The History of Oyakodon & Where to Get a Great Bowl

Oyakodon is considered an everyday dish in Japan. When it is cooked properly and with care, it becomes one of Japan’s ultimate comfort foods.

History of Oyakodon

Oyakodon poetically translates to “parent-and-child donburi” as the dish is a chicken and egg rice bowl.

This staple Japanese comfort food was created in 1891 at Tamahide, a restaurant that opened in 1760 in Tokyo and still remains popular today (so popular, in fact, that you will always see a line out of the door).

Oyakodon simmers chicken with onions in soy sauce and dashi and then topped with a runny scrambled egg. It is then laid over a bed of rice in a bowl. This is a classic lunch dish in Japan and is also often eaten as the last dish of a yakitori dinner.
 

What Makes a Great Bowl of Oyakodon?

There are countless oyakodon shops and bowls all around Japan and the rest of the world. But, not all are created equal.

A great bowl of oyakodon means:
1. The right amount of seasoning.
2. Most shops used boiled chicken, but the best bowls of oyakodon take the extra effort to first charcoal grill the chicken.
3. The scrambled egg is not overcooked; rather is it practically half-cooked and runny to moisten the sauce and rice bowl.
4. The rice is enough but not too much to balance the chicken and egg.

Where to Get a Great Bowl of Oyakodon

In Tokyo, you can find a wonderful bowl of oyakodon in the Nihonbashi district at Tori to Chokotto Ryori Hokkoriya. Located in the basement restaurant area of the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, this chicken restaurant excels in its oyakodon. Go there for the oyakodon, but note that better yakitori can be found elsewhere in the city. Read more about Tori to Chokotto Ryori Hokkoriya’s oyakodon here.
 
For those in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can have an incredibly authentic oyakodon (karaage and yakitori, too) at Sumika in Los Altos. The chicken has a nice char grill, the egg is wonderfully runny, and the whole eating experience is so memorable. Read more about Sumika in Los Altos.
 

Addresses & Hours

Tamahide
1-17-10 Nihonbashiningyocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Tuesday to Sunday, 11:30am to 1:30pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Closed Mondays

Tori to Chokotto Ryori Hokkoriya
B1F Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower
2-1-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Daily, 11am to 10:30pm

Sumika
236 Central Plaza, Los Altos, California
Tuesday to Thursday, 11:30am to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm
Friday & Saturday, 11:30am to 2pm and 5:30pm to 10pm
Sunday, 11:30am to 1:30pm and 5pm to 9pm
Closed Mondays
 
 
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Originally posted January 19, 2019
Reposted May 24, 2021

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