Gyudon vs Yakiniku Don: What's The Difference?

If you love Japanese food but can’t distinguish between gyudon and yakiniku don, read on because this article teaches you all about the differences between these two popular dishes. If you’ve spent any time online this past year, you know that more and more Filipinos are traveling to Japan. It’s no secret that we love Japan and Japanese food. One group of dishes popular with us rice-loving Filipinos are the Japanese rice bowls, also known as donburi. Donburi is a simple meal consisting of a bowl of rice and topped with some form of meat or vegetable, making it a complete meal on its own. Two popular donburi meals that tend to confuse most people are gyudon and yakiniku don. Some say they’re one in the same but we’re here to tell you that while they’re both donburi dishes with meat on top, they’re not the same dish at all.

Gyudon vs Yakiniku Don: Meat Used

Gyu literally translates to beef in Japanese while Don means rice. Gyudon is a dish that’s made with thinly sliced beef while Yakiniku Don is made with either pork or beef.

Gyudon vs Yakiniku Don: Preparation

The preparation of the meat is where the obvious difference between gyudon and yakiniku don lies. Gyudon is made with thinly sliced beef that is then simmered with thinly sliced onions in a sauce typically made with soy sauce, sake, dashi, and mirin. It is then placed on top of a bowl of rice along with some of the gyudon sauce. Yakiniku don, coming from the word Yakiniku, is made by grilling or pan searing beef or pork pieces. These pieces are then placed on top of warm rice, just like the gyudon, and is then topped with a sweet Japanese sauce called Yakiniku no tare. It’s served as a dipping sauce for Japanese grilled meats (yakiniku) but for yakiniku don, it’s slathered on top.

Both gyudon and yakiniku don are delicious Japanese rice bowls that’ll give anyone a bang for their buck. If you want to make these dishes at home, pay a visit to a nearby Japanese grocery to get all the supplies you need. However, if you don’t want to spend all that money buying specialty ingredients that you might not use again, try this easy gyudon recipe that’s made with pantry staples that you might already have. It’s delicious and is made with Knorr Liquid Seasoning Original for that extra umami kick Japanese dishes are known for.

Gyudon vs Yakiniku don vs Beef Misono

Now you know the difference between gyudon and yakiniku don. But what about Beef Misono? Beef Misono is a dish popularized by a large Japanese food chain in the Philippines that’s served with rice, vegetables, and a salty umami-rich sauce. Despite its cult status in the Philippines, Beef Misono is not an actual dish that comes from Japan. It was developed by this popular food chain as a variation on the popular gyudon. Next time you’re trying to search for an authentic recipe for beef misono, you’re better off making gyudon or ordering instead.