People have been consuming 'donburi' (rice bowls) in Japan since the Edo Period (1603-1868). Donburi typically consist of a generous helping of white rice, topped with various ingredients, such as seafood or beef. And while many enjoy these popular donburi on their own, if you head to the hip and trendy town of Shibuya, you'll discover an exciting variation that lets you enjoy both at the same time!
This dish is called the 'Meat Dress Kaisendon' and is an indulgent donburi dish combining A5-rank Japanese Black beef and Hokkaido sea urchin and salmon roe in one bowl.
The shop, which has the same name as the dish, has become a social media hit since its opening in 2019. Even today, it's not uncommon to experience a 30-minute wait when visiting on weekends.
Here, we'll introduce everything you need to know about Meat Dress Kaisendon, and its must-try dish that lets you sample the finest Japanese beef and seafood in Japan!
Meat Dress Kaisendon: A Specialty Donburi Shop in the Trendy Town of Shibuya
Shibuya is a hotspot for trendsetters, packed with cutting-edge food and fashion. There are lots of attractions and shopping centers, including the newly-opened (as of 2020) Miyashita Park, the Shibuya Scramble, and Shibuya Hikarie.
The shop is Kichijoji Meat Dress Kaisendon, Shibuya Dogenzaka branch, located a 3-minute walk from Shibuya Station's A0 Exit. The entrance is easy to miss, so just keep an eye out for the landmark signboard with the giant image of the Meat Dress Kaisendon – it's much harder to overlook!
The street signboards are written in both English and Japanese. Head up to the second floor, where you'll see white curtains. This is the shop.
The Popular Dish that Made this Shop a Specialty Donburi Restaurant!
Meat Dress Kaisendon was originally offered as a lunchtime-only menu item at Kinu, a Japanese-style kappo restaurant (a style of Japanese cuisine) located in Kichijoji, a popular sightseeing spot, famous for Inokashira Park. Its flavor and gorgeous arrangement made this dish a big hit on TV and social media, resulting in customers flocking to the shop to try it.
Shop representative Itahashi explains: "We talked about making a dish like the one trending at Kinu. We wanted to create an original dish unlike any other in the world that could compete with that one. So we came up with the idea of a seafood bowl arranged like a mountain. In the trial stages, it was called the 'Eruption Bowl.'"
As the Eruption Bowl grew in popularity, they decided to change their business into a specialty donburi shop. The first location, Kich…
