Mentaiko mayo salmon don ($8.90)!
Chinatown hawker Japanese mentaiko mayo salmon don: a torched salmon fillet glazed with mentaiko mayo over brown rice, with wakame, cherry tomatoes, karaage and miso soup. $8.90.
Lunch at a Chinatown hawker Japanese stall: mentaiko mayo salmon don, $8.90. π
What was in the bowl:
- Torched salmon fillet: a whole skin-on fillet laid over the rice, glazed with mentaiko mayo and blow-torched so the surface caramelises in lattice grill-marks
- Brown rice underneath (the healthier base)
- Seaweed salad (goma wakame): the bright green sesame-dressed seaweed
- Cherry tomatoes: the fresh red counterpoint
- Karaage on the side, plus miso soup
Mentaiko mayo is the move that defines this bowl: mentaiko (spicy cured pollock roe) whipped into Japanese mayonnaise, spread over the fish and torched. The heat does two things, it caramelises the mayo into a savoury crust and gently cooks the salmonβs surface while leaving the inside soft. The roe brings a salty, faintly spicy pop; the mayo brings richness; together they are the reason aburi-mentai anything became a cafe-Instagram staple.
The torched salmon is the centrepiece: a generous fillet rather than thin sashimi slices, so it eats meaty and substantial. The lattice grill-marks are not just for show, the torched edges concentrate the mentai flavour.
The brown rice base is the health-conscious twist, nuttier and chewier than white rice, and the seaweed salad and cherry tomatoes keep the bowl from being all richness. The karaage on the side is the bonus protein.
At $8.90 for a torched mentaiko salmon don with sides and miso soup at a Chinatown hawker, this undercuts the cafe versions ($16-$22) by a wide margin.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. πππΌ The torched mentaiko crust over the soft salmon was the standout. Would re-order.
