Start by preparing your rice. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water. Wash the rice gently, then pour away the water. Repeat this step 5 times, then soak the rice in 3 litres of water for 1 hour.

Drain the rice in a colander and leave to dry for about 30 minutes.

Place the rice in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add 750ml of cold water, then bring to the boil over a medium heat with the lid on. When the water comes to the boil, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and cook for 10 minutes.

Once the 10 minutes is finished, turn the heat off and leave it to steam with the lid still on for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 1l of water to a rolling boil, then turn the heat off. Add 200ml of cold water and lower the eggs gently into the water. Place a lid on the pan and leave the eggs in the water for 12-13 minutes. Once the time is up, carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and leave until completely chilled.

For the gyudon, combine the sliced onion, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, sake, water and sugar in a pot and bring to boil. Add the beef and stir with a chopstick from time to time to separate the slices and make sure they don’t stick together. Turn the heat down low and cover, then cook for 15-20 minutes.

Give the rice a quick fluffing up by lifting the grains from the bottom to the top a few times, then divide between the bowls. Top with the cooked beef brisket and sauce and finish with a sprinkle of spring onion and some pickled ginger. Serve the onsen tamago on the side.