Perfect Japanese Supper

Before heading to Japan, reviewed the two options available in Singapore. Now the verdict is out for Japan.

As a background, there are 4 gyudon chains in Japan, and most of the outlets open till late or 24 hours. Perfect for a Singaporean looking for supper or a Japanese salaryman after work or drinks with boss (which is also considered work anyway).

Unfortunately, the winner of the best gyudon chain is currently not in Singapore so if you go to Japan, do make a short stop to try it.

First Stop: Matsuya (松屋)

Matsuya was established in 1966 and based on Wikipedia, it has been a sponsor of the Yakuza series of games (which you should really play Yakuza Like a Dragon which has a 10/10 rating on Steam and is available for PS5, Xbox One, Desktop etc.). But I digress.

Went to the one at Ueno around 11pm for a quick bite and it was still relatively crowded with around half the seats occupied. Besides gyudon, they have other options offered. Full menu here.

Ordering is done via an automated machine (+ points for non-Japanese speakers), and you collect your order from the counter. Talk about value when you get a mini gyudon which comes with a miso soup for only ¥350.

It was a pretty good gyudon. The key lies in the quality and the amount broth, which was flavourful and sufficient. The broth imparted the sweetness of the meat to the rice, without being overpowering. Further, it comes with a miso soup within the set (which seemed to be what I expected with all places but it didn’t seem to be the case).

At least at this branch, remember to clear your tray after you are done. There’s a station for you to put your dishes.

Fuss free, with good quality gyudon, what more could one ask for. But gotta try all before a decision can be made.

Second Stop: Sukiya (すき家)

Given how Sukiya won the Singapore challenge (which is a low bar because even Japanese friends that I asked said the image of the Yoshinoya bowl in Singapore was disappointing), I was excited to try Sukiya in Japan.

Went to the Tokyo Station outlet around 10pm to try it and similar to the experience at Sukiya, it was quite crowded, but the difference being that the empty tables had uncleared dishes on them – turns out the staff will help to clear the dishes when you are done.

Another difference, the point of order was at the table itself. Don’t be a noob and try to order there cause you’ll look stupid. After seating down at the counter you will find a tablet in front of you where you can place your orders. The orders will be delivered directly to you when prepared.

Ordered a small gyudon for ¥330 but this does not include a miso soup so added that in for additional ¥80. They also have value sets and other options where you can select an additional side dish besides miso soup. Also, another point is that you can choose the amount of broth to add to the rice dependent on your preference – went with the normal amount.

The beef was good and delicious, with a balanced amount of fats and meat. However, one of my regrets was that the normal amount of broth seemed a bit too little, such that the sweetness of the broth was not fully imparted into the rice. Promised that at some point in time, will try the order with more broth. A plus point with the drier rice was that ocha was served directly to you and you could refill it with the flask on the table.

Overall, beef was good, broth was good, broth was a bit too little.

Third Stop: Nakau (なか卯)

For the last two stops, I decided to just order the gyudon only.

Went to the Nakau outlet at Nezu / Sendagi on the way to Yanaka Ginza (which many sites advise you to check out, but felt it was pretty average). Prior to going to Nakau, a friend mentioned that he feels the oyakodon (chicken and egg don) was better than the gyudon, and that was an ominous sign.

Ordering is similar to Matsuya, where there is a machine when you enter to order your meal. However, after you have ordered you meal, take a seat at the counter and the service staff will come by to serve you ocha and take the order slip as opposed to going to the counter to pick it up for Matsuya.

Ordered the mini gyudon for ¥440, and miso soup needed to be ordered separately. Other dishes can be found here, somehow the prices don’t seem to be updated.

The texture if the beef was just above average, and the volume of the broth was about right, but one thing that stood out was that it had an artificial sweetness to it. It felt like a substantial amount of sugar was added during the process.

Was not a fan. Maybe the oyakodon next time then for a redemption meal.

Last Stop: Yoshinoya (吉野家)

Time for the OG. I went to Yoshinoya in Ueno, which was 4 shops down from where Matsuya was.

Lost was the best description upon entering the store. No machine to order at the entrance like Matsuya and Nakau, and no tablet in front of me like Sukiya upon sitting down. Turns out, you have to order directly from the waiter and the menu was in Japanese (I admit in my confusion I didn’t even bother asking for an English menu so I am not sure whether they have it).

Ordered the small gyudon for ¥426 as additional miso soup for ¥121 didn’t feel like it was worth it. The gyudon looked so much better and tasted so much better than the Singapore version. You could taste the flavour and sweetness of the beef in the broth, plus the beef had the right amount of fats.

Similar to other places there are other options as well. If you are up from the challenge, you can order the extra super large gyudon for an additional ¥473 on top of the base price of ¥448. Some other items (and how much you have to pay for the different sizes) below.

Overall, not a bad bowl of gyudon.

Winner: Matsuya (松屋), for a good bowl of gyudon with a good amount of broth that was excellent. Plus point was that it came at a very reasonable price being the cheapest among the four chains, and not to forget the miso soup that comes with it provides even more value.

Remember to try it when you’re Japan, for any of breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper!