In Tokyo, you can enjoy beef bowls (gyudon) in various settings. If you’re dining out, restaurants like Sukiya and Yoshinoya are popular choices. For home-cooked gyudon, frozen options are also available at supermarkets, making it easy to recreate dishes like cheese gyudon at home.

(For more details, check out my previous blog post!)

However, it might be challenging for tourists visiting Tokyo to find supermarkets, as they are often located in residential areas. You won’t usually come across them near major terminal stations like Shinjuku or Ikebukuro. In such cases, convenience stores are your best friend! Today, I’ll introduce Family Mart’s beef bowl, a convenient option for travelers. Since it’s microwaveable, it’s perfect for anyone on the go!

Family Mart offers a retort-packed beef bowl that’s super easy to prepare. (If you’re staying in a hotel and don’t have rice, you can also buy retort-packed rice at the same convenience store!)

I purchased this beef bowl for about 250 yen. I also noticed an oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl) on the shelf, which I’ll review another time.

The instructions are in Japanese, but the illustrations make it easy to follow. The box itself serves as a heating stand for the microwave. Open the box, reverse the lid (rotate it 180°), and heat it in a microwave for about 50 seconds at 600W.

It’s ready in no time!

Once heated, simply serve the beef bowl over rice. I added some tomatoes for extra flavor. You might notice my rice looks brown—this is called genmai (brown rice), which is richer in fiber and vitamins compared to white rice. I regularly eat brown rice as part of my diet.

First off, the flavor of Family Mart’s beef bowl is noticeably different from major players like Sukiya and Yoshinoya. Compared to those, Family Mart’s gyudon has more broth, which may appeal to people who prefer their beef bowls with extra moisture.

This feature is similar to the “tsuyudaku” (extra broth) option offered by popular beef bowl chains. The seasoning leans on the sweeter side, and both the beef and onions are thoroughly simmered, making them tender enough to melt in your mouth. In fact, the overall texture feels more like a comforting soup, making it easier to eat with a spoon than chopsticks.

The package is about the size of a book, making it easy to fit into the gaps of your suitcase. It also has a long shelf life, so you can store it for an extended period. Retort-packed rice, also available at convenience stores, is similarly compact and easy to carry.

Family Mart’s beef bowl is a delicious, convenient option for travelers looking for an authentic taste of Japanese gyudon without needing to visit a restaurant. Its compact size, long shelf life, and easy preparation make it a practical souvenir as well. If you’re in Tokyo, give it a try and see how it compares to your favorite beef bowls!