After a long day of grocery shopping at Unimart, I always treat myself to a simple ritual. I head straight to the food court and find my little corner at Good Don. It’s not fancy at all, just a regular spot with plastic tables and the usual buzz of shoppers hauling their carts but it has become my comfort stop. A bowl of beef gyudon after a tiring grocery run feels like a small prize for surviving the day’s errands.
Since this post is going up in January, let me just say: there’s something about the cool season that makes warm rice bowls extra comforting. Whether it’s the breeze that lingers after Christmas or just the body adjusting back from the holiday rush, food like gyudon settles you in.
Today, I thought I’d try making it at home. Luckily, I usually have the basic Japanese pantry staples on hand like mirin, soy sauce, sake, and dashi. And as fate would have it, I spotted a promo on sukiyaki-cut beef at Monterey Meat during my grocery trip. Perfect timing.
Ingredients
- 500g sukiyaki-cut beef (thinly sliced, from Monterey if you catch the promo!)
- 1 large white onion, sliced
- 1 cup dashi stock (or substitute with water + a pinch of hondashi powder)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- Cooked white rice (for serving)
- Pickled red ginger (beni shoga), optional but recommended
- Chopped spring onions, for garnish
- Black sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the sliced onion and cook until softened and translucent.
- Add the beef slices, spreading them out so they cook evenly. Simmer just until the beef is cooked through and tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Some prefer it slightly sweeter, others a little saltier.
- Scoop hot rice into bowls. Ladle the beef and onion mixture on top, making sure to drizzle some of the sauce over the rice.
- Garnish with spring onions, pickled ginger, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.
Notes
- Sukiyaki beef is key here. Don’t skimp on the thin slices. They cook fast and absorb all the flavor.
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The sauce should balance sweet and salty. If you don’t have mirin, you can use a bit more sugar with a splash of rice vinegar.
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If you want to stretch the dish, add some shirataki noodles or tofu cubes into the simmering broth before topping your rice.
This was surprisingly easy to pull off at home, and honestly, it gave me the same cozy feeling as my Good Don ritual. The difference is I didn’t have to fight for a seat in the food court this time. Just a steaming bowl of beef gyudon, a bit of January breeze from the window, and a happy post-grocery evening.
Kitchen Essentials for Homemade Gyudon
If you want to try this recipe at home, here are some tools and pantry staples I personally recommend (Shopee affiliate links):
- 🍚 Japanese-style Donburi Bowls – Perfect for serving gyudon.
- 🍲 Rice Cooker – Because fluffy rice makes or breaks this dish.
- 🥢 Chopsticks & Spoon Set – For that authentic touch at home.
- 🧂 Kikkoman Soy Sauce – A must-have for Japanese cooking.
- 🍶 Mirin & Sake Set – Staple ingredients for that sweet-salty flavor.
- 🧅 Dashi Powder – Instant umami boost without the fuss.
(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps keep RelaxLangMom running.)
More Japanese Recipes You Might Like
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