, crab, scallops and salmon roe being popular additions to the bowl.

If you would like to try Japanese food in the UK, then check out the wide range of ingredients, snacks and treats from Japan available here at Oriental Mart.