Gyudon has always been my go-to comfort food whenever I’m in Japan. And with 3 restaurant chains – Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya – all specializing in Gyudon, there’s a good chance you won’t be far from one when the mood to visit kicks in.
But with the same dish at very similar price points, is there any real difference between these stores? To test it out, I decided to check out all 3 of those stores and compare them myself. So how was the Gyudon like at each store? Is there one that’s better than the other? And are any of them worth a visit? Let’s get to it. How Good is Yoshinoya / Matsuya / Sukiya Actually?
–Gyudon Overview–
–Pricing & Portion Size–
–Gyudon Beef, Onions, & Tare Sauce–
–Green Onion Topping–
–Rice & Raw Egg–
–Sauces–
–Verdict–
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🍱 Gyudon Overviews 🍱
🍱🟠 Yoshinoya – Green Onion Gyudon (Special Size) – ¥940 🟠🍱
Full Review: Yoshinoya (Ueno Store)
🍱🔵 Matsuya – Gyudon topped with Extra Green Onions (Extra Large) – ¥870 🔵🍱
🥚 + Raw Egg – ¥80 🥚
Full Review: Matsuya (Asakusa Store)
🍱🔴 Sukiya – Gyudon with Green Onion, Raw Egg & Korean Spicy Sauce (XL) – ¥910 🔴🍱
Full Review: Sukiya (Suehirocho Store)
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💵 Pricing & Portion Size 💵
Value-for-Money is pretty important when it comes to Gyudon chains.
Regular-sized Gyudon at these shops are right around ¥400 – and it’ll do just fine for a quick and tasty bite. But as I was quite hungry (and needed a nice, round number), I decided to check out what these stores can offer under ¥1,000.
Portion sizes are roughly the same between stores, but here’s some of the finer details I noticed during my visits.
💵🟠 Yoshinoya – ¥940 (Special) 🟠💵
Yoshinoya has six Gyudon sizes to choose from, and to get under ¥1,000 with the Green Onion Gyudon, I went for their second largest size today (Special.) Like with the others, portion size is really good – with generous amounts of everything for a nice, filling late-night meal.
💵🔵 Matsuya – ¥950 (Extra Large + Raw Egg) 🔵💵
Matsuya’s Gyudon doesn’t come with a Raw Egg, but ordering their Extra Large bowl + Raw Egg works out to ¥950, right around the same range as the other stores.
In terms of portion size, Matsuya had by far the most beef during my visits, so this is my pick if protein is your main priority. Every dine-in order also comes with a free bowl of Miso Soup, so if that convinces you to head here, there you go!
💵🔴 Sukiya – ¥910 (XL) 🔴💵
Sukiya does have a ‘MEGA’ size Gyudon option available, but for comparison’s sake, I went for their XL ¥910 bowl. Portion size is pretty comparable to Yoshinoya, but this place has by far the most onion & green onion out of all the stores I’ve visited.
You can also customize your bowl for extra broth and even more onions (free), so this place is my pick if you’re here for lots of onions.
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🥩 Gyudon Beef, Onions, & Tare Sauce 🥩
🥩🟠 Yoshinoya 🟠🥩
Yoshinoya uses US Beef Short Plate for their Gyudon, sliced into ~1.3mm strips, which is pretty standard as far as thickness goes. The slices itself was also pretty wide, allowing you to taste even more of the beef’s natural flavors (same goes for the onions).
Flavor-wise, Yoshinoya’s Gyudon really has that quintessential ‘Gyudon’ taste to it, with the tender beef and onions working really well alongside the deeply flavorful, slightly salty & slightly sweet savory Tare. A very solid and classic-tasting bowl of Gyudon.
🥩🔵 Matsuya 🔵🥩
At Matsuya, their Gyudon beef is among the thinner ones I’ve come across (~1.1mm), which results in an extremely tender, pull-apart texture that combines really well with their Gyudon Tare, leaning towards the sweeter side of things while keeping that characteristic simmered, savory Gyudon taste.
It’s a really nice combination here, and works very well if you need a filling meal that doesn’t leave you feeling too heavy afterwards.
🥩🔴 Sukiya 🔴🥩
On the other end of Gyudon thickness, Sukiya’s beef is sliced the thickest of the bunch – giving it a sort of ‘rustic’ feel to it, along with more of that beefy flavor with each bite. And while it isn’t as pull-apart as a thinner slice would be, the slow-simmered nature of Gyudon means that it’s still really tender. Likewise, the onions were also sliced quite thick.
Interestingly, the Gyudon Tare wasn’t nearly as strong as I thought it would be, considering the beef and onions. The lighter profile does help the beef’s flavors shine a bit more, but If I were to stop by Sukiya again, I’ll grab their Gyudon with some extra Tare (available for free).
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🥗 Green Onion Topping 🥗
🥗🟠 Yoshinoya 🟠🥗
Yoshinoya’s Green Onions are served separately in a bowl, and are lightly coated in a sweet tare-like sauce.
The sauce blends itself well with the flavors of the Gyudon, and the green onions add a really nice touch of brightness to the dish. Pretty standard, but the combination works!
