Chain stores where you can enjoy delicious beef bowls and set meals even at midnight

The beef bowl chain, which is also open after midnight, is convenient when you are hungry late at night. It is also attractive that there is a variety of menus such as curry and set meals, as well as beef bowls. In this article, we will introduce the recommended menus of "Yoshinoya" and "Matsuya", which are representative of the beef bowl chain.

The oldest beef bowl chain "Yoshinoya"

The oldest of the beef bowl chains in Japan is the Yoshinoya. It was founded in 1899. Its founder, Eikichi Matsuda, who moved to Tokyo from Osaka, focused on the "beef meshi" he used to do at the time, and knitted beef bowls to suit the tastes of people working on the fish banks (Uogashi). He set up a shop in Nihonbashi, which was home to Japan's largest fish market at the time, and when he served beef bowls, it instantly became a reputation. He said it was favored by people on the fish banks at that time, when it seemed to be an Edo kid to squeeze beef bowls made from beef, which were still expensive at that time, into the interval between jobs.

A secret sauce that has been handed down from generation to generation, beef bowl made of carefully selected beef and onions stewed carefully and freshly cooked on plump rice is one of the favorite dishes of the Yoshinoya. The rich taste of beef is complemented by the sweetness of onions, and a deep taste spreads throughout the mouth. Since the size can be selected in six stages from Komori to super special, it is nice to be able to choose the amount you want to eat in a small way. It's fun to add a raw egg to the toppings, a red ginger on the tabletop, and customize it to find your favorite taste.

As one of the common-fried foods that the Japanese love, fried chicken is particularly popular. The Yoshinoya has a menu of fried food. Karakafumi is carefully handmade one by one in the shop, thick and large, pickled in a special sauce, and the contrast between the crisp garb and the juicy chicken is exquisite. Kara fried rice bowls are deployed in four sizes, but in addition to Kara fried rice bowls, there are set meals, honey mustard sauce, and tartar sauce, so it's a nice point to be able to choose your favorite taste.

The "beef sukionaken", which is served in hot hot pot, is a menu that can be said to be the Yoshinoya's winter-style style poem. The secret to the popularity is that sukiyaki, which has the image of fine cuisine, can be eaten at affordable prices. I'm happy to be able to eat hot, braised beef with plenty of vegetables and tofu in a sweet and spicy specialty. Beef and vegetables, which are sweet and spicy, blend together with the sweetness of the ingredients, and if you eat them on rice, your body will warm up. If you melt the raw egg and eat it with beef, the sweetness and aroma of the thick egg and beef will be integrated together, and the rice will go naturally. From October 17, 2025, "Bariji Sōshoku Tonkotsu Soy Sauce Beef-onaken" also appeared (ending date undecided). The ingredients stewed with rich pork bones and soy sauce-based stock are perfect for eating. Furthermore, if the taste changes with the addition of "Garlic Mashimashi", the richness and fragrance will spread, and it will be attractive that you can eat it with a different taste without getting bored.

List of stores of YoshinoyaThis way.

''Matsuya'' with plenty of easy set meals

Better known as another gyudon chain, Matsuya began in 1966 when its founder opened a Chinese restaurant, and in 1968 opened its first store in Nerima, Tokyo, as a shop for beef meal and yakiniku set meal. The feature of beef meal is that it always comes with miso soup, and it always offers a surprising menu by offering not only beef meal and yakiniku set meals, but also hamburgers and dishes from around the world. The taste of beef meal has also been constantly improving, and the sauce has been reviewed more than 30 times since its inception, constantly spiraling up its own taste and pursuing taste.

"Ushimeshi", which is also a signboard product of Matsuya, is a dish that boasts an affordable price and a stable taste. Beef is characterized by a good balance between lean and fat, and the feeling of sweetness and umami is solid. The sauce, which has been improved more than 30 times, is seasoned with the original taste and softness of beef while cherishing the tradition. It is also nice that miso soup, which is a separate order at other chains, is always attached. Miso soup is a separate fee for taking home.

Matsuya has a rich menu other than beef meal, but one of the most popular is Kimkaru-don. After receiving the order, the beef ribs are baked on an iron plate, and the juicy and fragrant taste is delicious. The point is that by tangling beef ribs and sauce on an iron plate, the taste of the sauce is more firmly soaked into the beef ribs and finished with fragrance. The kimchi used for toppings has a crisp texture and a tangy spiciness, which is perfect with beef ribs. Flavour is enriched by adding more minced paste. The punchy taste stimulates the appetite and is a "stamina-based" bowl that goes on and on.

Like the beef meal, this "beef yakiniku set meal" has been selling since the time of its inception. After the order is placed, the beef is baked juiciously on the iron plate and served. Although it tastes moderately peppery, it is also recommended to arrange it with your favorite sauce from the three types of yakiniku sauce on the tabletop. It is also served with grated radish and green onions, so you can taste it refreshingly. It is also nice to come with raw vegetables. Let's enjoy a well-balanced meal unique to the set meal.

List of Matsuya storesThis way.