Kaisendon is a popular meal among the Japanese people; it is basically a bowl of rice topped with seafood, usually raw. In this feature, we talk about a unique twist on this classic dish. Niku Dress Kaisendon (肉ドレス海鮮丼) serves a new kind of kaisendon with meat. The main branch is at Kichijoji (吉祥寺), just a 3-minute walk from the station; over the years, they have expanded to Shibuya (渋谷) and Takadanobaba (高田馬場) as well.
Usually, you only find bowls serving seafood and beef separately. It's rare that beef and seafood come together in one bowl. In this restaurant, your rice bowl is covered with A5 grade wagyu beef and garnished with salmon roe and sea urchin. This is why the restaurant came to be called Niku Dress Kaisendon; Niku means meat, Kaisen is fresh seafood.
The popularity of this restaurant means you have to line up for an hour or so. Located on the second floor, look for this lamp and information board.
The price for this A5 Wagyu and Seafood Rice Bowl is 1,600 yen (as of Oct 2021). The price is a bit steep compared to a basic seafood rice bowl or beef rice bowl but the A5 grade wagyu meat makes it worth it.
The glasses here display the restaurant's hashtag, isn't that a neat idea?
Our bowl has arrived, look how glistening the meat is! All bowls are served with miso soup.
The salmon roe and sea urchin (uni) look unbelievably fresh and scrumptious.
The meat is torched lightly and melts in your mouth as it has just a little bit of fat. The salmon roe adds an interesting texture and the sea urchin adds creaminess. The combination of rice, fresh seafood and perfect meat is divine.
On picking off the meat, you will also find negitoro, tuna minced with Welsh onion leaves, and an onsen egg.
There are instructions provided in English and Japanese on how to get the most flavor of this dish. 1. Sprinkle salt all over to enhance the umami of meat. 2. Top with soy sauce and sansho powder (Japanese pepper). 3. Leave some rice, meat, salmon roe to eat like ochazuke (Japanese rice porridge).
Each of these steps changes the flavor and texture of the dish. Even though 1,600 yen may seem expensive, it's definitely a unique experience that you won't find anywhere else for a similar price.
If you love salmon roe and sea urchin, you can order extra servings of these.
The best way to end the meal is by adding the bonito broth to your bowl i.e. ochazuke. Adding this stock will cook the beef, seafood and rice a little. This provides a nice warm finish which has a hearty feel.
Add this restaurant to your list of must try places in Tokyo!
Details: Niku Dress Kaisendon (肉ドレス海鮮丼) Due to COVID-19, business hours are constantly changing. Please check the updated opening hours on Google Maps. Google Map for Kichijoji Branch Google Map for Shibuya Branch Google Map for Takadanobaba Branch
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