Donburi Dishes You Should Absolutely Taste!

Do you like Japanese food? You’re probably not the only one! Japanese cuisine is among the most popular in the world, and although it is probably best known for sushi and ramen, there are many types of Japanese dishes that you can enjoy. In fact, one of the oldest forms of Japanese dishes is what is known as donburi. If you haven’t heard of it before, well, you should keep on reading as we will talk about what donburi is, with a list of donburi dishes you should definitely taste.

Let’s get to it!

What are donburi or donburi dishes?

So what is the meaning when we say donburi dish? What is a donburi bowl, exactly?

Donburi is simply Japanese food that consists of Japanese rice in a bowl, topped with ingredients, usually a type of meat and vegetables. It’s a very popular dish not just in Japan but also in the rest of the world, probably because it is convenient and filling. Imagine, in one delicious dish, you have rice, a viand, and vegetables! 

(Side note: it’s actually so popular that donburi in a can is now an actual product. We guess it’s for people who don’t have time to go to a restaurant to eat a donburi meal? But we digress.)

According to Tokyo Restaurants Guide, donburi is normally served in a bowl with a lid. That’s because the lid keeps the heat and steam coming from the food inside the bowl, keeping your food hot and fresh, as well as allowing the scent of the toppings to join the rice, making your donburi all the more delicious.

And you know the great thing about donburi bowl ingredients? They can be chosen to suit different people’s tastes. 

Yup, that’s right: You can put ground meat, vegetables, eggs, tofu… the possibilities are endless. There’s no specific ingredient that needs to be in a donburi recipe (well, aside from a bowl of rice at least). 

Well, typing up all that made us crave for a donburi rice bowl. How about you? But do you know what’s going to make us all search for “best donburi near me?” The next section!

What are the different donburi types?

Here’s the most delicious part of this blog entry: the different types of donburi bowls that we can (and should) taste!

Take note that this is not an absolute list – remember, donburi can be a mix of any ingredients you want to eat with rice. But these are the ones we think you should check out.

Got it? Okay, good. To the list!

1. Gyu-don donburi

Gyu-don or beef donburi is apparently one of the most popular forms of donburi in Japan. It contains thin-sliced beef and onion boiled in a sweet-and-salty soy-based sauce. When served in restaurants, this beef bowl is usually accompanied by egg, kimchi, and pickles.

2. Katsu-don 

Katsu-don is commonly a rice bowl that has deep-fried breaded pork cutlets with eggs and spring onion topping it. It can also be breaded chicken. It has incredible taste, thanks to the meat being simmered in a mixture of soy sauce broth.

Trivia: Did you know that the word “katsu” means to win in Japanese? That means katsu-don is high in demand during periods when people need luck, like before giving presentations or during exams. Give it a try: Google “katsu donburi near me” when you need some luck, and let us know if it actually works!

3. Unadon

According to Oriental Mart, ​​unadon was one of the first donburi ideas that came to life. And up to now, it’s still one of the most popular ones. Unadon is made of glaze-grilled slices of eel. Once the eel pieces are placed on top of the rice, the whole bowl is then covered with the same glaze. Sounds super yummy, wouldn’t you agree?

4. Tempura donburi

Tempura is also known in the shorter term ten don. It can refer to any type of donburi that is crisply battered and fried. It can be shrimp, vegetables, or any other tempura ingredient. Although in the Philippines, we did notice that shrimp or prawn tempura is the most famous one – it’s one of the items that run out quickly in a buffet! We can’t blame people either – tempura is crispy, light, and perfect with rice!

5. Ikura Don

You can say ikura don is a salmon donburi bowl recipe. Ikura is salmon roe or eggs. So it’s not salmon salmon, but still salmon. You can still eat it for Lent, in fact. Anyway, what makes this good is because the salmon roe is marinated in soy sauce, mirin (a rice wine), sake, and sometimes even with dashi, or Japanese stock soup. Plus, the orange color and the shiny look of the roe adds extra appeal! You’ll enjoy eating the roe with a texture that goes well with the rice.

6. Oyakodon Donburi

So here’s a funny-sounding but still delicious donburi. Why is it funny? Well, “oyako” literally means parent and child. So in English, oyakodon means “parent and child rice bowl.” That’s in reference to the fact that the chicken in this dish (usually chopped chicken thighs) is simmered with egg broth. The chicken is the parent, and the child is the egg. Got it? Reminds us of the whole chicken and egg conundrum, but we digress.

Funny name aside, this comforting dish is quick to make and is very comforting to eat. Aside from the chicken pieces and eggs that make up this Japanese rice bowl, you can also add steamed egg and scallions. And if you want, you can even substitute the chicken for beef, pork, and even roe or tofu (although of course, that won’t technically be an oyakodon rice bowl anymore).

Make some donburi dishes with The Bailiwick Academy!

After going through this list, are you now aching to get out the door and try any of the donburi dishes on (and not on) this list?

Well, you can do that… or you can stay at home and try out our donburi japanese rice bowl recipes from our newest chef, Max Nadin, with his Donburi class!

That’s right! You’ll no longer be stuck craving some donburi recipes at home or having to call a restaurant for some rice-topped takeout. Make the following donburi dishes from the comfort of your home:

• Salmon with Unagi Sauce
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Gyudon

You’ll also learn to make one of the many donburi side dishes, Potato Balls or Korokke. And Chef Max will even give you a bonus recipe for making Miso Soup!

So what are you waiting for? Learn some delicious and quality Japanese cooking today! Sign up now at The Bailiwick Academy!

P.S. If you’re reading this now (April 24, 2022), you can get this class at 20% OFF.

That’s right, from its original price of PHP 2499, it will now only be PHP 1992.20 – that is, if you enroll before 7PM.

So don’t delay! Enroll now and learn to cook Japanese donburi that not only you and your family will love, but will also be great additions to your food business!