Can’t believe I found an izakaya which exactly looked and tasted the same with those in Japan!!
The unagi (River eel over rice) was authentic and not fishy at all. Tasty.
The shochu cocktail was refreshing and I loved it!
Best Japanese izakaya I’ve ever been in Auckland!
This place has quickly become a favourite for a quick lunch and catchups. Their Donburis always hit the right spots and the affordable pricing has me always coming back for more. The low lighting and hidden location adds a lot to the attraction. Great for any occasion!
Quick and friendly service. Amazingly fresh fish and sushi. Good quality food. Beautiful agudashi tofu. Will return again! Amazing value for money!
Food is great and staff are friendly.
We totally enjoyed our experience at the Don,service was quick and polite and the food was delicious and very cheap, definitely go back again
If you work in town, you've been to the Don. It's an institution. Been here countless times and I keep going back. Shout out to the torikawa (deep fried chicken skin). Imagine the best part of kfc, but a bowl of it!
A nice, little place tucked away in High Street. The food was good but the service was a little slow considering it wasn't too busy.
Pictured: Kimchi Hotpot
Quick customer service and really good food. I love pretty much everything on the menu that had cheese on it 🧀😂 I had the Chicken Katsu with cheese on it.
Spicy crispy chicken don and the chicken curry. Favourite lunch spot that serves delicious food at a reasonable price.
Friendly staff members and would regularly visit!
Excellent customer service and lovely food. We always come here for Don when we crave Japanese food. We ordered Takoyaki, Sauce Katsu Don, Chicken Karaage.
Really love their chicken karaage which was so crispy outside and the chicken was so tinder inside. Yum yum!!
Great quality food and service. Tried a variety of dishes to share and highly recommend the grilled squid and salmon aburi sushi. Good bang for your buck and plenty of selection. Owner is very friendly and welcoming. Very comfortable atmosphere.
Had the chicken namban don for lunch, the chicken was perfectly cooked and the vegetables were fresh. Flavour was just right, not salty at all.
Atmosphere is nice all decorated with an authentic Japanese style. Service is really friendly. Can get very loud as it gets very busy. Ordered the Karaage chicken - really nice only thing I would recommend is getting extra sauce or mayo as the rice gets a bit bland on its own
An excellent Japanese restaurant in Auckland CBD. It’s not the cheapest place but in terms of price to taste ratio, it really hits the sweet spot. I recommend the donburi or the bento sets; but in general none of their mains will disappoint.
Loved our order! offers a great food and drink selection. Friendly staff. Love the layout and decor, definitely value for money!! Will definitely return!
This is one of my favourite spots to come to for Japanese food. Being a vegetarian, it's usually hard to get a decent meal at Asian outlets but this one caters to all dietary restrictions! I love the options they have for vegetarians, it may not be a whole lot but what they have are so yummy!! This place is easy on the pocket too!! Their grilled renkon has to be the star dish, in my opinion. Will definitely keep going back for more.
Best Japanese place I have been too.. they have best salmon dishes and amazing miso soup ( best in town ).. best customer service.. will go back for sure 😀
A cute little restaurant where you get decent Japanese food.
We tried the Spicy Chicken Don, the Teriyaki Tofu, a cheesy egg plant, garlic edemame’s and a couple other starters. Nothing extra ordinary about the food, but gives you the typical taste of other similar Japanese restaurants.
Decently priced too. You get a feel of Japan with the way this place has been setup overall.
Will comeback here? - Yes!
This place is great if you're a student on a tight budget. Their portions are pretty big and really filling. My friend and I both ordered the Misodare Don and it was really delicious. I wish there was more sauce since some of my rice and salad didn't get enough on it but that's a very minor critique. Ambience is very cozy, quite hot in summer and friendly staff. Would definitely come back to try some other things on the menu :) Food - 4/5
Ambience - 4/5
Service - 4/5
The food was quite good, the prawn katsu was crispy and saucy. Plus their menu offers a large variety of dishes from udon to ramen, don sashimi okonomiyaki and curry.
This restaurant is packed during work day lunch time as it’s very popular and I can see why. The service is fast and clean whole the food is well prepared and tasty. I ordered the beef curry while my workmate had the salmon sashimi don. She loved the sashimi and there was plentiful but the only downside was there is too much rice. Although I enjoyed the beef curry udon I found it weird to have rice with it as well. Both meals were very filling and affordable.
A really good place for chilling out with friends, really good vibe and delicious food. Its a bit hard to find but worth it and staff is really nice aswell
Great bar/restaurant to bring friends for a drink and snack on a variety of Japanese food for a reasonable cost. When I go here I order the Crumbed Cambert Cheese, Goma Wakame and a handle of Orion beer without fail. The Crispy Spicy Chicken Don and the Aburi Salmon Don is nice for a proper meal. Love the theming around the restaurant and the cushioned seating further inside is a win if you manage to nab it
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+4
Friday lunch take away at office, ordered sashimi salad but they dont have that at the moment so change it to sashimi on rice which is quite nice and yummy but still havent got enough sashimi, maybe next time will order sashimi only instead..
This place was mainly picked for my friends birthday because it’s a BYO in the middle of town. I kind of expected the food, service, and atmosphere to be average at best but was pleasantly surprised. I got some kind of cheese udon dish and it was honestly absolutely delicious. Literally just this massive bowl of noodles with a hefty amount of cheese mixed in. Service was good, atmosphere was alright. Nothing fancy. Bonus points for dealing with our drunk group so politely.
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I want to start off by saying that if you haven't gone to the Don, please do yourself a favour and go! It's well worth it for the price, ambience, service and not to mention... Food!
The Don is tucked away from high street which makes it harder to find but once you do, your greeted with a lovely, cosy, Japanese interior. Mind you, I haven't been to Japan but the setting sure makes you feel like you have walked into a traditional Japanese eatery.
We've been here several times and have worked our way around the menu from all their hot pots to their kaarage and miso dare don. There's so much to choose from so you're never out of options. I've tried their simpler dishes like the salmon ochazuke and appetizers like pachiko chicken (a weaker qyality appetiser) , dashimaki tamago and renkon chips. You're spoiled for choice here.
The quality is fresh and always presented well. You'll be waiting a longer time when they're busy but others the service is relatively quick. If you love Japanese, want something affordable and are feeling adventurous, the Don' s where it's at.
Highly recommend if u crave for some Japanese food in town. Love the Japanese ambience created at the restaurant. Food is nice, especially the grilled squid & the beef don. Staff are friendly as well. Service is quick.
Came to this place for lunch on a gloomy Saturday afternoon. We order the teriyaki chicken don and teriyaki udon. The dishes came with complimentary green tea
The Teriyaki Chicken Don came with miso soup that was very flavourful. The teriyaki chicken was delicious.
Same goes to the teriyaki chicken udon. The soup was very simple and the udon itself was very nice. It also came with a bowl of rice and some Japanese chili powder dust..? (Which compliments the dish and gives it a 💥)
Very nice and cosy restaurant, staff was friendly and the food came out fairly quickly. Only thing that was a downfall for me was that the portion sizes were quite small. I finished my udon noodles in about 5 mouthfuls.. and lucky I had the rice (which was small in portion too).
Overall experience 9/10.
Come earlier than lunch time it is good, many seats, and can chat freely at least we can hear each other. The hot plate is better than the recommemdation don. Next time i should order this.
Very nice restaurant tucked underground off High St. Surprisingly good food and attentive staff made whole dining experience surpurb. A+++ food staff and food
A small Japanese restaurant hidden in a shopping arcade and can be missed if you are not looking out.
The food is super tasty and the service is good and efficient. So far this has been the best rice bowl experience till date.
I went with their recommendation and ordered the Chicken Teriyaki bowl which comes with the Miso soup. The soup was mild and an excellent appetiser. The main dish had an excellent presentation, right level of spice and the chicken was cooked to perfection with the juiciness intact.
Thoroughly enjoyed dining at The Don !!
Returned to The Don after a long absence and we were delighted to see new menu! Tried the Cheese Chic katsu don and Namban Salmon Don 10/10 and the chic karaage 11/10!!! Happy bellies and will return! :)
Depending on what you order, the meat portions in this place can be very small. But if you stick to chicken you will surely enjoy your meal. The staff are quite attentive and there is a good number of seats inside.
Authentic Japanese Donburi restaurant. Tried the Crispy Spicy Chicken Katsu Don, Regular Pork Katsu Don, Cheese Katsu Don, Terriyaki Steak Don and Pork Cheese Yaki Udon. Liked all of them :)
I go here every chance I get. Birthday, catch up, social e event, quick dinner, drinks, date night ... it is one of my favourite treats, if I get to go out I always wanna go here. Not too pricey, nice serving sizes, never had a bad dish but I also find it hard not to order a katsudon! Love it.
Me and my boyfriend love it here. It's always our go to place when we are in town. I normally get the Karaage Don and he'll get the sushi platter. We've never had a bad meal here at all :)
The atmosphere is good. Very polite staff. Feels like im in japan. The renkon chips are so good. Yaki soba is also satisfying. The food comes with a coplimentary tea which is nice... Would definitely come back again.
