Welcome back to Michi No Eki Aso!
When I started my journey to learn Japanese, its food culture left an indelible impression on me. The initial meal that captivated my thoughts was the rice bowl, known as Donburi. I’ve tried various versions, including Beef rice bowl (Gyudon), Tempura rice bowl (Tendon), Pork rice bowl (Katsudon), and many others. Today, I am excited to introduce a distinctive Don from Aso.
It’s Min Min again, and Aso’s delectable cuisine is pulling me back just as I’m about to leave it. Let’s get started with a quick quiz!
Can you guess Aso’s specialty among the following options?
- Red Beef (Aka Ushi)
- Mustard Greens Fried Rice (Takana Meshi)
- Dumpling Soup (Dagojiru)
Bingo!
Indeed, they represent Aso’s culinary highlights. Now, let me share Aso’s extraordinary specialty – a combination of its three mainstays: the Red Beef Mustard Greens Fried Rice Bowl and the Red Beef Dumpling Soup. Yes, it’s a long name, but each spoonful gave me the authentic taste of Aso. This particular Japanese Don has become my personal favorite.
Let’s dive into the details of this special set.
Firstly, the Red Beef Mustard Greens Fried Rice Bowl.
You can see the red beef slices accompanied by a boiled egg, resting on a bed of Mustard Greens Fried Rice. The beef is tender, juicy, and flavored with Japanese spices. This red beef came from Aso’s wide grasslands and clear water, imparting a distinct tenderness to each slice. The Mustard Greens Fried Rice, reminiscent of home because as an Asian, fried rice is our breakfast, complements the set perfectly and making this Red Beef Mustard Greens Fried Rice Bowl my preferred Don.
Next, the Red Beef Dumpling Soup.
Having tried various Dumpling Soups since my arrival, the inclusion of red beef was a delightful surprise. The key to a great Dumpling Soup lies in the soup, and Aso’s red beef elevates it. Also packed with many other nutrients, the soup has Aso’s renowned vegetables like Taro, carrot, rice cakes, rice noodles, and radish. This is a flavorful blend that I strongly recommend.
For those enthusiasts to experience the authentic taste of Aso, I strongly recommend trying the Red Beef Mustard Greens Fried Rice Bowl and Red Beef Dumpling Soup set. You can savor this delightful combination at Aso’s renowned red beef restaurant, Go Touya, located near Aso Shrine.
If you find yourself with a great appetite, the restaurant offers a variety of other red beef sets, including the beef mixed rice bowl (Takikomi Gohan), which will give you the sweet essence of traditional Japanese flavors. While my stomach couldn’t accommodate all the sets in one go, I will definitely return to try the others.
That is all for today’s blog post. If you’re in Aso, don’t miss the opportunity to try the Red Beef rice bowl, and please share your experience with us. Thank you for reading my blog, and I hope to welcome you to Aso soon!
Min Min
