Burpple - 15 Best Places for Donburi In Singapore

Ah, the humble donburi. These rice bowls are lovingly topped with all sorts of goodness, best eaten with a wobbly egg and perfect for calming your soul. Find out where to get the best, most comforting, rice bowls around – from premium Waygu beef and crispy battered tempura, to hawker donburis and healthy brown rice bowls!. This article was originally published on burpple.com. Download the app for iPhone and Android now at burpple.com/getapp!

• 1. May May

  Tanjong Pagar

  For Superb Asian Rice Bowls
  Rice bowls dominate May May's lunch menu, boasting five wonderful rice bowls topped with delicious proteins like Butter Poached Cod ($18) or Braised Pork Belly ($16), served with a variety of vegetables and a soft-centred egg. The chunks of cod are fresh, flaky and smooth — perfect for a healthier option. The braised pork belly, on the other hand, might require a temporary break from that diet of yours. The incredibly tender slab of pork with a top layer of melt-in-your-mouth fat will leave you helpless! Make sure you leave some space for their decadent Liu Sha Custard Donuts ($5). Now that's a balanced lunch.

  
  

• 2. GastroSmiths

  Katong

  
  Photo by Kenneth Lee

  For Foolproof Rib-eye Don
  With a menu boasting dishes of French, Italian and Japanese influences, Gastrosmiths offers elevated comfort food in a casual and laid-back setting. Their signature Hokubee Rib-eye Don ($28.50) is a favourite – with thick, tender, and beautifully charred slices of Hokubee beef atop Japanese furikake rice. Say yes to the sous vide egg (add $2) to coat the rice and beef in its oozy, yolky glory.

  
  

• 3. The Burning Oak

  Tanah Merah

  
  Photo by Rachel Xie

  For an Unusual Hawker Find
  Housed in the newly revamped Bedok Marketplace is the super hip Japanese yakitori stall, The Burning Oak. Apart from their delicious 72-hour slow-cooked Angus Beef Short Ribs Skewers ($6), they also dish out donburis for a limited time for lunch each day (noon to 1:30pm, Tue to Sun). Not your typical hawker food, these lunch donburi options include the affordably indulgent Wagyu Beef Rump Cap Don ($13) with irresistibly charred slices of Wagyu and the Iberico Pork Cheek Don ($12), made complete with a hidden onsen egg. Wagyu beef in a hawker centre? You got that right.

  
  

• 4. The Refinery

  Lavender

  
  Photo by Cassie Ong

  For Pocket-Friendly Lunch Bowls and Booze
  Restaurant, bar and studio, these three storeys pack in one cool crowd, and a surprisingly tiny kitchen. On their lunch menu, find popular donburi options like the Refinery Bowl ($10) with super tasty pulled pork, the Gyuniku Donburi ($14) with truffle-kissed shimeiji mushrooms and tender tare marinated steak, and the Teriyaki Chicken Don ($10). Each rice bowl comes topped with their oh-so-sexy 72 degree egg. If you're there as a group, order starters to share; both the Cauliflower Fritters ($10) and Salted Egg Onion Rings ($12) are unforgivingly moreish! For dinner, the dons come in ‘small bowls’ (from $6) instead, maybe so you can dedicate space for their tasty selection of skewers. With plenty of chow options, this is the perfect spot to unwind after work with ice-cold beers.

  
  

• 5. Ginza Kuroson (Takashimaya)

  Orchard

  
  Photo by Shawn Loh

  For the Freshest Catch
  Ginza Kuroson's lunch menu (available even on weekends!) boasts quite an extensive donburi selection, with prices starting from $22. Their signature Ryoshi Gokai Nagekomi Don ($22) is a colourful bowl of sushi rice topped with an assortment of super fresh sashimi. For those who love silver-skinned fish like mackerel, go for the Edomae Hikarimono Don ($25), which comes topped with three varieties of seasonal silver-skinned fish — unusual cuts you don't get in most mainstream Japanese restaurants. For quality Japanese food enjoyed in a great setting, Ginza Kuroson's the perfect place.

  
  

• 6. DSTLLRY

  Portsdown

  
  Photo by Xing Wei Chua

  For Their Salmon Aburi Donburi
  Gallery, sound-space, bar and omakase restaurant all rolled into one, DSTLLRY is the brainchild of music producer and photographer Andrew Lum. While the 10-course omakase menus here are fairly reasonably-priced at $99, you can fork out a fraction of that to savour their delectable dons instead. Pop in for lunch (noon to 3pm) and enjoy quality donburi options like Salmon Belly Don ($16.90), Miyazaki A4 Wagyu Don ($34.90), and Barachirashi Don or Salad ($16.90). Since you'll be sitting right at the bar anyway, how about a ordering a bespoke cocktail for a cheeky mid day pick-me-up? We won't tell.

  
  

• 7. Tamashii Robataya

  Raffles Place

  
  Photo by Maureen Ow

  For Heavenly Beef and Truffle
  According to Burpple Tastemaker Maureen Ow, the Saga Gyu Don is a 'die die must have at Tamashii Robataya', with it's super tender, thick, melt-in-your-mouth slices of beef, runny onsen egg and truffle oil or shavings. As part of a lunch set, the Gyu Don ($48) is served with a sashimi salad, miso soup and dessert. Available also at dinner at a pricier $65, the truffle oil is swapped out for actual truffle shavings, elevating that delicate truffle flavour and making for quite a to-die-for meal. You can also choose to add truffle shavings to your lunch don for an additional $20 – which is highly recommended.

