@fukudonsg has branded itself as an Asian fusion donburi specialist, and their Satay Pork Collar Onigiri Don ($8.40 nett a serve)is their magnum opus of Asian fusion. A mishmash of Singaporean & Japanese cuisine, this donburi sees the Japanese staple of pork shabu don get a revamp by marinating the thin slices of pork collar in a complex satay spice mix.⠀
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This sweet, aromatic spice blend screams lemongrass upon first contact with your nose. When it lands on your palate, you get sweet, spicy, a bit of turmeric and other spices, before the richness of the fatty meat takes over. I would’ve preferred that the satay mix be more salty to withstand & complement the fatty pork slices better, but the satay mix used here is still pretty decent.⠀
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The element here that sealed the deal for me are those pickled cucumbers & onions. They were supremely sharp, tangy and refreshing, holding the pork collar back from being surfeiting. Plus, they were an incredibly welcome, crunchy change from all the texturally soft elements in the bowl.⠀
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I’m not sure why Fukudon calls it onigiri rice. I know that they’ve seasoned the rice with mirin and a couple of other things, but that’s more like sushi rice than onigiri rice. Nevertheless, the fact that they pay close attention to the foundation of their ricebowl puts their rice levels above most of their competitors. The only real problem with this dish is that the onsen egg was overcooked and the yolk was set, but that’s more of a consistency problem than a quality problem.⠀
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For modern day hawker donburi that won’t break the bank, Fukudon is pretty much the standard to match. Just gotta figure out how to get them to set up shop where I live. Thank you for the invite, @fukudonsg!