Great place for a solid don. Prices are reasonable, service is friendly (we did have to get the waitresses attention ourselves but that’s pretty standard in many Asian restaurants). I ordered the crispy chicken don which was well flavoured and the chicken itself was great although the entire don was a bit dry and bland given the large amount of plain rice. The teriyaki chicken don on the other hand had a generous amount of sauce. Would almost definitely come back to try other stuff.
I've been here twice and I'm craving more. I especially like the chicken sauce katsu donburi. The second time I came, we didn't have much time to eat before we had to be somewhere else, but the service was pretty efficient which was great. The food is also a good price for what you get.
Awesome Japanese restaurant, have been here 3 times now and will continue to return. prices are great service is fantastic I would highly recommend it.
Delicious! I hope to make it back one day. We ordered a few smaller items to share which worked out great. The food is awesome and staff were great too.
Came here for lunch today. Me and my friend both got donburi, I got the gyu don which is beef and egg on rice. There was also broth on the bottom mixed into the rice, so this would be a nice wholesome meal on a cold day. The egg was tasty too. My dish had a great meat to rice ratio, but the salmon don my friend got had a lot more rice than meat (mine was cheaper too).
Service was decent, considering it was a busy lunch time.
always loved the food here... friendly staff and amazingly tasty food...its my go to place with friends and family for drinks and food... keep up the good job
Really great vibe in here, the food is super affordable and delicious. Would 100% recommend. It is off the street and really feels like it's away from the busy street
Nice place if you’re craving wholesome Japanese food.
The food here tastes more clean and doesn’t make you feel too heavy afterwards compared to some other restaurants which is good if you don’t like that ‘food coma’ feeling.
Quality of food is good and prices are reasonable.
A new place to go to after my uni classes when I feel like treating myself 😊
The place was quite dark and stuffed. Lovely staff but service was a bit slow. Not many choices for ramen. Portion was fine but a bit tasteless.
The Don never disappoints. The food is always great and the staff are very polite. It's a great place to have lunch and catch up with friends. You can also get discounts if you've joined certain clubs in uni. My favourite so far would be the Pork sauce katsu don. Definitely recommend it!!!
Went for a late night dinner here with a couple of mates. Ordered the teriyaki udon. Very tasty, loved it. Place is tucked away underneath the street, staff are polite and ambience is great. Leather couches! Must visit.
The Don has an underground atmosphere with friendly staff. There is good variety in the menu and the food is well priced. Good choice for a casual catch up and easy lunch or dinner.
I've lost count of the number of times I've been here. The quality of food and service has been consistent over the last eight years. The Don is a great place to go if you're after fresh, tasty Japanese food at an affordable price. There are lots of options to choose from but I swear by the spicy salmon/tuna sashimi don and takoyaki. The takoyaki here is cheaper and yummier than the takoyaki at Mentatz and Renkon. The desserts are nothing to write home about, the creme brulee I tried barely qualified as one but the taste was nice. This is a good place for dates too, it's got a cute cosy atmosphere.
Go here quite regularly for lunch. Good value, friendly staff and tastes great.
They have daily specials and an extensive menu. I recommend visiting.
Came in with friends for lunch.
Tender crispy chicken. Salad was also really nice. Environment was comfortable. Staff was friendly. Would definitely come again.
One of my favourite places to grab a quick meal with friends whenever I'm starving at uni. Fast, affordable, delicious and satisfying. My favourites are the spicy chicken donburi or the chicken Katsu curry.
This is one of my favorite places to go eat for a decent price, great service and great atmosphere. I love their Chicken Nanban and Teriyaki Salmon. Everything here is tasty!
The Don is usually our go to after training or just to grab a quick bite. Their prices are reasonable and we are served enough to keep us happy. Service is very prompt and dishes come out very quickly. The place usually gets busy 5 to 7pm and they are always accommodating to large groups that walk in. The interior is very calming and I love
Sitting on the lack couches. There are two menus one for Donburi and various noodle dishes and the other of snackish type meals, personally I feel the Sushi isn’t the best and is over priced here but the Dons are best, I mean it is what the restaurant is named. I love coming here and will continue to eat here.
LOVE THE FOOD and ambience of this restaurant! Everyone who works there is so nice ! l've been here a quiet a few times and haven't been let down by any part!
The Don is pretty average but always a go to when wanting a quick bite to eat due to friendly service and food coming out quickly. Portions are on the smaller side compared to other Japanese places but the price is alright.
