Oyakodon

Oyakodon is a Japanese rice bowl (donburi) topped with sliced chicken and egg, simmered together in a seasoned dashi and soy broth. The name, which means "parent and child," refers to the chicken and the egg in one bowl.

What it really is

Oyakodon is made from chicken thigh or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces and simmered with sliced onion in a broth of dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Beaten egg is poured over the top while the mixture is still simmering, then the pan is covered briefly so the egg sets only partly, leaving it soft and custard-like. The mixture is spooned over a bowl of hot steamed rice and usually finished with sliced spring onion or mitsuba.

It is closely related to katsudon, which uses breaded and fried pork cutlet, and to gyudon, which uses thinly sliced beef without egg. The defining features of oyakodon are the chicken and egg cooked together in one pan, and the egg that is kept loose rather than fully firm.

How it's served

• Served hot in a deep bowl over steamed short-grain rice, with the egg mixture spooned on top.
• Eaten with chopsticks, usually with a spoon for the sauce and rice.
• Commonly accompanied by miso soup and pickles (tsukemono) as a set meal.
• Sliced spring onion or mitsuba is often scattered over the top just before serving.

How to write it on the menu

• Write it as oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) and list chicken, egg, onion, dashi and soy sauce.
• Flag EGGS, FISH (dashi from bonito flakes), MILK where applicable, and SOY and WHEAT from the soy sauce.
• State the chicken cut if the restaurant uses thigh (more tender) or breast, and whether the egg is soft-set or fully set.
• Mention that the dish is not vegetarian or vegan.