ASAKUSA Underground > Gyudon the beef bowl
A backpacker cannot miss tasting a gyudon in Japan.
A gyudon is a bowlful of rice with thin-sliced stewed beef and delicious gravy on top.
There are quite a few nation-wide or local restaurant chains in this category, and a day doesn't pass without seeing a beef bowl bill board while travelling in Japanese cities.
Notably, Matsuya and Yoshinoya are the two biggest chains of all, and both of them serve high quality gyudons and it is difficult to tell which is the better in terms of taste.
They are proud to have their own strong points to attract hungry customers respectively.
First, about Matsuya.
If you order a beefbowl, you get a cup of miso soup for free.
Let’s try not to ask whether it tastes good or bad.
It is free.
At some Japanese restaurants outside Japan, they even charge you for tea.
Compared to this attitude, don't you think it is wonderful to have free cold water, free hot green tea, free vinegary ginger, free seven flavours spice, and free soup at Matsuya?
(Their generosity stops there, though. You can eat as much as ginger for free, but once you put your chopsticks on another side dish like Tsukemono [pickles], you will have to pay for it.)
On the other hand, at Yoshinoya, the soup is not free, but many people say that it is the best in taste. In Yoshinoya's beef bowl you can enjoy a immeasurable depth of its taste, delicate and balanced, they explain.
<How to order your gyudon>
At Matsuya, you buy the ticket at the vending machine before eating.
At Yoshinoya, you eat first and pay later.
Choose or say "Nami" for the smaller portion.
"O-o-mori" for the larger portion.
When you order your bowl, only the connoisseurs know a little trick.
It is to ask them to adjust the quantity of the gravy as your liking.
Some says they like the rice when it has sucked in plenty of gravy.
Depending on how much gravy they pour with meat into your bowl, the taste varies fairly a lot.
Therefore, the quantity of the gravy is crucial.
You don't want your fancy and economical dinner to be neither too dry nor too soggy.
The art exists at any domain of the country of the rising sun.
When you sit down at the bar and cry out "Nami" (or O-o-mori), you add your order concerning the quantity of the gravy.
Use the following examples if you wish.
1, Extra gravy (=Tsuyudaku)
-example
"Tsuyudaku ni shite kudasai."
2, Super extra gravy (=Dakudaku)
-example
"Dakudaku ni shite kudasai."
3, More than super extra gravy
--To express your intention that you want something in bulk, or to describe the state that something is happening repetitively, there is the golden rule of onomatopoeia. In Indonesian, to express that there are more than one thing, they repeat the word twice. It is about the same in Japan like some other Pacific civilizations.
--In this case, repeat the word "Daku" as many times as you find appropriate.
-example
"Tsuyu daku daku daku daku daku,..,..,..,..,daku daku ni shite kudasai"
<Tips>
If you are travelling on a shoestring budget and don't want to spend much on foods, or if you have very limited time to stay in Japan and have to run around, a gyudon beef bowl is perfect.
It is cheap, and most of those chain restaurants are open 24 hours a day.
Here is one suggestion to maximize your money-for-value ratio at a gyudon restaurant.
1, sprinkle on the beef as much free seven flavours spice as you like.
2, eat only beef.
3, serve as much free vinegary ginger possible at the place where you had beef. You have just completed a ginger bowl.
4, enjoy your ginger bowl. Ginger is very good for your health. When you have fever, raw ginger works as a febrifuge. You can always hope vinegary ginger will work likewise.
<Matsuya>
--The prices--
Nami: 350 yen (790cal)
Dai(O-o-mori): 480 yen (1014cal)
-Asakusa Azumabashi Ten
2-19-13 Kaminarimon, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5830-1507
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
-Asakusa Kokusai Doori Ten
Wada Building, 2-11-7 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5827-8577
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
To find out the exact location, use diddlefinger.
The site is your best guide when you work in Tokyo or travel in Japan.
[Their site in Japanese]
http://www.matsuyafoods.co.jp/shop/index.html
<Yoshinoya>
--The prices--
Nami: 380 yen (660kcal)
O-o-mori: 480 yen (750kcal)
Toku-mori (extra large): 630 yen (940kcal)
-Asakusa Kaminarimon Ten
Shato-R Building 1F, 1-3-3 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5826-7098
Attention! Limited working hours.
-Asakusa Chuo Ten
2-10-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5827-0267
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
-Asakusa Ekimae Ten
Sateraito Fuji Building 1F, 1-5-2 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5830-5785
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
To find out the exact location, use diddlefinger.
The site is your best guide when you work in Tokyo or travel in Japan.