  
  

• 8. Katanashi

  Raffles Place

  
  Photo by Bryan Lee

  For Value-for-money CBD Lunch Set
  Japanese tapas restaurant Katanashi offers a number of satisfying donburi options, made really affordable by their $12 lunch sets that include a side salad and miso soup. Go for their Unatama Don, with grilled eel coated in a sweet soy sauce glaze, or their Chicken Teritama Don, with deep fried chicken drizzled with teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and an onsen egg on a bed of rice. Don’t forget to bring your favourite colleagues along!

  
  

• 9. Ginza Tendon Itsuki

  Tanjong Pagar

  
  Photo by Irene Arieputri

  For Famous Tempura Rice Bowls
  The folks behind Ramen Keisuke have recently launched Ginza Tendon Itsuki in collaboration with Tokyo's famous Ginza Itsuki Sushi. Brave the formidable queue (we heard the Friday night wait lasts more than two hours!) and go for their Special Tendon ($13.90) with onsen egg, shrimp, chicken and oh-so-many veggies — shiitake mushroom, pumpkin, corn and lady's finger — atop pearly rice drizzled with a sweet and savoury sauce. All the tempura is battered and prepared fresh on the spot! Bear in mind though, the smell of cooking will blanket your entire being, and you'll walk out an unfortunate stinko minko (and every bit worth it).

  
  

• 10. Koji Sushi Bar

  Raffles Place

  
  Photo by Veronica Phua

  For Sashimi and Brown Rice
  "Located within the busy China Square Central area, Koji Sushi Bar offers a selection of nigiri sushi, sashimi and omakase sets. However, their most popular item is their donburi — choose from options such as salmon avocado tartare, tuna tartare, pork cheek and eel. At $17 per bowl, they are one of the more affordable donburi options around, considering the quality of their ingredients. The must-try item would be their Sashimi Rice Bowl — the sashimi servings are generous, and the crispy tempura bits add a surprising crunch factor. Take the healthy factor of your donburi up a notch by opting for brown rice (+$1) instead of white!"

  
  

• 11. Tanuki Raw (Orchard Central)

  Orchard

  
  Photo by Lucas Lim

  For Their Superb Yakiniku Don
  This place needs little introduction. With six different don choices available for lunch, Tanuki Raw is a great go-to option for lunch in the heart of town. Their Truffle Yakiniku Don ($14.80) is a hot favourite, with tender slices of black Angus short rib pan-seared in truffle soy sauce with that obligatory gooey-centred egg. Other delectable dons include the Salmon Don ($12) and the Bara Chirashi Don ($17.80). These rice bowls have gained such favour, that they're now available for dinner as well ($18/$20/$20 respectively)! For a lunch set, add an additional $2 for miso soup, mixed salad, and green tea.

  
  

• 12. OmoteNashi Dining Gosso

  Raffles Place

  
  Photo by Rachel Xie

  For The Coveted Wagyu Don
  Located along Boat Quay is yakitori restaurant, Omotenashi. Limited to only 10 servings per day, Omotenashi's coveted Wagyu Don is a delicious combination of skewered cubes of charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef on pearly Japanese rice. At $16.90 for the lunch set, which includes a small side salad and miso soup, this Wagyu Don is a great option without breaking the bank. Just remember: ONLY 10 servings per day. Get there early!

  
  

• 13. Kilo At Pact

  Orchard

  
  Photo by Vanessa Kou

  For Hearty Rice Bowls in Town
  Sporting great vibes and even better food, Kilo at Pact is a choice location for a satisfying lunch affair. Their menu sports hearty rice bowl options including the popular Donburi Salmon, Pork Belly and Beef Short Ribs Bowls. Each bowl comes colourfully decked out in sweet corn, sugar snap peas, avocado, shimeji mushrooms and a whole host of other vegetables that make for a delicious combination. You also get to customise the base of your rice bowl by choosing between sushi rice, brown rice and quinoa! To make for an even more satisfying lunch, get the lunch combo at $20, inclusive of selected drinks and desserts.

  
  

• 14. Bazuka Yakibuta (Great World City)

  River Valley

  
  Photo by Mandy Lynn

  For A Porky Duet
  If you love your pork, Bazuka Yakibuta's Caramel and Crackling Roast Pork Donburi ($9.80) is the way to go. Each bowl comes with slabs of pork laced with golden crackling, and glistening slices of deliciously caramelised roast pork sitting on Japanese rice. For added satisfaction, add a perfect onsen egg, mix in the yolky lusciousness, and dig right in. Single roast pork bowls are also on the menu for those who favour one kind over the other!

  
  

• 15. Fat Cow

  Orchard

  
  Photo by Jennifer Yeo

  For Premium Wagyu Beef
  Thick, tender, melt-in-your-mouth slices of charcoal-grilled Wagyu sit neatly fanned out on a bed of Japanese rice dashed with truffle oil and shoyu, accompanied by a perfect onsen tamago and shiro negi. The Fat Cow Donburi is no stranger to most, taking the spotlight on the restaurant's set lunch menu. Priced at $39, each bowl is served with salad, miso soup, chawanmushi and dessert. Portions aren't huge for its price tag, but when you see those glistening slices of wonderfully marbled Wagyu in front of you, dip them into the liquid golden yolk, and let its flavour dance on your tongue — you'll ache with satisfaction.

  
  

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