Minimalistic with an almost clinical vibe, Superdon is a new Japanese hang-out in Causeway Bay that specialises in Japanese donburi bowls. You can choose from a range of fresh raw seafood and cooked toppings (like seared A5 Wagyu beef slices), and if nothing on the menu takes your fancy, you can even customise your own rice bowl!
With a name like Superdon and donburi bowls that come with a hefty price tag, we were expecting something exceptional that would really kick us out of the planet and back. But, we wondered, how exciting can a rice bowl get?
Uni, prime fatty tuna and salmon roe donburi
To start, we settled in with some sashimi donburi staples. The salmon and salmon roe sashimi rice bowl ($148) is the perfect donburi for salmon lovers and those who love this classic combination. I usually judge how good a Japanese place is by their sashimi, and I was blown away by the freshness of Superdon’s thick, luxurious salmon slices. It didn’t hurt that this bowl came with huge pearls of fresh salmon roe – trust me when I say I can eat a bowl of salmon roe like breakfast cereal.
I am a big fatty tuna fan, so when I saw the cloud-pink, fat-streaked tuna slices atop a generous bed of salmon roe and sea urchin in the uni, prime fatty tuna and salmon roe rice bowl ($268), you can imagine the look on my face. The first bite threw me back to the time I had my first fatty tuna experience in Tokyo: a sudden wham of freshness, with fat molecules doing a happy dance in my mouth. The back-up dancers were the rich, creamy and sweet sea urchin slices along with the salty salmon roe, which did a complementary cha-cha with the tuna. There was absolutely no metallic taste on the tuna slices either – I was completely sold.
I usually can’t finish a sashimi donburi because the ‘fishiness’ of everything eventually gets to me, but this time, I managed to wipe the bowl clean with the help of the pickled bamboo shoots and ginger slices. Our only gripe with both donburi bowls was the mushy rice grains, which we overlooked because of the stellar fresh seafood toppings.
Soft-shell crab
Assorted tempura
Aside from the donburi bowls, we had to get some greasy, sinful sides to contrast against the clean flavours. The deep-fried soft-shell crab ($58) exceeded our expectations with its pretty presentation, crunchy shell and moist, wholesome centre. It was surprisingly fleshy – most tempura soft-shell crab has a crisp exterior with limp insides. Served with a tiny pyramid of grated carrot and chilli that served as a pleasant spice kick to the tempura, we wolfed this right down. The platter of assorted tempura ($138), however, had nothing special to shout about other than a light and crispy batter.
Verdict
Despite its high à la carte pricing, it’s worth popping by Superdon over lunch for the set meals with discounted price tags – especially if you have a crazy fatty tuna craving.
501 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, 2668 1663
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation.
