Is dashi necessary for gyudon (beef bowl)?

I'm in a very rural place and i have no way of finding any mirin or dashi...:( (I bet some of you are like "NO WAY! How can you SURVIVE!" lol

But I am MAKING it...In other news...yeah, I want something good. So I thought, HEY! Beef bowl..And no I'm here gyudon-less...



My recipe calls for:



2/3 thin-sliced beef

1/2 onion

1/2 teriyaki sauce

1 tablesppon sugar

~~~3/4 cup dashi~~~**



And I don't think I can make it without the dashi...

I mean is there any other way to make dashi with out the mirin and ginger and all that shizz...I DO have Soy sauce though..Is dashi necessary for gyudon (beef bowl)?
If you don't have the ingredients for dashi at hand don't panic! You can substitute a very light chicken or vegetable stock. The dish may not be totally authentic, but it will still taste good. But to get the true flavor you really need to use dashi. Be careful with that though if you are allergic to monosodium glutamate. Here's a web site I use:

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/2001/japantable/dashi.html#ixzz13yX5Jcd9

Good luck! Please leave positive feedback if you found this helpful.
You can make gyudon without dashi. BUT, you really need mirin or the taste will not be right. If mirin is not available, you can use sake.

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Is dashi necessary for gyudon (beef bowl)?
Normally - I would think of something else to sub but dashi lends a unique flavor. It's made from dried Bonito flakes.

Mirin and dashi are not the same thing. Mirin is seasoned rice vinegar.

A semi close sub might be chicken or beef bullion. If you have access to shrimp bullion.
For your information, mirin is available on line:http://www.amazon.com/Kikkoman-Aji-Mirin鈥?/a>
I think dashi is a stock made with kelp, mushrooms and anchovies. If you can't make it at home, maybe you could try a different stock using chicken or beef. If all fails, maybe just use water.
Looks like you can buy the Dashi online.



Here's a link:

http://importfood.com/sphd2291.html