Chukadon (中華丼) is one of those dishes that provide both comfort and satisfaction at the end of a long day. Flashed cooked in a wok and served over a bowl of steamed rice, it meets my hallmarks of ‘easy cleanup’ and ‘one-pot favorites.’
What is Chukadon
Chukadon (中華丼) literally means “Chinese style Rice Bowl” in Japanese. It’s a donburi (don for short) that consists of stir-fried ingredients served over rice. It is believed that chukadon originated in the 1930s from a Chinese-style restaurant in Tokyo. The colorful stir-fry that sits atop of the rice is actually a well-known dish itself and it’s called Happosai (八宝菜) in Japanese. It came from the Cantonese “Eight Treasure” (八宝) dish. Happosai served over steamed rice is called Chukadon, and when it’s served over crispy noodles, we call it Ankake Yakisoba or Gomoku Yakisoba, similar to Sara Udon. The number from “Eight Treasure” doesn’t necessarily mean the dish contains 8 ingredients. It just implies an abundance of ingredients from seafood (shrimp and squid) to meat (typically pork), to sliced vegetables that are all stir-fried quickly in a wok (or pan). Happosai (Japanese-style Eight Treasure) is mainly seasoned with both soy sauce and oyster sauce, along with additional and optional condiments. To finish, slurry sauce (starch and water) is added to create a thick saucy dish that goes perfectly over steamed rice. When the stir fry is thickened, we call the dish Ankake (あんかけ) in Japanese. Not only Chukadon can employ a variety of nutritioius ingredients, it’s one of popular fast foods at Japanese fast food diners. Today let’s make it in our own kitchen!
How to Make Chukadon
Basic Ingredients You’ll Need
Pork Shrimp Carrot Napa cabbage Bok choy Shiitake mushroom Bamboo shoot Wood ear mushroom Condiments: chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sake, sesame oil, potato starch (cornstarch) Steamed rice
Don’t have all the ingredients? Don’t worry, you can swap or leave out some of them. No napa cabbage? Use regular cabbage. Look in the fridge to see what works. The only tip I have is that I do not recommend fragile leafy ingredients (like spinach) as stir-frying will cook them too fast and cannot withstand the heat for a longer time.
Quick Overview on Cooking Process
Stir-Frying Tips
Cut into similar shapes and sizes. This will cook the ingredients evenly. Heat the wok (or frying pan) till hot before adding ingredients. Don’t be shy with the oil. Add the oil after the wok/pan is heated, so the oil will be distributed easily. Stir fry ingredients in stages for best texture. Start with the proteins then set aside before you cook the vegetables. You’ll add in the proteins back later. Maintain high heat throughout cooking. Mix slurry sauce really well right before you drizzle.
How to Serve Chukadon
Obviously this is a donburi (rice bowl) dish so we serve the medley of stir fry over a bowl of rice. The simple yet flavorful combo has everything you need! However, if you want to serve it as a main dish without rice (the dish will be called Happosai), or a small portion as a side dish along with other Chinese-style dishes, you can definitely do that!
Other Chinese-Style Dishes You’ll Enjoy:
Mapo Tofu Mapo Eggplants (Mabo Nasu) Beef & Green Pepper Stir Fry Sara Udon (Crispy Noodles with Seafood)
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