[Their site in Japanese]
http://www.yoshinoya.com/shop/menu/index.html
Gyudon the beef bowl
A backpacker cannot miss tasting a gyudon in Japan.
A gyudon is a bowlful of rice with thin-sliced stewed beef and delicious gravy on top.
There are quite a few nation-wide or local restaurant chains in this category, and a day doesn't pass without seeing a beef bowl bill board while travelling in Japanese cities.
Notably, Matsuya and Yoshinoya are the two biggest chains of all, and both of them serve high quality gyudons and it is difficult to tell which is the better in terms of taste.
They are proud to have their own strong points to attract hungry customers respectively.
First, about Matsuya.
If you order a beefbowl, you get a cup of miso soup for free.
Let’s try not to ask whether it tastes good or bad.
It is free.
At some Japanese restaurants outside Japan, they even charge you for tea.
Compared to this attitude, don't you think it is wonderful to have free cold water, free hot green tea, free vinegary ginger, free seven flavours spice, and free soup at Matsuya?
(Their generosity stops there, though. You can eat as much as ginger for free, but once you put your chopsticks on another side dish like Tsukemono [pickles], you will have to pay for it.)
On the other hand, at Yoshinoya, the soup is not free, but many people say that it is the best in taste. In Yoshinoya's beef bowl you can enjoy a immeasurable depth of its taste, delicate and balanced, they explain.
<How to order your gyudon>
At Matsuya, you buy the ticket at the vending machine before eating.
At Yoshinoya, you eat first and pay later.
Choose or say "Nami" for the smaller portion.
"O-o-mori" for the larger portion.
When you order your bowl, only the connoisseurs know a little trick.
It is to ask them to adjust the quantity of the gravy as your liking.
Some says they like the rice when it has sucked in plenty of gravy.
Depending on how much gravy they pour with meat into your bowl, the taste varies fairly a lot.
Therefore, the quantity of the gravy is crucial.
You don't want your fancy and economical dinner to be neither too dry nor too soggy.
The art exists at any domain of the country of the rising sun.
When you sit down at the bar and cry out "Nami" (or O-o-mori), you add your order concerning the quantity of the gravy.
Use the following examples if you wish.
1, Extra gravy (=Tsuyudaku)
-example
"Tsuyudaku ni shite kudasai."
2, Super extra gravy (=Dakudaku)
-example
"Dakudaku ni shite kudasai."
3, More than super extra gravy
--To express your intention that you want something in bulk, or to describe the state that something is happening repetitively, there is the golden rule of onomatopoeia. In Indonesian, to express that there are more than one thing, they repeat the word twice. It is about the same in Japan like some other Pacific civilizations.
--In this case, repeat the word "Daku" as many times as you find appropriate.
-example
"Tsuyu daku daku daku daku daku,..,..,..,..,daku daku ni shite kudasai"
<Tips>
If you are travelling on a shoestring budget and don't want to spend much on foods, or if you have very limited time to stay in Japan and have to run around, a gyudon beef bowl is perfect.
It is cheap, and most of those chain restaurants are open 24 hours a day.
Here is one suggestion to maximize your money-for-value ratio at a gyudon restaurant.
1, sprinkle on the beef as much free seven flavours spice as you like.
2, eat only beef.
3, serve as much free vinegary ginger possible at the place where you had beef. You have just completed a ginger bowl.
4, enjoy your ginger bowl. Ginger is very good for your health. When you have fever, raw ginger works as a febrifuge. You can always hope vinegary ginger will work likewise.
<Matsuya>
--The prices--
Nami: 350 yen (790cal)
Dai(O-o-mori): 480 yen (1014cal)
-Asakusa Azumabashi Ten
2-19-13 Kaminarimon, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5830-1507
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
-Asakusa Kokusai Doori Ten
Wada Building, 2-11-7 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5827-8577
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
To find out the exact location, use diddlefinger.
The site is your best guide when you work in Tokyo or travel in Japan.
[Their site in Japanese]
http://www.matsuyafoods.co.jp/shop/index.html
<Yoshinoya>
--The prices--
Nami: 380 yen (660kcal)
O-o-mori: 480 yen (750kcal)
Toku-mori (extra large): 630 yen (940kcal)
-Asakusa Kaminarimon Ten
Shato-R Building 1F, 1-3-3 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5826-7098
Attention! Limited working hours.
-Asakusa Chuo Ten
2-10-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5827-0267
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
-Asakusa Ekimae Ten
Sateraito Fuji Building 1F, 1-5-2 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5830-5785
Open 7 days a week 24 hours a day
To find out the exact location, use diddlefinger.
The site is your best guide when you work in Tokyo or travel in Japan.
[Their site in Japanese]
http://www.yoshinoya.com/shop/menu/index.html