By Forrest Maynock
The life of a college student is one of a constant lack of sleep and proper meals. Thankfully, Japan has a wide selection of cheap and accessible beef bowl (chain) restaurants.
Perhaps the most convenient aspect of these sorts of restaurants is that they are open 24 hours a day all week long; after pulling an allnighter on that term paper that is due the next morning a college student could take a short bike ride and eat a delicious and inexpensive meal at any time they desire.
First, what is a beef bowl? A beef bowl, or gyudon, is a big bowl filled with rice, beef (or pork) and sometimes an extra ingredient such as ginger or cheese. At beef bowl restaurants there are also many side dish options such as miso soup or salads that can be added to the order. If beef and rice is not your cup of tea then there are also alternatives such as curry and rice, but beef bowls are the staple at these establishments.
There are also a variety of beef bowl restaurants to choose from. The three biggest beef bowl restaurant chains in Japan are Yoshinoya, Sukiya, and Matsuya. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, but as is the case with many things, some strengths are greater than others.
I will be conducting this review by taking four criteria into account for each of these chains: Taste and variety of food, quality of service, atmosphere, and price. I will only be taking the basic beef bowl selections into account and will not be looking at items from the seasonal menu. I also ate at multiple locations for each chain to get a general consensus.
Yoshinoya
Yoshinoya seems to be the most popular of the three major chains overseas, but for me personally it was the weakest of the three chains.
The atmosphere was positive, but not overly memorable. The colors inside are usually very bright to the eyes, but there is also usually quite a lot of space when compared to the other chains. Yoshinoya’s biggest selling point was the food itself. The overall taste was excellent and the fact that each of the beef bowls have sesame seeds in them adds to the great taste. The selection of dishes is also quite good, but not as robust as Sukiya.
Each of the locations that I visited had the same sort of issue with service; the servers always came straight up and hovered around until the order had been made. This made the service feel rushed and robotic, and also hurt the overall atmosphere of the establishments. Aside from the service, price was the biggest turn-off. The prices overall were very reasonable and affordable, but when compared to the over gyudon chains, Yoshinoya appeared much more expensive.
Yoshinoya is great if you are looking for an especially tasty bowl of gyudon.
- Taste/Variety: 4.5/5
- Service: 2.5/5
- Atmosphere: 3/5
- Price: 3/5
Matsuya
Matsuya is by far the most convenient of the three chains for international students and tourists and is also the cheapest of the three chains. Matsuya’s quality and selection of food is definitely on the lower end of the spectrum, but each beef bowl comes with a free miso soup, and the sauces provided at the counter are far and away the best of all three chains. The variety is similar to Yoshinoya, but not as good as Sukiya.
In terms of service Matsuya is highly convenient for those of us with shallow wallets and poorer grasps of the Japanese language. Instead of sitting down and ordering from a menu, you order via touchscreen menu, with an English language option, near the entrance where you input your order and pay. The atmosphere at most locations felt a little too cramped at times but was also quite friendly and laid back. The biggest selling point of Matsuya is the price which beats out both Sukiya and Yoshinoya.
Out of the three chains Matsuya seems to be the most college friendly in terms of price and service (for recent, non-Japanese speaking, arrivals).
- Taste/Variety: 4/5
- Service: 4/5
- Atmosphere: 3.5/5
- Price: 4.5/5
Sukiya
Sukiya is the most common of the three chains within Japan. Sukiya has the best variety of the three chains. This is where Sukiya excels; the options are quite extensive, and if you are more explorative you can find a lot of interesting dishes.
Taste wise the overall product was slightly better than Matsuya, but not quite as tasty as Yoshinoya’s beef bowl. The available sauces at Sukiya are also not on par with those available at Matsuya. The service was above average at each of the locations I visited. Each location also has a “buzzer at each table that you can push when you are ready to order or buy more.
The price is a bit cheaper than Yoshinoya, but still more expensive when compared to Matsuya. Where Sukiya stands out is in its atmosphere; each of the locations that I visited had very warm and welcoming colors, and the space inside is ample for a comfortable meal.
Sukiya is the chain to visit if you are a person that values variety and atmosphere, then Sukiya is the gyudon branch for you.
- Taste/Variety: 4/5
- Service: 4/5
- Atmosphere: 4.5/5
- Price: 3.5/5
The Polyphony 