Find amazing gyudon (beef Rice bowls) in Nara Prefecture! 5 area-by-area picks from great value to luxurious options

Photograph:リラちゃん★

Matsuya is a gyudon (beef bowl) chain with restaurants across Japan. This Matsuya Nara Ekimae Ten is Open 24 hours and located about a 3-minute walk from the east exit of Nara Station.

It sits along Prefectural Route 754, and it also has a parking lot and a drive-through.

Photograph:リラちゃん★

This is a self service style spot where you buy a ticket for the item you want from the vending machine at the entrance, hand it to the staff, and pick it up when it is ready.

The main menu item, gyumeshi (beef Rice bowl), is a gyudon (beef Rice bowl). It is said to be convenient because they serve it quickly after you order, so you can eat right away even when you are in a hurry.

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The beef in the gyu-meshi (beef bowl) comes from the U.S. and Canada. It is simmered with onions in a special sauce and served over rice.

They also offer it plated separately instead of over rice, Rice bowls topped with grilled pork, and limited-time menu items, so part of the fun is choosing a different dish each time you visit.

Photograph:松本智頭男

Yoshinoya 24-go Sen Nara Kita Ten is a gyudon (beef Rice bowl) restaurant located in Horencho, a residential area on the north side of Nara Station, about a 15-minute walk from Shin-Omiya Station.

This restaurant is said to have a natural, cafe-like interior with an atmosphere that makes you want to relax and stay awhile.

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The gyudon (beef Rice bowl) shop founded in Tokyo in 1899 was the start of Yoshinoya. Precisely because the dish is so simple, with beef soaked in sauce and served over rice, they are said to be particular about the ingredients.

At the in-store kitchen, they simmer special sauce with beef and onions, then serve it over freshly cooked rice as gyudon.

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There is a wide variety of menu items made with gyudon (beef Rice bowl) toppings of beef and onions soaked in a mild sweet-savory sauce.

It can be used as a curry topping, and for Rice bowls there are also options like Niku-daku Gyudon, which keeps the amount of rice the same but adds extra meat.

Photograph:まっさん85

Sukiya Kintetsu Nara Ekimae Ten is a restaurant on the first floor of a building on the Kaku of the Nakasuji-cho intersection, near Kintetsu Nara Station. It is the Kintetsu Nara Ekimae branch of Sukiya, a chain with restaurants across Japan.

It has a great location with easy access to the station, stays open from early morning until late at night, and uses a touch panel ordering system.

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Gyudon (beef Rice bowl) is a Rice bowl topped with ingredients seasoned like sukiyaki (beef simmered with sugar and soy sauce), in which beef is cooked in a pot with sugar and soy sauce.

They use beef that meets safety standards and value offering good quality food at reasonable prices.

Photograph:まっさん85

You can also customize the classic "Gyudon (beef Rice bowl)" by making it a set with egg or miso soup, or by adding extra toppings like green onion, grated daikon radish, or kimchi.

For those watching carbs or calories, the "Gyudon Light" is a good pick. It is a healthy Rice bowl made with tofu and vegetables instead of rice.

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Yamato Beef Rice bowl no Mise Ken is a restaurant where you can enjoy rice dishes made with “Yamato Beef,” raised in Nara Prefecture. It is located in Ouda, a mountain area in eastern Nara Prefecture, along the charming streetscape of Uda Matsuyama lined with old buildings.

The interior has the feel of a natural-style cafe. They also have counter seats where you can look out onto the street.

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The "Yamato Beef Rice bowl" is made by slowly simmering Yamato Beef and onions, then thickening the sauce with kuzu (arrowroot), a plant starch, and serving it over rice.

The thick, rich beef mixes well with the rice. You can also enjoy it as a set with Homemade tofu and miso soup.

Photograph:美味しいもの大好き1217

Another feature is that you can enjoy dishes made with Yamato Toki (Japanese angelica), a plant that has long been used as a medicinal herb.

They also serve fried rice made by stir-frying Yamato Beef and Yamato Toki together with rice, as well as tea made with medicinal herbs.

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Nakao Ikoma Tawaraguchi Ten is a branch of Nakau in Ikoma City, located at the northwestern tip of Nara Prefecture and bordering Osaka and Kyoto. It is a 15-minute walk from Ikoma Station.

The restaurant also has a parking lot and offers drive-through service. It has an atmosphere where even families with children can feel comfortable visiting.

Photograph:たぐきんぐ

The "Gyusuki Rice bowl" is made with careful attention to the fat ratio of the beef, simmering each cut to a different thickness in a special sauce.

They offer not only the "Gyusuki Rice bowl" A la carte, but also versions paired with unagi (freshwater eel).

Photograph:建築設計家大冒険

The signature "oyako-don (chicken and egg Rice bowl)" uses fragrant Japanese style dashi broth. This menu item simmers special selected chicken and eggs in a special sauce.

Another feature is that each one is finished by hand in its own Hot Pot so the eggs stay soft and fluffy.