Fukudon: Amazing Japanese fusion hawker stall with truffle Wagyu don & pork ragout udon

I will never tire of finding humble hawker and food court stalls that offer premium ingredients and dishes at wallet-friendly prices. Now, you no longer need to spend hefty amounts at expensive restaurants— just head down to a stall like Fukudon!

Fukudon is a stall selling fusion Japanese dishes. They opened their first stall in Marine Parade Market Central Food Market back in 2020, and in 2023, their 2nd outlet was unveiled in Koufu Cookhouse within Velocity @ Novena Square.

I was excited to check out their conveniently located second outlet in the central, and headed down for a taste of Fukudon’s dishes.

What I tried at Fukudon

I started off my meal with Fukudon’s Sukiyaki Beef Short Plate Don (S$9.50), which came with rice topped with sukiyaki beef, onions and an onsen egg. The don also included sides of miso soup, pickled cucumber and tofu.

The beef sukiyaki was tender and nicely marinated with a slightly sweet and savoury sauce coating the rice. The onsen egg had a smooth, runny centre that flowed all over the rice beautifully, and the pieces of cooked onion also added a bit of fragrance to the dish. I didn’t find the Sukiyaki Beef Short Plate Don to be extremely outstanding, but it was well worth the S$9.50 price.

The side dishes were a delight, with the cube of tofu being refreshing and silky. The pickled cucumbers were also a nice addition, being crunchy and sweet yet sour.

The bowl of miso soup was more on the average side, and tasted like any other miso soup. However, it was clear and refreshing, and I liked that it had pieces of real seaweed within.

The dish at Fukudon that caught my attention the most was definitely the Truffle Wagyu Don w/ Onsen Egg (S$20.50). The dish was topped generously with slices of Wagyu beef, an onsen egg and a liberal drizzling of sauce.

The Wagyu pieces were tender and juicy, with an aromatic, beefy taste and a slight char. I couldn’t get enough of the incredible meat, and I loved how generous the portion was too! However, I did find that the truffle aspect was lacking, as I could not taste any truffle at all.

The sauce gave the rice a sweet and salty umami flavour while the onsen egg, when mixed into the rice, provided it with a slightly creamy texture. S$20.50 may seem steep for a food court dish, but I think that it is completely worth the price, given its restaurant standard.

The Pork Ragout Udon (S$10.50) was another dish at Fukudon that wow-ed me. The udon noodles came with a starchy gravy, pork ragout and an onsen egg.

The pork ragout was yet another stand-out protein, as the meat was very tender with just the right ratio of fat to meat. Each piece of pork was juicy and delicious, especially when dipped into the gravy sauce.

The udon noodles themselves were soft and bouncy, soaking up the thick gravy well. The gravy had a savoury and light tomato flavour, and wasn’t too sweet or salty. It was just nice in complementing the noodles and the pork ragout.

A dish that I was surprised to see on Fukudon’s menu was the Quinoa Salad, which came with 3 protein options: Porkbelly (S$9), Edamame (S$8.50) or Chicken Breast w/ Honey Soy (S$8.50). I opted for the last option, which was served on a separate plate. The Quinoa Salad itself was colourful and consisted of quinoa, cherry tomatoes, corn and lettuce.

I loved the Chicken Breast w/ Honey Soy, as it was super soft with an amazing texture. The honey soy sauce made it slightly sweeter, yet was not too overwhelming.

I had mixed feelings on the Quinoa Salad, perhaps due to the fact that I don’t often eat quinoa. The quinoa had a slightly earthy taste and a soft, chewy texture, while the other vegetables were crisp and fresh. I found it to be a great healthy option, though personally, I think I’d prefer the regular don bowls.

The final dish I tried at Fukudon was the Truffle Potato Salad (S$3.90), which was topped with salty furikake.

I was impressed with the smooth and creamy texture of the Truffle Potato Salad, and the truffle taste was quite strong too. The dish had a strong taste of mayonnaise and the addition of furikake further added to the dimensions of the dish. I would most definitely return to have this again!

Final thoughts

I was impressed with Fukudon’s fusion dishes, especially the Truffle Wagyu Don and the Truffle Potato Salad. The dishes looked and tasted like they could be served in a restaurant, making it extra surprising that these are actually from a food court stall.

With such affordable prices and reasonable portions, I know that I will most certainly be back!

Expected damage: S$7.90 – S$20.50 per pax

Other articles you might like:

Izumi Japanese Restaurant: Affordable Japanese eatery serving mentaiko takoyaki & $9.90 lunch sets with 2 sides at Bedok

Chef Hainanese Western Food: Old-school Western Food — is it a hit or miss?