Me and my flatmate have been wanting to try this place out for months now but we got busy and never did. Finally we tried it and it was really good. I asked the wait staff to recommend me something between be sauce katsu and the curry but she didnt really help because she said both are good. In the end I got the curry while worried if I made the right choice. It came out quickly with my friend's oyakodon. She said hers tasted good but she had better ones that was cheaper but mine was really yummy. I ordered the cheesy one so when I took a bite, there were some burnt cheese which made it even more better. Definitely try the cheese curry, I recommend it.
We ordered the Karaage chicken don and the Oyaku don.
The rice portion for the Oyaku Don was a little off or maybe the whole dish was too small. The Karaage chicken was a tiny bit dry, it was yummy but not the best I’ve had. The rice was bland. The only sauce I got with the chicken was mayonnaise so once I dipped the chicken into it there was no sauce to flavour the rice. I think it will be a better idea to add another element to the dish since there is no other sauce.
The service is not as great as other Japanese restaurants. We had to ask twice for water. The food does come out fairly quickly though.
Overall not my favourite Japanese restaurant but it isn’t bad.
Edit: The food has gone much better. Regularly come here for their chicken Katsu curry! Perfect Japanese curry flavours and consistency. Good proportion of rice to curry too.
The food was quite tasty and well portioned for the price, the service was great with super polite servers. I also thought the japanese decor was really cool
i used to like this place, I always ordered their Don. but in our last visit, the rice is not fully cooked for the Don and the sushi. very hard and can eat the raw rice bit.
They have a really good selection of Japanese food and the service is the trademark japanese hospitality and efficiency I've come to expect. You can't really go wrong with a good katsu chicken! The atmosphere is also quite nice - great for a date or with friends.
I missed Japanese seafood don very much, so my partner and I came here to try don. We ordered beer, sake, rainbow sashimi don (salmon, tuna and king fish) and eel don. The sashimi is good but rice doesn't taste good. I don't think it is Japanese rice. And the eel shouldn't have a fishy smell.
My first time here and for myself i enjoyed the food. I had the Misodare Salmon and my husband had the crispy spicy chicken don. Would have given 5 stars but my husband's food came out so late (after i had finished eating mine). Not too happy about that, especially as we had seen another group of customers receive their food before us, eventhough we had come in before them. My husband also didnt like his meal i guess the lateness of his food just killed the moment. Otherwise its a nice atmosphere and i would come again and give it another chance.
A cute little Japanese style. The food tasted fresh and came out rather fast after ordering, it did take a while to order so make sure you go with nice company to chat while waiting ☺️ price is great as well
Atmosphere was great, the place was unique Japanese bar themed.
Food tasted good, I had the Japanese style steak Don, takoyaki and a salmon sushi.
Portion wise, it was smaller than I hoped.
Service was really good, they spilt water on me but were very apologetic/helpful and gave me a salmon sushi for free so worth!
Taste: 8/10
Portion: 6/10
Service: 10/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
My go-to when craving for solid donburi. I have been here countless times over the past 4 years and have never had a bad meal (note: I have only eaten their donburi).
First off, great value for the portion. I really appreciate that the rice is always cooked to perfection, so much so that many times when I dine here I will be raving about the rice over the topping. Also comes with delicious miso soup. I recommend going for anything with katsu. Among those I have tried are miso katsu, misodare salmon, karaage, sauce katsu, katsudon, oyakodon, and salmon sashimi don - all have been very satisfying. I like to choose a topping that has some sauce or broth to coat the rice, as they do give you quite a lot.
The Don boasts a cozy Izakaya Japanese pub style atmosphere. It does get really hectic at lunch time so I prefer to come for dinner when it's more relaxing. Love that they are open until late. The staff always greet and attend to us so cheerfully.
Have been here quite a few times as a uni student to have a good quick meal. Karaage chicken is really nice, tried most of their don and they're quite good. Eggplant dish is really good too. A little bit overpriced though - a tiny glass of plum wine is almost 10 dollars, and as of late they've been giving you more rice than topping in your don. Having to pay for more sauce sucks too because you almost definitely need more mayo or something to finish your don as eating the salad alone is quite dry. Also their curry don was a huge let down - it was just rice and katsu with a dribble of curry sauce on your plate. But overall, would recommend as a good place to have dinner for students.
We came here looking for chicken and vegetarian dishes. There were so many options that were vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian. The portions are generous for the price. We ordered a few drinks each as well and they tasted really good. Staff are friendly and the atmosphere is private and quiet.
