Ryokudo Singapore: New donburi specialist in the CBD serving reliable and comforting rice bowls

If you love a good, hearty bowl of donburi, the all-new Ryokudo outlet in Singapore would be one to put on your radar. 

The concept, which specialises in donburi has just opened at Far East Square. This is the brand’s second international outlet, after its first in Guangzhou, China.

Ryokudo actually began in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2020 and now spans four outlets across the city. Its name comes from a combination of the founder’s name, Ryo Rivaldo, and “shokudo”, a Japanese term referring to casual eateries serving affordable Japanese cuisine.

As a frequent traveller to Tokyo and a fan of Japanese cuisine, Ryo was inspired to bring the the flavours he loved from Japan back to Indonesia — first with to his friends and family, and later on to the wider public.

While the dine-in outlet in the heart of Singapore’s CBD may be its first here, the brand had steathily begun dishing out bowls to the local crowd in as early as December last year. 

It ran a konbini-inspired takeaway concept at Funan Mall — serving grab-and-go donburi bowls and snacky bites, planned to conicide with the launch of its dine-in space in January.

The idea was straightforward: Simple, hearty bowls designed to be eaten well and without fuss.

At its dine-out outlet at Far East Square, there are no fancy techniques or unnecessary frills, just quality ingredients and cooking done right for a satisfying, comforting bowl.

This same ethos is reflected in its space, which is simple, homely and unpretentious. Its aesthetic is drawn from the likes of shokudos, and inspired by the Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi”, which focuses on beauty in imperfection. 

The outlet is adequately sized without feeling too gcrowded, seating up to 60 diners with a mix of indoor and outdoor tables, alongside a counter designed for solo dining.

Diving into Ryokudo’s bowls

Everything at Ryokudo is made in-house, anchored by a Ryokudo-exclusive formula the kitchen stands firmly by: Its rice.

Here, Japanese short-grain rice is first cooked in a seasoned stock, then tossed with a housemade furikake blend developed by founder Ryo himself. 

The meticulousness and attention to even the smallest item on its menu — a grain of rice — shows clearly in its offerings.  

In every bowl we had, the rice had a perfect chew and was fragrant and flavourful on its own, thanks to the due care in its preparation phase. Each grain also absorbed the sauces fully, adding to our enjoyment of the donburi. 

Ryokudo Singapore’s menu spans a smattering of rice bowl offerings — two chicken, three beef, and two sakana (fish) options — alongside a collagen-rich tori ramen (S$18.90) and the premium koma don (S$23.90), a bowl piled with a myriad of protein toppings.

You’ll want to start with the classic gyudon (S$15.90) , a comforting bowl with beef short plate cuts, topped with a perfectly runny onsen egg and homemade crispy garlic chips.

Before digging in, mix the soft and tender beef slices, cream-and-butter-sauteed shimeiji mushrooms, caramelised onions, and spring onions together with the rice.

All the elements when taken together, including its housemade tare (or Japanese flavour base),  provide a good amount of creaminess, chew, and crunch — with the last element of its crispy garlic chips being the best part of the bowl. 

It’s savoury, and indulgent, and great value for a well-rounded rice bowl. 

But if we had to choose one, our favourite among the donburi bowls is the koma don (S$23.90) — also the most premium and priciest bowl on the menu. 

It features tender beef cubes, salmon, unagi, cucumber, tamago (egg), ikura (salmon roe), and tobiko (flying fish roe) layered generously over the same seasoned rice.

The variety of surf-and-turf proteins keeps each mouthful interesting, with the ikura and tobiko lending occasional bursts of salinity that adds to the bowl’s indulgence.

And if you thought that was all there is to its beef offerings, there was one more item that really impressed us and also the main reason I’m definitely coming back. 

It’s none other than the spicy gyudon (S$16.90), spicy beef short plate slices simmered with an in-house chilli blend, paired with caramelised onions and spring onion. 

At the time of our visit, this menu item was still in the works which is why we got it served as a separate side dish, but it’s since been added on as a full-fledged rice bowl. 

Even though I was already full by the time this dish came out, the spice in this kept me going back for more. Not only is it very addictive, but the fieryness lingers for just a bit, with a good kick that isn’t intolerable — spice lovers would do well to try this. 

For those who might prefer chicken as a protein, there’s the katsu “toji” don (S$14.90), topped with crispy deep-fried chicken thigh cutlets and softly scrambled eggs.

While it doesn’t quite stand out alongside the more flavourful options above, it remains a decent choice for those who prefer chicken over beef.

If the bowls aren’t enough to fill you up, there is a small menu of sides to enjoy, too, such as aka ebi croquette (S$12.90) and tori karaage (S$7.90).

One of the highlights for us was the chawanmushi (S$5.90, additional S$1 for crab and S$2 for ikura) — not only is it really good, but it is also really simple. Its chawanmushi features eggs beaten with dashi, made using ceremonial-grade konbu (kelp), before being gently steamed. 

Even without kani (crab) or ikura, you can taste its flavours — clean and savoury — clearly, which speaks to the quality of its dashi broth. 

More than just bowls

And just when you thought mains and savoury items were all that there was to this little CBD outlet, here’s another thing it does really well: Matcha. 

While it isn’t a cafe, Ryokudo serves up a decent repertoire of matcha drinks, afterall matcha is its speciality drink at its Jakarta outlets, too. (If you’re observant, you might have also noticed the matcha station positioned right at the entrance.)

Ryokudo sources its matcha directly from a trusted local supplier Hvala to ensure consistent quality and authenticity. 

The matcha mizu (S$6.50), which is essentially matcha and water (mizu), is deeply earthy and smooth, clean on the palate and refreshing without feeling too watered down. 

The coconut matcha Cloud (S$7.80), with coconut water and milk, leans slightly sweeter. It’s creamy and comforting, and works well as a gentle pick-me-up after a hearty lunch.

Beyond its five matcha creations, Ryokudo also has non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, such as Sapporo (S$12 for a pint) and a selection of sakes (from S$25).

If you’ve made it to the end, here’s a little tip, especially for those working in the CBD: On weekdays, upgrade any donburi to a set for just S$3 when you dine-in between 11am to 3pm, and get chawanmushi, miso soup, pickled tomato, and hojicha, with your meal. 

With its comforting and reliable bowls, and at a relatively reasonable pricing, the new Ryokudo Singapore makes for a good spot to those who want fuss-free lunches in the CBD, if not, it’s also a great pitstop for matcha drinks to fuel your workday, too. 

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read on Taco Liberation Co. and its S$10 mystery taco sets and what we tried at the new Puny Platypus Coffee spot in Hougang.