Gyudon (??) or Beef Bowl is a popular quick meal in Japan.  It consists of a bowl of steamed rice topped with thinly sliced beef and tender onion, simmered in a sweet and savory dashi broth seasoned with soy sauce and mirin.

What is Beef Bowl"
Thanks to Yoshinoya (???), the largest beef bowl restaurant chain, Japanese gyudon became known as “beef bowl” and enjoyed by many people all around the world.  You might wonder when the Japanese started to enjoy gyudon.
Western customs like eating beef were adopted and spread throughout Japan between late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Gyudon originated from another dish, Gyunabe (??) and Sukiyaki (????) where thin slices of beef are cooked with vegetables in a pot.  At some point, it was served over rice in a bowl as “donburi” (rice bowl). In 1899, the first Yoshinoya restaurant was opened in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district.  The use of cheaper beef cuts helped lower the cost, and ultimately drove the success of Gyudon.  Today, it continues to be a popular quick and inexpensive lunch menu for salaryman.

My Beef Bowl vs. Yoshinoya Beef Bowl
My mom cooks her gyudon without dashi and her method is similar to how she cooks Sukiyaki (Osaka-style).  She also pour the egg over the beef and onion mixture toward the end of cooking, so the dish has a nice layer of egg to go with the beef.  My other Gyudon recipe is similar to my mom’s version.

For Yoshinoya’s gyudon, o...