What lies beyond the sushi roll? As Canadians travel farther abroad, and wade deeper into the gastronomy of Japan, we discover and demand more when we return home. North of Steeles reveals a constellation of Japanese restaurants and izakayas showcasing, with specificity, a panoply of Japanese dishes to tantalize every palate. Hana Don Japanese Cuisine & Bar in Markham is one that features the classic Japanese dish: Donburi.
What is donburi? Originally called chirashi, which means, scattered, donburi is a bowl of steamed rice topped with beef, chicken, seafood or vegetables simmering in a mild sauce of soy and mirin. First appearing in the Edo period, it has become a hearty go-to dish ever since. The toppings can be cooked or raw, and sit atop the rice or mixed within it.
Excitedly scanning the menu, we can’t help but notice the group of Japanese women at the table next to us who know exactly how to order, and are delighted by their selection. As they take pictures of their entrees and exclaim, “Ehhh, oishiisoo!”, we know we’re in the right place.
Our waitress fills our cups with a soothing genmaitcha, green tea with matcha and toasted rice. There is an extensive Japanese beer and sake menu. Each sake entry comes with a picture and descriptors to aid in our pairings. And there are flights of sake, too, including infusions of yuzu, peach and rose.
We begin with miso soup, and my favourite, Chawanmushi, a cup of egg custard chock full of nubbins. It’s silky texture envelopes the earthy umami of shitaki and shimeji mushrooms. But the star of our appetizers is an Uni Toro Tartare. Uni is the wagyu of the sea. This unctuous medley of sea urchin, shrimp and tuna belly, with a kick of wasabi and crown of caviar combines for one luxuriously textured morsel after another. It’s novelty among Toronto menus is refreshing.
Too hard to resist, the Japanese A5 Wagyu Katsu Set is a must-try. This is not a southern chicken-fried steak. This is a lean cut of wagyu beef, lightly breaded for a thin layer of crunch. In the tradition of robatayaki or, robata, we cook the strips of beef at our table over a hot charcoal tabletop clay grill. Robust and tender, we can savour these pieces on their own, but for added depth we enjoy experimenting with flavour pairings of matcha salt, fresh wasabi, and a house katsu sauce.
And now for the main event. Our donburi selection is from land and sea.
Kaisendon is a donburi of sashimi. Imagine: rather than one piece of nigiri, which is typically one piece of fish, 1.5 inches wide, 3-4 inches long, and ~¼ inches thick, atop 8.5 to 10 grams of rice, this donburi is an assortment of sashimi, artfully presented on a bowl of rice. This is the quintessential heart of Japanese cuisine.
The Fuji Don looks like a spring-fresh bouquet. Tonight’s selection of sashimi includes tuna belly, mackerel, hamachi, uni, snapper, shrimp, sea eel and salmon roe with tamago, a shiso leaf and cucumber. They certainly don’t skimp on the scampi! These pieces of fish are large. I don’t recall ever seeing a bowl of sashimi so generously portioned. Every bite is a different taste; a different texture.
The Slow-Cooked Zabuton is impossibly tender. We savor every morsel of this Gyudon (beef bowl.) Zabaton is a Denver cut, and for this dish it is sous-vide to extreme tenderness and topped with an onsen egg (poached at a low temperature.) As we slice the yolk, it oozes and emulsifies with the sauce for an added creamy texture. Combined, this is a hearty bowl of goodness, perfect for a cold night and equally welcome on a hot one.
The menu even offers that we customize our own donburi bowl by selecting the toppings of our own choice. Like sushi, donburi is a healthy choice, but nothing is more filling and satisfying. We crave authenticity. Hana Don delivers on its promise and we leave with our appetites satiated and tummies happy.
Hana Don Japanese Cuisine & Bar - 905-534-6666 - 9255 Woodbine Ave Unit B14 Markham