Small store along high street that was a little hard to find at first, but is surprisingly cozy and welcoming
The prices were very affordable and the portions were large and filling ^^ making it an overall enjoyable experience for me and my partner
I ordered a teriyaki steak don that came with plenty of rice, a small salad and stir fried bean sprouts underneath, all this accompanied with a bowl of miso soup
Out of curiosity my partner ordered the jumbo onigiri and it was the cutest (and largest) one I have ever seen before 😂😂😂
We also ordered a cheese fondu to share between the two of us, filled with prawn tempura, fish tempura and chips. This dish was too much for us to finish, and due to it being quite rich I recommend that this should be shared between more than 3 people
My first time here was certainly made enjoyable, and I will definitely come more regularly
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+4.5
Small, cute and cosy Japanese restaurant, good environment and atmosphere. Reasonable pricedconsider the location. A wide range of dishes that you can choose from. You can decide how you want your dinner to be, whether if you want to try different small dishes, or having one main with rice or noodle. Special dish and dessert changes everyday/week. I went there a couple of times with friends, love it~ Will be back for more.
Came here with friends for lunch on a rainy day and got seated in a pretty cold room. Wasn't too uncomfortable but I ordered cold food - needless to say, was my fault ;; This Rainbow Sashimi Don was super pretty and tasty though. Price is okay, would consider returning~
They have so many variety of Dons. The cheese chicken Katsu with salad was a perfect combination. And I had a Japanese style steak don. The diced steak were tender and the dressing was sweet and tasty. It came with many vegetables such as bean sprout, brocolli, carrot and mushroom. Really amazing don :)
This is my absolute favourite Japanese restaurant that serves the best chicken katsu curry I have tried yet. At such a reasonable price it is a great portion size with a the perfect ratio of sauce to chicken to rice. It is served in a larger dish with the chicken sitting just on top of the sauce and rice, yet to be immersed in the sauce so it does not become immediately soggy. The chicken is extremely well cooked and the curry sauce is beautiful in consistency and flavour. You are not left with a large amount of dry rice which is so often the problem with this dish. The restaurant itself has a lively yet cosy interior and is a very enjoyable place to dine.
Been coming here on and off for years. Yummy food. You can order mains, or lots of smaller dishes too share (or pig out on your own obviously lol).
Friendly service, a nice atmosphere to catch up or just hang out with friends for a good meal together. Lots of room!
The food is very good. I eat there very often and my favorite is the Teriyaki steak, the steak is very tasty and chewy. But the cashier is horrible with bad customer service. Cause when I paid for my meal, I just remembered there is a student discount but she already charged me. She refused to offer the student discount. She could put it in a nice way instead of being rude. I will not eat there again although I like the steak.
Great food, value for money. They have lunch specials on weekdays and all options are great. Food is delicious and service is very good. It's a great option if you want to catch-up with work or uni friends.
A nice place for quick and easy food. Very nice staff and the food came out very quickly. Good price and quality for the amount you get. Will definitely come back :)
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About my 5th time going there. The interior layout is more spacious than before and goes well with the traditional Japanese design.
The service was good even though it was busy. We ordered the Teriyaki Steak Don medium rare and this time to my surprise, it looked like the picture on the menu. Ika Ring, and Teriyaki Chicken with grilled cheese don. The steak was sliced, had a good texture of medium rare, and well balanced flavour. The rice, vegetables, and sauce all mixed well along with the steak which nicely exemplifies a japanese don. The chicken and grilled cheese was a little too thick for me but the overall mixture of the flavours was good. The Ika Ring was a little disappointing in terms of taste because it tasted like fish instead of squid. However, it was served freshly fried. All in all, it was a good experience as it didn't leave me drinking a lot of water in the end and all dishes were presently nicely. The serving size was reasonable as well.
Good experience for students as they offer 10% student discount. Average $30 for two is expected.
Quality - 7/10
Taste - 7/10
Size - 7/10
Price - 8/10
I ordered 3 kinds sashimi don. Fish was fresh but the rice was a little bit hard. The price is reasonable.
I would like to had oyster and prawn tempura but it will serve for dinnerv only.
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Was about my 4th time here, and this time was probably the best dining experience I had here. The interior is very nice, really orientally Japanese-styled.
I ordered the Oyako Don (boiled chicken pieces with dashi broth and egg) and Green Tea Brûlée; my friend ordered the Teriyaki Steak Don.
The boiled chicken was so tender, the subtle cheese coming through from the daishi broth worked wonders as well with the egg. And the rice was so good! Some of the juices from the broth and chicken had seeped through the rice and it was so good I finished the entire bowl with not a single piece of rice in sight!
The green tea brûlée was so nice as well, though consistency was a bit eggy and too pudding-like, crème brûlée should melt in the mouth; nevertheless, it had delicate mellow green tea flavours, and the ice cream was subtle, with a nice tangy mango topping sauce.
