Matsuya Gyudon, Beef Rice-bowl

Although I arrived in Osaka late last night, but woke up early the next morning.
I decided to wake up early and explore downtown Osaka.

This Osaka trip was scheduled for a total of 5 nights and 6 days,
and on the first day, I planned to stroll around downtown Osaka.

Matsuya, a Gyudon restaurant near Osaka Namba Station
Since there was a Matsuya in front of my accommodation, I decided to have Gyudon(Beef rice bowl) for breakfast.
There are several famous Gyudon chain restaurants in Japan, and Matsuya and Yoshinoya seemed to be the most well-known.
I didn’t have a strong preference between the two,
but since Matsuya was conveniently located near my accommodation, I chose it as my breakfast spot.

There are many popular places in Japan where can enjoy affordable meals, considering the cost of living in Japan.
I was able to have a meal for only 420 yen, which is less than 5,000 Korean won. (USD 4)

Matsuya’s order, Gyudon in large size (Matsuya Namba Sennichimae branch)
The large size was also priced at 420 yen.
Since many places operate 24 hours a day, I could have a meal at an affordable price anytime and anywhere.
It was perfect for a budget traveler like me.

Gyudon, Japanese-style soy sauce beef bowl
This was my first visit to Japan, and it was also my first time trying Gyudon. After reading in a travel book that it is well-suited to Korean taste buds, I didn’t hesitate to order it.
When I received the food, it truly looked like a soy sauce beef bowl. The taste was also a sweet and savory beef flavor.

When I looked at the Chinese characters for Matsuya, it seemed to combine the characters for pine tree (松) and house (屋),
so in Korean, it might refer to a pine tree house or dwelling.
Why would they sell beef bowls at a pine tree house?
If it were called “Songok” (송옥) in Korea, it would probably be a place outside the city where you can grill meat, like a garden or a meat restaurant.

Shichimi, Japanese chili powder
Although they say there isn’t much spicy food in Japan, they still sprinkle shichimi (seven-spice chili powder, 시치미 토가라시) according to their preferences.
However, it looks and tastes different from Korean chili powder.
It’s not just chili powder; it’s a blend of various powders like sesame, seaweed, and dried citrus peel.
When sprinkled on rice, it adds a flavorful kick,
but Koreans generally don’t enjoy spicy flavors.
I had seen it frequently during my time working in Australia, so it felt familiar to me.

Vending machines are commonly found everywhere in Japan.
Can find beverage vending machines on the streets,
and when visit to a restaurant, get an order ticket from the machine and hand it to the staff.
Even someone like me who can’t speak any Japanese can place an order as long as I remember the Japanese or Chinese characters on the menu.

Furthermore, the interior was designed in a bar-like format to allow people to dine alone.
Since it was morning, there weren’t many people, and I could comfortably enjoy my breakfast.

During my trip, I kept coming back to Matsuya for Gyudon breakfast.
I ate a hearty meal, and now it’s time to continue my journey!

Dec. 12, 2009