Sunday Japanese lunch with BB — chirashi don + salmon aburi. The Japanese rice-bowl sashimi format with the aburi-torched salmon side.

We ordered:

Chirashi don (assorted sashimi over sushi rice)
Salmon aburi (torched salmon nigiri)

Chirashi don (ちらし丼) is the “scattered” Japanese rice bowl where assorted sashimi pieces are arranged over seasoned sushi rice. Different from the related bara chirashi (where the sashimi is diced into cubes), the chirashi don keeps the sashimi as whole slices or pieces fanned out across the top of the rice.

The bowl came loaded with the standard sashimi spread:

Salmon slices (multiple thick cuts)
Tuna (maguro)
Hamachi (yellowtail)
Tamago (sweet egg slice)
Ebi (sweet shrimp)
Tobiko (flying fish roe) sprinkled on top
Shredded nori around the edges
Pickled ginger and wasabi on the side

The fish quality is the bowl’s headline. Each slice should be properly chilled, clean-tasting, with the firm-bite texture of fresh sashimi. The visual presentation matters — the sashimi gets fanned out in a pinwheel pattern across the rice, with the colours alternating for the proper photogenic display.

The sushi rice underneath is the foundation. Short-grain rice cooked properly, slightly vinegared, sticky-but-distinct grains, room temperature so the fish on top stays cool against the body-warm rice.

The salmon aburi was the side order. Torched salmon nigiri — the salmon sliced over nigiri-shaped rice, then briefly torched with a kitchen blowtorch so the surface goes browned-and-warm while the centre stays cool-and-raw. Drizzled with a touch of mayo or sweet-soy.

The aburi technique adds the warm-meets-cool texture contrast that elevates the basic nigiri. The slight char from the torch adds the umami caramelisation that raw salmon doesn’t have.

Sunday Japanese lunch is one of the consistent rotation defaults — sashimi cravings are real and the chirashi don format is the right satisfaction.

Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Excellent chirashi don + aburi — would re-order.

Original IG post