Very good spot for lunch and dinner and doesn't break the bank. Lots of options to choose from as well, would recommend!
Price: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Ambience: 10/10
Service: 9/10
Love this place. Never let's me down when I need good fast Japanese food. Especially the udon and all the side dishes. They open till late so great for late night work or events.
The rice bowl dishes are very filling and packed with the right ratio of goods to rice.
This time we tried a main that's not so Japanese and still tasted great! -Cheese yaki udon.
Went to The Don for a dinner - I ordered this cheese udon and my friends ordered macaroni and cheese and steak.
I particularly liked how the menu was not just Japanese but a combination of western culture and Japanese.
The pricing was decent (my dish was around 12 bucks) and the portion was ok as well.
I also got a 10% discount for being a member of the Tansa Club at university of auckland.
The place gets quite busy around dinner time so I'd recommend booking in advance :)
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UPDATE:
Popped in for a quick lunch. The place was full of people, and there were only two table left. At such a busy time, there's normally no stuff leading you to table so basically people simply grab a sit by themselves. But the stuff will notice new customer and appear with the menu soon.
I had Seafood Yaki Udon today and generally speaking, it was really good!
I love their Yaki udon sauce which is not over-salted, but still full of flavour. And it has generous amount of vege in it. And I have to mention their udon noodle again-- the texture of their noodle is always surprising! So fresh and tender and beautifully chewy.
The only downside would be the mussles in the dish--they were for some reason very hard and need some effort to chew and swallow.
Previous review:
I have been this place for dinner with friends two times and it is my first time to have lunch at The Don.
I ordered Prawn Katsu Udon. And it comes with a small portion of rice. The soup was delicate and nice. But the batter of 3 prawns on top was too thick which made the taste of bread stronger than the prawn.
The texture of udon noodle was very good though.
Besides, they offer daily special menu which seem very nice deal. Would go back to try some.
Been here three times and they never disappoint! The food is ore dented so well and portion are little small for my liking. The prices also vary but are alright. Whenever I crave Japanese always go here since it's not that pack most of the time!
Just went for the second time this week and again was not disappointed! It is just sooo tasty. So far I've tried the sauced chicken Katsu don, the teriyaki beef don, and the cheese Katsu chicken (with salad). All reeeeally nice. Their menu is really big so lots to choose from - so I'm excited to try more! The staff are nice. I meant to take photos but both times I have been too distracted by the food haha.
This is my favourite Japanese restaurant ever. I've been coming here since my uni days which is well over 12 years. The staff are very friendly and the food comes incredibly quickly even when it's a full house.
The dish I come here for is the chicken tatsuta don - it's a deep fried chicken cutlet (it's not a Panko crumb more like a batter or maybe even just dusted with flour with black pepper and a light ginger flavour) and it comes on rice with a salad,Japanese mayo and miso soup. It's also the best miso soup I've had.
I've tried a lot of other things on their menu - seafood yaki udon, gyozas, deep fried icecream and their spicy chicken don - all so delicious but that chicken tatsuta don has a special place in my heart.
Just writing this review makes me salivate!
Emmelyn Fuentes Rosell
+4.5
Good food, nice staff, and a unique welcoming entrance. Me and my friend tried their chicken skin, cheese spring rolls, yakiniku don and spicy chicken don. All were really good and would really fill your stomachs. The place really takes you to Japan. It is decorated with Japanese decors, like their wallpaper and the 'drum' that the staff sounds whenever there are new customers.
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On top of having a semi-private room that’s great for groups, The Don will impress even the pickiest member of your clique with its range of traditional (and not-so-traditional) Japanese food.
We tried the lotus chips for the first time and really enjoyed this appetiser. They were thin (a bit like banana chips) but not super oily. Even when they had cooled down, the chips still tasted okay since they didn’t go soggy.
My friend’s teriyaki steak don had meat that was tender, juicy, and well seasoned. It also comes with lots of veges.
In the past I’ve had the Namban don, which I found a bit bland. So this time, I had a chicken katsu miso don. It was pretty good but I wish that it came with a bit more of that tasty sauce.
This restaurant can be quite busy at 1pm, and their service starts to suffer a bit (i.e. inattentive staff) but I’ve found it’s relatively quiet at 2pm.
The average donburi here is about $13 – so it’s a bit more expensive than Genzui and Mentatz. But overall, The Don's varied offering makes it one of my fave Japanese spots in the CBD.
I have been many times in The Don. They have very amazing food. I just love the atmosphere that reminds me Japan. Highly recommended to everyone
Hidden inside a gallery on High St, it takes a few careful steps to find this place. Plenty of good options in the menu, opted for the teriyaki udon with a side of kimchi and a ramune drink. Deliciously soupy, a good family-friendly environment and very attentive staff. Definitely added to my regulars.
