Japanese Donburi Bowls - 18 Delicious Dishes to Try

Ikkunidon [丼] literally means "bowl", also abbreviated as "don" and used as a suffix for dishes served in a bowl. usually the donburi consists of fish, meat, vegetables and other ingredients cooked together and served over rice.

Donburi meals are usually served in large bowls of rice, which are also called donburi. When necessary to distinguish, the bowl is called donburi-bachi [丼鉢] and the dish is called donburi-mono [丼物].

Donburi is sometimes called "sweetened stew" or "tasty on rice". The simmering sauce varies by season, ingredients, region and flavor. A typical dipping sauce might consist of dashi flavored with soy sauce and mirin.

Donburi can be made from almost any ingredients, including leftovers. In this article, we are going to show you 20 Japanese donburi dishes. Those that can usually be found at fast food restaurants as Yoshinoya and Sukiya.

Gyūdon [牛丼] - Meat bowl

Gyudon [牛丼] literally means 'meat bowl', it is a japanese dish A very common dish consisting of a bowl of rice with meat and onions cooked in a slightly sweet sauce flavored with dashi, soy sauce and mirin.

It also often includes shirataki noodles and is sometimes topped with a raw egg or soft poached egg (onsen tamago). I've already found the plate with melted cheese, it can accompany other things like miso soup. Despite being simple, it's perfect!

Networks like Matsuya, offer the dish under the name of gyumeshi [牛めし]. If you want to try it, in greater SP you can find these dishes in Japanese restaurant chains, including the aforementioned fast food.

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl
Gyudon dish

Butadon [豚丼] = Pork bowl

Like gyudon, this dish uses pork instead of beef. Butadon originated in Hokkaido, but is now enjoyed all over Japan.

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl
butadon plate

Unadon [鰻丼] - Eel Bowl

As the name suggests, this time the bowl has slices of eel. The first time I was repressive, but after trying it I found it delicious, and now I understand why Genta likes eels so much.

The rice is topped with eel fillets (unagi) grilled in the style known as kabayaki, similar to teriyaki. The fillets are glazed with a sweetened soy-based sauce called tara and caramelized, preferably over a charcoal fire.

The fillets are not skinned and the gray side of the skin is placed face down. Una-don was the first type of donburi rice dish, invented at the end of the Edo period, during the Bunka era (1804-1818).

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl
Unadon dish

The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:

Tendon [天丼] - Tempura Bowl

This time the dish is covered with tempura, there is a similar dish called tempted [天玉丼] which consists of tempura with beaten egg.

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl

Oyakodon - Egg chicken bowl

Oyakodon [親子丼] consists of boiled chicken, egg and sliced chives, served on top of a large bowl of rice. Chicken is also sometimes substituted for beef or pork in a variation known as Tanindon.

Konohdon [木の葉丼] is similar to oyakodon, but using pieces of kamaboko thinly sliced instead of chicken meat. Popular in the Kansai area.

There is another dish called Tamagodon [玉子丼] consists of a scrambled egg dish mixed with sweet donburi sauce on rice. Several other recipes that we will see in this article can also have eggs in the ingredients.

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl
Oyakodon

Katsudon - Pork ribs in bowl

Katsudon [カツ丼] consists of breaded fried pork chops (tonkatsu) and onion cooked over a low heat and joined by the beaten egg and then used as a topping for rice. There are some regional variations in Japan.

Sōsukatsudon [ソースカツ丼] is similar to Katsudon, but with sliced cabbage and salted sauce instead of egg.

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl
Katsudon

Fish and sashimi in the bowl

Kaisendon [海鮮丼] consists of thinly sliced sashimi on rice. Fish roe can also be included.

Hokkaidon [北海丼] consists of thinly sliced raw salmon over rice.

the negitorodon [ネギトロ丼] consists of diced toro [fatty tuna] and negi [scallions] in rice.

Tekkadon [鉄火丼] is thinly sliced raw tuna on rice. Spicy tekkadon is made with what can be a mixture of spicy ingredients, a hot orange sauce, or both [often incorporates chives].

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl
A plate of Tekkadon

other donburi

Karēdon [カレー丼] consists of curry-flavored dashi thickened in rice. It was derived from udon curry or nanban curry (a soba dish). Sold in soba and udon restaurants.

Chūkadon [中華丼] consists of a bowl of rice with fried vegetables, onions, mushrooms and thin slices of meat on top. This dish is similar to chop suey and is sold in cheap Chinese restaurants in Japan.

Tenshindon or Tenshin-han [Tianjin don / Tianjin rice] is a Chinese-Japanese specialty consisting of a crab meat omelette on rice; this dish is named after the city of Tianjin.

Ikuradon [いくら丼] seasoned with ikura [salmon roe] on rice.

Donburi – 18 Japanese dishes in the bowl
A plate of Ikuradon

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