Few things in life are as comforting as a gyudon—tucking into a bowl of fluffy rice, topped with charred, smoky slices of tender beef, and the obligatory runny egg to hold it all together. While beef bowls are a staple on most lunch menus at Japanese restaurants, what goes into a bowl varies across the board. Some drizzle truffle oil over the slices of beef, yet others add in cubes of fatty foie gras for a touch of indulgence.
Here, we round up five places to go to for an extra-indulgent beef bowl.
Here, we round up five places to go to for an extra-indulgent beef bowl.
1. Renga-Ya
#01-11/12, Chijmes, 30 Victoria StreetIt’s usually all about the Wagyu when it comes to a gyudon in Singapore, but yakiniku restaurant Renga-Ya proves it doesn’t need to count on the well-marbled beef alone to shine. Here, the spotlight is on different cuts of beef prepared seven ways (hence the name 7th Heaven Gyudon): Think Hokkaido beef tataki, grilled slices of Kagoshima Wagyu rump, and a couple of thick slices of beef tongue all paired with interesting sauces such as truffle ponzu jelly. A mini teapot of beef bone maitake consommé rounds of this value-for-money beef degustation in a bowl.
2. The Bar at Waku Ghin
Level 2 Dining, L2-01, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront AvenueAny beef lover worth his salt will prize the deliciously-marbled Ohmi Wagyu. And while a proper dinner at two Michelin-starred Waku Ghin will set you back a few hundred dollars, The Bar at Waku Ghin offers a yakiniku don plumped up with grilled, juicy slices of the premium Ohmi beef, all for just S$30.
3. Fat Cow
Camden Medical Centre #01-01/02, 1 Orchard BoulevardAs one of the first Japanese restaurants to specialize in serving only premium beef, Fat Cow’s lunch menu is also a large draw for diners looking for luxury at good value. The Foa Gura don here is a popular favorite, where cubes of foie gras nestle up snugly to chargrilled Wagyu.
The Premium Wagyu Don at Sushi Jin comes with all the fixings—uni, truffle caviar, foie gras and an onsen egg.
4. Sushi Jin
1 Farrer Park Station Road, Owen Link, #01-11/12Sushi Jin is proof of an instance where mass persuasion works. After receiving countless requests from guests to top up their Wagyu don with premium toppings such as uni or foie gras, Sushi Jin launched their version of the ultimate don—slices of A4 Wagyu topped with slivers of uni, pan-seared cubes of foie gras, an onsen egg and pops of truffle caviar. The bowl comes with a choice of yakiniku or truffle shoyu dressing, as well as fried or white rice.
5. Yoyogi
200 Turf Club Road, The GrandstandSome ingredients are just meant to be together, like the always-winning formula of combining Wagyu, truffle and a runny egg. At Yoyogi, it’s the ultimate comfort in a bowl with these three ingredients paired in just the right proportions—slices of charred Ohmi beef are showered with black truffle shavings, complete with a wobbly egg in the middle.