A tiny food place for people living in city.
Reasonable price, great food and Japanese drinks. Big menu and can find many choices. Not suitable for big groups, but great for a quick lunch for 2-4.
Sometime may be fully occupied at lunchtime.
I Loooveee the Don! It's my staples while I'm in uni and I came here a week ago and was surprised when they hit the wooden drum in the entrance when we walked in. That's something new! We ordered the chicken katsu don and spicy&crispy chicken don! They're delicious as always! The staffs are great and friendly too. Their interior resembles the izakayas in japan which brings lots of memories for us which we love.
One of my favourite Japanese restaurants in town. The tatsuta chicken is a must try! I've never had anything like it before in other Japanese restaurants - a definite upgrade from my usual fav, which is the karaage chicken.
Their renkon chips is also one of the best I've had (it's thin and crispy, and have lots of flavour!)
Pattarintorn Emmy Jusakul
+4
I went there with my friend.I ordered spicy chicken don and she ordered Katsu don (pork) which both of them are absolutely delicious.We also ordered Salmon sashimi too and it's slightly above the standard which made me quite impressed.
Anyway,the restaurant is a little bit hard to find because you have to look for the sign and then walk via stairs down to it.
The atmosphere is nice and cozy.
I'm sure I will come here again.
Food is great, went there for something quick,. I tried the beef sashimi, Sapporo on tap, Takoyaki, and a Sushi platter. I really enjoyed I'll be back soon!
I have so many good things to say about this little Japanese restaurant. Great food, awesome quality and a range of traditional and non traditional dishes available. Chicken katsu curry is a definite favorite along with the cambert balls on another level. Keep up the great work guys.
Lovely Japanese restaurant which has a great selection of meals. Love the Don specials as with a meal you are given a bowl of miso. They have specials daily and it only costs you $10.00. You can also do takeaways so it's pretty convenient for lunch goers. Great and friendly service 👍
The Don is another eatery for Japanese food enthusiasts. I ordered my go-to dish: chicken katsu Don and to be fair it was pretty nice.
Overall given the quality and price, I have to say that my favorite would still be Genzui or Renkon who offers similar dishes and sets at a lower price range.
In general, the Don has a good selection of "dons" which are priced between $13-$15, although they do have 10% student discount if you present a valid student ID. They also give you a small bowl of miso soup, which probably explains the higher price. They have a good amount of fresh veges which is always nice! Their katsu chicken was also nicely cooked with a crispy skin and tender meat. It also has an interesting black pepper taste which was quite new to me!
I have noticed their wide range of side dishes and desserts(!) so that could be a reason for me to go back. :)
Sashimi was very fresh and cost-effective. I had seafood nabi, which is only $14 for many kinds of seafood and tofu. Also the wafu saikoro steak is nice, come with mashed potato. They have so many options on menu. Will try other plate and don next time.
I only learnt about this place about 3 months ago and have been here about 5 times, great atmosphere if you have a partner or a group, food is delicious and great portion sizes and value plus it's normally open late - everything you could possibly want.
Really great, cheap, European fusion food. We usually come here in a group, which has always been fantastic as it's BYO and there's plenty of dishes to share. Food usually comes out at the same time, god atmosphere and the staff are always friendly. Would recommend the camembert bites if you're not coming here specifically for Japanese
The Don is a casual Japanese cuisine restaurant on High street. They have many "don" (bowl dish with rice) dish on the menu. Beef, chicken, pork, vegetarian or seafood..
The good thing about this restaurant is the prices are very low. (Average under $15)
Easy on the purse so you can enjoy the great Japanese cuisine much as you want!
Facebook page:
https://m.facebook.com/The-Don-丼-Izakaya-252645094882610/
Vy2 - 20% OFF ZOMATO GOLD “IVYWIT”
+3.5
Haven't been to this place since i graduated from uni! Glad to see that the place hasn't changed a bit and still maintaining their high standard.👍🏻 I personally think that the donburi from here are tastier than Mentatz ans they offer greater variety.
I liked this Japanese restaurant quite a lot. I loved the atmosphere and interior decorating and the staff are very helpful. While the food wasn't bad I feel it was a bit too expensive. I'm used to getting cheaper meals at Mentaz so I was a bit surprised by the pricing. Other than that thumbs up
After a heavy meeting, I and a few colleagues were hungry for something rich and filling.
Having a stroll on High Street, we decided to dine at 'The Don' after finding out on Zomato that it has a 4.2 rating.
