Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) and Rockville, Maryland

A recipe for Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) inspired by my time in Rockville, Maryland! Pieces of chicken and onion are simmered in a sweet and savory egg mixture before serving over a bowl of rice.

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Rockville, Maryland

I visited Rockville for the first time in 2022 shortly after moving back to the DC area and it has quickly become a favorite food spot.

Located in Montgomery County, Maryland, Rockville is about 17 miles (27 kilometers) northwest of Washington, DC. It is also connected via the Rockville Train Station (Red Line, Amtrak, and MARC Commuter Rail) and Twinbrook Metro Station (Red Line).

I am including a few highlights (and will update as I continue to visit more places) in this post along with a recipe for Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) inspired by my visits.

Maruichi Japanese Grocery

I was first drawn to Rockville by Maruichi Japanese Grocery at 1047 Rockville Pike. We had just moved to Virginia from Torrance and I was missing having Mitsuwa and Tokyo Central just down the street.

Maruichi Japanese Grocery is very compact compared to the large markets in Los Angeles, but their shelves are packed with most of the essentials and they have a sizable freezer section.

I also picked up the rice bowl used in these Oyakodon photos at Maruichi!

Kielbasa Factory

Kielbasa Factory is a Polish market just a couple of doors over from Maruichi Japanese Grocery.

They are also in a small space, but filled with pantry staples, cheese, sweet/savory pierogi, chocolate, bread, sandwiches, and a variety of sausages/ham.

I found the ingredients to make Pierogi with Sweet Cream Cheese and Bryndzové Pirohy (Slovak Bryndza Pierogi) here.

Temari Japanese Cafe

Temari Japanese Cafe is located just below Maruichi Japanese Grocery on the ground floor in the same shopping center.

Their menu focuses on Japanese comfort food with a collection of appetizers, set meals, seafood, ramen, sushi, rice bowls, drinks, and desserts.

We enjoyed the アイスコーヒー (Iced Coffee), Salmon Avocado Roll, 親子丼 (Oyako Don), チャーシューメン (Chashumen- soy sauce based soup with noodles and pork slices), and わらび餅 (Green tea flavored warabi mochi).

Ebisu Japanese Life Store

Ebisu Japanese Life Store at 836 Rockville Pike has been a fun stop with household goods, toys, stationery, snacks, drinks, skin/hair care, and more.

They also have a room filled with gachapon (capsule toy machines) and other games.

Mirabeau

One morning, I stopped by Mirabeau at 5751 Fishers Lane Suite C while waiting for the grocery store to open.

Mirabeau is a small cafe with a variety of coffee, tea, pastries, small bites, and sandwiches. They are currently (at the time of this post) open Wednesday-Monday with a handful of indoor seating and one outdoor table.

There is limited street parking and nearby garages. The Twinbrook Metro Station is also next to the shopping center.

I ordered the Peanut Butter Latte and Galette Bretonne (delicious, crumbly French butter cookie).

Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly

During Lola’s last visit, we stopped by Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly at 5268-H Nicholson Lane for lunch.

Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly is a family-owned restaurant featuring Filipino daily specials, appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, bowls, and combo meals.

They are open Wednesday-Sunday (at the time of this post) with a few indoor tables and easy online ordering for takeout/delivery through their website. There was plenty of lot parking.

We decided on the Whole Red Snapper Escabeche (this is Lola’s favorite so she was excited to see it on the specials menu during our visit- deep fried crispy whole snapper, escabeche sauce with carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, and pineapple) and Crispy Adobo Chicken Sandwich (buttermilk chicken with lettuce and adobo glaze).

Gwenie’s Pastries

While we were in the area, Lola and I brought back lots of treats from Gwenie’s Pastries at 12113 Nebel Street.

This Filipino bakery is open Weds-Sunday with a variety of doughnuts, crinkles, cake, cheesecake, baked goods, snacks, halo-halo, drinks, and more. They also have a store on Amazon and stock a few items on the shelves and in the refrigerator at Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly. 

We took home Mamon (soft sponge cake in muffin style liner- Lola picked Pandan, original, Ube, and mocha flavors), Torta de Cebu- specialty from Argao with a pound cake-like texture), Doughnut (sugar coated and filled with Nutella, was also available in Ube, Pandan, and Mango), Shakoy/Bitsu-Bitsu/Bicho-Bicho (these were a favorite with the kids- sugar coated twisted doughnuts), and Pandesal.

Teamania Bakery

Teamania was my very first Rockville stop at 130 Rollins Ave Suite B nearly two years ago.

This Asian-European Bakery and Cafe is open daily with a variety of drinks, pastries, bread, cakes, breakfast, and lunch/dinner items. Parking can be found in the back of the shopping center. 

I ordered the Hazelnut Latte, Original Soufflé Pancakes with Vanilla Ice Cream and Fresh Berries, Garlic Twist, and Hong Kong Egg Tart. I also took home a loaf of fluffy milk bread to use in French toast.

Ding Tea

Ding Tea was a favorite when we lived in Torrance/Lomita, so we always have to stop by when in Rockville before heading home.

They have a variety of flavored tea, coffee, milk tea, fruit juice, and yakult. The lot parking is also easy.

During our latest visit, we picked up the Signature Milk Tea with Coffee Jelly, Vanilla Coffee, and Strawberry Yakult.

Pike and Rose

Pike and Rose is a large shopping district sometimes labeled as North Bethesda and sometimes as Rockville, so I am also including it in this post.

This area is filled with signature restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and special events.

Julii

I recently had a fantastic lunch with A Classic Twist at Julii in Pike and Rose.

Julii is a “French bistro with a touch of the Mediterranean” open daily for lunch and dinner with brunch on the weekends. They have a beautiful indoor and outdoor space along with carry out and delivery through their website. Reservations are available through OpenTable.

