Japanese Rice Bowl - Donburi
To the lovers of Japanese food, Donburi is certainly not new to them. Donburi (丼, frequently abbreviated as "don", is a Japanese "rice bowl dish" consisting of fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice. Donburi meals are served in oversized rice bowls also called donburi.
There is an interesting story behind this word “丼”: according to the legend, the West Bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok is collectively known as Thonburi region which was equivalent to Pudong in modern-day Shanghai. It is said at that time, a lot of porcelains were exported from Thonburi to Japan. The tureens that were used in those days often came from the Kingdom of Thonburi, therefore, Japanese named the tureen “Thonburi”. However, because there is virtually no difference between the Japanese pronunciations of "T” and “D”, the word "Thonburi" became "Donburi" which was eventually shortened to "Don”.
In Japan, there are many different types of “Don" for example Oyakodon, Eel Don, Ten Don and etc. Oyakodon is the most famous of them all. Many might wonder why there are so many different names for just a bowl of rice. Actually, Oyakodon's full meaning is Smooth Egg Chicken Rice, the reason it is called Oyakodon because it contains both chicken and egg which symbolises "mother and child", hence the name. Yuhoki offers eight types of Don: the Chicken Katsu Don, also known as Oyakodon, which is always the most popular.
In addition to the Chicken Katsu Don, there are also Una Don (Eel Don) and Ebi Ten Don (Deep Fried Prawn Don), which is highly recommended. These two dishes are a different style to the Chicken Katsu Don. Take Una Don (Eel Don) as an example, grilled eel is placed on the top of the rice, special eel sauce is poured on top of it, all combined to make this seemingly simple dish incredibly delicious. The special eel sauce makes all the difference; if you are an eel sauce lover, then this dish is not to be missed!