🥗🔵 Matsuya 🔵🥗
Matsuya’s Green Onions are also served separately in a bowl.
Flavor-wise, this has to be the most unique of the bunch. Served alongside the Green Onion is this Negi Shio Dare-like sauce, made from Sliced White Green Onions, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, and Yuzu – resulting in this really wonderful burst of citrusy brightness to the dish in contrast to the heavier flavors of the Gyudon. Big fan of this one!
🥗🔴 Sukiya 🔴🥗
Sukiya’s Green Onions come pre-topped on your Gyudon. As the dish is called ‘Green Onion Gyudon with Korean Spicy Sauce,” the green onions also come with a little bit of Korean chili sauce – giving the dish some warm Korean flavors (sesame oil & chili paste) alongside the fresh crunch of the green onions.
It certainly deviates from the standard ‘Gyudon Flavors’ a bit, but it’s not bad at all if you’re after a Korean-inspired taste.
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🥚 Rice & Raw Egg 🥚
If you’ve never tried Gyudon with Raw Egg before, you’ll be in for a treat! Pour the egg over the beef or rice and give it a stir, and the heat will cook the egg slightly – resulting in this rich, sweet custard-like texture that’s nothing short of magical.
🥗🟠 Yoshinoya 🟠🥗
Out of all the chains, Yoshinoya had the most Tamago Kake Gohan-like texture of the bunch when poured directly onto the rice. Incredibly rich tasting stuff, and the sweetness from the egg yolk compliments the savory flavors of the Gyudon beef incredibly well!
🥗🔵 Matsuya 🔵🥗
Matsuya’s Green Onion Gyudon doesn’t come with a raw egg, so you’ll have to order it separately (¥80). Great combination of flavors like the others, but I didn’t get the same level of depth as the other chains – probably from the amount of beef & green onion here. I’ll still order the egg alongside my order next time, but it’s not ‘must have’ since the flavors of the green onion are more than powerful enough.
🥗🔴 Sukiya 🔴🥗
Not much other info to add other than the Gyudon + Raw Egg combination here is just as great! Definitely get the egg even if you’re ordering a different topping.
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🧂 Sauces 🧂
🧂🟠 Yoshinoya 🟠🧂
I didn’t grab any photos of Yoshinoya’s sauces (mainly ‘cause I forgot…) But the selection here isn’t as plentiful as the others, just some Shoyu soy sauce and Pickled Ginger.
🧂🔵 Matsuya 🔵🧂
Matsuya has a whole bunch of different sauces to choose from, if you so desire. There’s the classic Shoyu soy sauce, Benishoga pickled ginger, and Shichimi pepper, two salad dressings (Sesame and Regular), and three different ‘Yakiniku Sauces’ (Red = Sweet Yakiniku Sauce, Green = Ponzu Sauce, and Blue = Barbeque Sauce.)
🧂🔴 Sukiya 🔴🧂
Sukiya also has several sauces to choose from, but it’s mostly just salad dressings (Sesame, French, and Japanese-style dressing.) In terms of things that’ll go with your Gyudon, there’s the usual Shoyu, Pickled Ginger, and Schichimi pepper.
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⭐VERDICT⭐
So how good is Yoshinoya / Matsuya / Sukiya actually? As a whole, they’re all pretty good! Value really is key at Gyudon shops, and for anywhere from ¥400 to ¥1,000, you can easily grab a tasty, filling meal at any of these stores. But while their base flavors are relatively similar, the little differences here and there do set them apart somewhat. Here’s how I’d summarize the main flavor profiles of each store.
🟠 Yoshinoya 🟠
The textbook classic Gyudon. Best balance of flavors, and doesn’t lean too heavy on one specific area.
🔵 Matsuya 🔵
A little more on the delicate side – thinner, pull-apart beef, and a slightly sweeter Tare – contributing to an overall premium feel to the Gyudon.
🔴 Sukiya 🔴
The ticker-sliced beef & onions gives it a rugged finish. A little light on the Tare, but makes up for it with some nice beefy flavors.
As for my personal favorite? My pick definitely goes to Matsuya. The thinner beef slices and the sweeter-leaning Tare works really well together. Combine that with the bright, citrusy flavors of the Green Onion topping, and you have a dish that checks all the boxes for me. Plus, the lighter profile means I can always just grab their largest size, and not feel *too* guilty about eating the entire thing. (Second-place goes to Yoshinoya, simply because of how classic it tastes.)
Those are just my thoughts, of course. Your preferences may be different, so let me know which store is your favorite!
And for full reviews of each store, check them out here:
Full Review: Yoshinoya (Ueno Store)
Full Review: Matsuya (Asakusa Store)
Full Review: Sukiya (Suehirocho Store)
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💬 Final Words 💬
And there you have it! I’ve always defaulted to Matsuya whenever I feel like grabbing some Gyudon, so it was quite fun to finally check out the other stores to see their take on the same dish. But now that you know my preferences, I’m looking forward to seeing which store is your favorite, so let me know down below!