We ordered the Blackberry Blossom (so beautiful!- Green Hat Gin, Blackberry Basil, St Germain, Lemon, Demerara), Rigatoni Bolognese (beef, Benton‘s pork belly, aged Parmigiano), and the Chicken Kabob (harissa, turmeric rice, fennel slaw, sesame labneh).

Sunday Morning Bakehouse

Sunday Morning Bakehouse is another favorite stop in the Pike and Rose shopping center.

This popular coffee shop and bakery is open daily with a variety of coffee, tea, sandwiches, toast, croissants, cookies, and other sweet/savory treats. There is indoor seating, but it fills quickly. I also love the open space and being able to watch the bread being formed while drinking my coffee.

During my latest visit, I picked up some Tiramisu and Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts. We have also enjoyed the Bee Sting Latte and Lavender London Fog.

Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

To pair with this post, I made Oyakodon (親子丼) inspired by our lunch at Temari Japanese Cafe!

Translating to “parent and child,” Oyakodon pairs pieces of chicken and onion with a sweet and savory egg mixture before serving over a bowl of rice. It is quite the comfort food and comes together with just a little prep.

I’ve made Oyako Donburi a few times and am sharing my current favorite way of preparing it by separating the ingredients into individual servings. I have attempted cooking everything in a large skillet in the past, but it is much more difficult to get that almost custard-like texture in a crowded pan.

Notable Ingredients

Dashi is a stock used in Japanese cooking. It is made from kombu (dried Japanese kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito/tuna flakes). I used a store-bought powder to make the dashi since this recipe uses a small amount, but you can also make your own.

Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking rice wine. I use hon-mirin (true mirin) in recipes calling for mirin. I have been able to find it in markets with Japanese ingredients and some larger grocery stores.

Shichimi Togarashi is a Japanese seven-spice chili seasoning blend. The exact spices may vary based on the brand and the version I used includes a combination of black peppercorns, red chile flakes, garlic, freshly ground ginger root, nori, toasted white and black sesame seeds, and orange zest. It is completely optional, but adds a burst of spice without becoming overwhelming.

I used Mitsuba as a garnish for the Oyakodon. Also known as Japanese wild parsley, this herb’s flavor is similar to a cross between parsley and celery. It can often be found in the produce section of Mitsuwa and Tokyo Central for those in the Los Angeles area.

Since I so rarely see it now on the East Coast, I started growing it in my indoor hydro garden from seed and it has done well. The plant prefers moderate shade (the flavor will become bitter with too much sun) and mild temperatures.

If you do not have Mitsuba available, garnish the Oyakodon with sliced scallions or thinly sliced nori.

A Few Oyakodon Tips

This dish is best with boneless chicken thighs. If using chicken breasts, take great care to not overcook the chicken.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces- about 1-1 1/2 inches (2.5-3 centimeters).

Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, sake, and ginger for 30 minutes before adding to the pan. If letting the chicken rest for longer, cover and refrigerate until ready to use- up to overnight.

Lightly combine the eggs in a bowl without mixing completely together. There should still be notable streaks of egg yolks and egg whites. I like to do this by using a fork or chopsticks to gently lift the eggs in the bowl a few times.

After pouring the eggs into the pan over the chicken mixture, gently shake the pan but do not stir.

The biggest help in keeping the texture of the eggs and easily sliding over the rice is having a completely nonstick pan or skillet. I used an 8 inch (20 centimeter) nonstick ceramic pan.

Keep the serving bowl around the same diameter as the pan so everything makes it into the bowl in one layer.

Use freshly steamed rice as the base for the donburi. Serve the Oyakodon immediately, especially if the eggs are slightly undercooked or runny.

Looking for more rice bowl recipes?

Try my:

• Karaage Don (Japanese Fried Chicken Bowl)
• Takoraisu (Okinawan Taco Rice)
• Niratama Donburi (Japanese Eggs with Garlic Chives over Rice)

Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) Recipe

Adapted from A Day in Tokyo

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5 from 1 vote

Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

A recipe for Oyakodon (親子丼, Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)! Pieces of chicken and onion are simmered in a sweet and savory egg mixture before serving over a bowl of rice.

Course Main

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword chicken, egg, Japan, Japanese, rice, rice bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 8 ounces (227 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces (about 1 inch, 2.5 centimeters)
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) sake
• 1/4 inch (6 millimeter) piece fresh ginger grated

Oyakodon:

• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) dashi
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) mirin
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion peeled and thinly sliced, divided
• 4 large eggs divided
• 2 servings freshly steamed white rice
• Chopped Mitsuba or sliced scallions for garnish
• Shichimi Togarashi optional

Instructions

• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sake, and ginger. Toss well to coat and set aside for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
• Drain off the excess marinade.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
• Place a small 6-8 inch (15-20 centimeter) nonstick skillet over medium heat and add a thin layer of vegetable oil.
• Add half of the onion slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften.
• Add half of the chicken pieces and cook, turning to brown on all sides.
• Pour in half of the dashi mixture. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced and the chicken has cooked through, 3-5 minutes.
• Break two eggs into a bowl and use a fork or chopsticks to very gently mix and break the yolks. There should still be distinct streaks of yolk and egg white.
• Reduce heat to medium low and pour the eggs evenly over the chicken.
• Shake the pan gently to make an even layer and cook, without stirring, until the eggs are mostly set.
• Place a serving of rice in an individual bowl.
• Slide the chicken and eggs from the pan over the rice and garnish with the mitsuba or scallions and optionally the Shichimi Togarashi.
• Repeat with remaining ingredients to make one more bowl and serve immediately.