This Salmon Mentai Aburi Don is an easy 15-minute rice bowl recipe that’s perfect for any salmon or sushi lover.
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If you love salmon and have an affinity towards sushi, then you should definitely try this Salmon Mentai Aburi Don, which is a seared salmon mentai rice bowl. It has a creamy and savory flavor that’s absolutely hard to resist!
This dish has been gaining popularity in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore over the past 3 years. And it’s super easy to find the dish served in Japanese restaurants in that region.
Salmon Mentai Rice Bowl
It’s essentially sliced salmon placed on a serving of rice, drizzled with a spicy mayo mentaiko sauce, then torched lightly for a smoky finish.
I will say that using a blowtorch adds much to the experience of making this rice bowl. However, I find that you can also opt to broil it in the oven for a similar char taste.
The “mentai” in the dish name stands for “mentaiko”, which is cured salted pollack roe. It’s the signature ingredient that lends to the saltiness of the dish.
The Japanese word “aburi” translates to “flame seared”, and utilising this technique makes the salmon become slightly smoky that makes it so tasty!
Equipment
- Blow torch
Ingredients
- Salmon fillet (sashimi grade)
- Japanese mayo
- Sriracha/chili sauce
- Sesame oil
- Rice
- Rice vinegar
- Chili oil
- Furikake (optional)
- Mentaiko: I got my mentaiko from my local Korean grocer.
- Roasted seaweed (optional)
- Avocado (optional)
- Sliced cucumber (optional)
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
Instructions
- Season hot rice with rice vinegar, furikake (or salt) and chili oil. Add to bowl.
- For the sauce, mix the Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil and mentaiko.
- Cut the salmon fillet crosswise on the diagonal into slices. Place the salmon on half of the rice, slightly overlapping one another.
- Light the blowtorch and run the flame over the salmon for about 15 seconds, just long enough to lightly singe the edges.
- Add as much spicy mayo mentaiko sauce as you want on top of the salmon and run the flame over it until the mayo turns a deeper orange and it lightly singes.
- Garnish with sliced roasted seaweed, avocado slices and cucumber. Enjoy!
Notes for Salmon Mentai Aburi Don
- I used sashimi grade salmon for this recipe. But if you’re not using sashimi grade salmon, then you can blow torch both sides of the salmon on a fire-proof surface before placing it on top of the rice.
- An option for those without blow torches is to fully assemble your rice bowl in an oven-safe pan, then broil it in the oven for a few minutes to get a similar char texture. However, it won’t have much of that smoky taste.
More Salmon Recipes
- Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl
- TikTok Salmon Rice Balls
- Miso Garlic Butter Salmon
- Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Shrimp & Smoked Salmon)
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Salmon Mentai Aburi Don
Equipment
- Blow torch
Ingredients
- 1 salmon fillet (sashimi grade)
- 4 tbsp Japanese mayo
- 3 tbsp sriracha/chili sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cups rice
- rice vinegar
- chili oil
- furikake optional
- 3 tbsp mentaiko
- roasted seaweed optional
- avocado optional
- sliced cucumber optional
Instructions
- Season hot rice with rice vinegar, furikake (or salt) and chili oil. Add to bowl.
- For the sauce, mix the Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil and mentaiko.
- Cut the salmon fillet crosswise on the diagonal into slices. Place the salmon on half of the rice, slightly overlapping one another.
- Light the blowtorch and run the flame over the salmon for about 15 seconds, just long enough to lightly singe the edges.
- Add as much spicy mayo mentaiko sauce as you want on top of the salmon and run the flame over it until the mayo turns a deeper orange and it lightly singes.
- Garnish with sliced roasted seaweed, avocado slices and cucumber. Enjoy!
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