Back in the '70's and '80's, when I worked night shift in the Emergency Department at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, a frequent early morning, send out for food place was the Beef Bowl. It was just a few blocks up Brand Blvd. on Colorado Blvd. It was quick, it was convenient, it was close to work and the food tasted great. At the time it seemed to be a nice, clean and friendly fast food place with an oriental flair. I wasn't aware of any others in the area and in all my travels, I hadn't come across a Beef Bowl since. On many occasions when I was searching for something a bit different to eat, I wished I could have discovered a Beef Bowl although I must confess that most of the time I had the Chicken Bowl.

To make a Beef Bowl, Gyu-don, at home, try the following (it's not exactly the same as the Beef Bowl but close and it will whet your appetite for when you find the real thing).

• 8 cups cooked sticky rice (if you're going to use chop sticks, it has to be sticky)
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons sake (you may have to substitute a sweet white wine for the mirin and sake)

• 3/4 to 1 pound thinly sliced beef, cut bite-sized (partly freeze to aid in thin slicing)
• 1 1/4 cups Ichiban dashi (you may have to substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch in water slurry (optional)

1. In a saucepan, place together dashi, soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake and bring to a boil.
2. Add beef and onion to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Skim off carefully. Cook just until beef is no longer pink - overcooking makes the beef tough.
3. Optional Step: Add cornstarch slurry and cook while stirring to thicken sauce.

   

4. Serve on cooked rice. The plain Beef Bowl is served with a small container of red ginger beni-shoga on the side as a condiment. The combination beef bowl features steamed vegetables.

   

Some notes and thoughts about the Beef Bowl:

As I remember the Beef Bowl,flank or skirt steak would work well for this dish. Don't be hasty when trimming any fat from the meat.

Dashi is a "mother soup" that can be eaten alone or provide the basis for more complex dishes. Made from kombu (dried kelp) and bonito flakes (dried flaked bonito) steeped together and then strained. Some American supermarket carry dried dashi soup mix in the Asian food section. Depending on cooking time, dashi comes in several varieties:

Ichiban dashi - first brewed for clear or noodle soup (If eaten as a clear soup, season with a bit of soy sauce and sea salt and garnish with sliced scallions. Dried mushrooms often are found in dashi soup.

Niban dashi - second brewed for general use.

Konbu dashi - for making nabemono and tofu.

Nibashi dashi - for making miso soup.

Mirin - A low-alcohol, sweet, golden wine made from glutinous rice. Essential to the Japanese cook, mirin adds sweetness and flavor to a variety of dishes, sauces and glazes. It's available in all Japanese markets and the gourmet section of some supermarkets. Mirin is also referred to simply as rice wine.

Sake - This Japanese wine, the national alcoholic drink of Japan, is traditionally served warm in small porcelain cups. The yellowish, slightly sweet sake is made from fermented rice and doesn't require aging. It has a relatively low alcohol content of 12 to 16 percent. Sake is used in Japanese cooking, particularly in sauces and marinades. Once opened, it will keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for at least 3 weeks.

Beni shoga - Gingerroot that's been pickled in sweet vinegar and colored bright red. Beni shoga is used as a garnish for many Japanese dishes, especially sushi, and is also eaten to refresh the palate. It's available in thin slices, shredded or in knobs and can be found in Asian markets. Beni shoga is also called gari.