When we entered, we were greeted immediately and seated. Menus came out just as fast and we ordered a unagi on rice, cheesy pork katsu, a salad starter (I've had a long week of meat), and a teriyaki salmon on rice.
Our meals came out in under 10 minutes which was awesome and although our meals looked small, we were all definitely satiated afterwards.
Showstopper: Teriyaki salmon was yum and they didn't skimp on the salmon. Cheesy pork katsu was nice and fatty.
Overall Grade: B+
First time at The Don, we walked in and there was no staff, so we were a bit confused, but still happily waited. The place was packed, as it was lunch hour. I ordered the Curry Chicken Katsu, while my friends ordered the Cheese Chicken Katsu and Chicken Katsu Don. The food came out less than 10 minutes. The presentation of the food was marvellous, definitely enjoyed my curry katsu! We were all satisfied with our meal, that we have yet to come back here to try out the other dishes and desserts. They offer student discounts for their lunch menu as well! The staff was nice and friendly and I love the interior and environment of this restaurant. Absolutely happy to have dined here.
Come here regularly. It's great! Great service, excellent food at reasonable pricing
We go to the Don quite often because their food has an authentic Japanese taste, unlike the other ones around this area. Personally, I really like their curry and the Karaage Udon soup. Definitely one of my favourite Japanese eateries.
We came here for a BYO dinner before heading out to town. It was such a good experience!
$5 corkage combined with the cheap meals was great value. Highly recommend the chicken katsu curry.
Good atmosphere, low key environment so it wasn't super packed for a Friday night.
Service was okay... Woman at the till was a bit rude but have to take into consideration that we were here until closing, making sure we finished our bottles of wine 😄
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🌸 Chicken Cheese Yaki Udon ($14.5).
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Udon is my favorite type of noodle, this dish is what i always order when i come👻.
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Some restaurants overcook udon, making the texture really mushy🙁 They cooked it perfectly tho, there was still a chewy texture that udon is suppose to have🤗.
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The cheese makes the whole dish so creamy and smooth🧀. It wasn't too overpowering and it doesn't make you feel sick after eating too much👌🏻.
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This dish is a must try for cheese lovers, its so delicious!😋.
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🌟8/10
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🌸 Crispy Spicy Chicken Don($13.5NZD).
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The chicken was so crunchy!😻 I loved biting into it🐔.
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The chicken meat wasn't too dry as well, it was okay🙂.
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They added chili flakes on top of the chicken, adding an extra kick of spice🌶.
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The portion size was quite big, there was a lot of rice underneath the chicken🐔.
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Every meal you order here comes with a bowl of miso soup😊.
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The crunchy chicken was very enjoyable, it would be so much more yummy if they seasoned the chicken meat as well tho🤔.
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🌟7/10
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Came here with a bunch of colleagues and food was pretty good with quite a number of varieties. Quite authentic as they are run by Japanese, not Koreans. Decor was nice and the location was quite hidden. Prices are very affordable too. Would loved to dine here again.
Went there today just simply passing by and its was a really cheap eat, location was ok, clean and tidy but wasn't the best Japanese I've had!
Had the spicy raw selection of fish and the sauce over powered all the fish and the Chicken Don was average but for the price of $10.80 was ok.
As the name suggests, they primarily have donburis on their menus. Even as a large group we got our food quickly. I ordered the Karaage chicken don which was delicious. It had nice portions of veges, rice, and meat, whereas other places tend to give you a lot of cabbage or a looooot of rice but little meat.
The staff were great and the restaurant is dimly lit so it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere
Great must try authentic Japanese restaurant on High street. Wide range of donburi, udon, sides and more! I highly recommend this restaurant, must try with friends and family.
This is the best japanese restaurant in akl!! It's a hidden treasure in high street. Near bannsang there's a stair and go down and u'll find this lovely place on ur left, it's very hidden.
I went to this place due to my sister's major recommendation ( she lives in akl). So the first time i went there i ordered fried squid marinated in soy sauce ( along with rice) and it tastee sooo damn gooodddd. It was the bombbbbbbb!!!! I ended up going there 3 more times before going back to indonesia.. It was THAT good i tell you!!
U must try this place.
Btw dun forget to try the fried squid ( as an appetizer) i forget the name but it was only available at dinner time.
Got a small gathering with friends the other night. Great attentive waitress and the food was nice. Ordered Crispy Spicy Chicken and it came out as I expected. The chicken was cornflakes crumbed and it was cooked perfectly (moist in the inside and crispy on the outside), even when we have to wait for the rest of our order before we start to take our bite (the wait was understandable since we came on the group of 10 peoples). It came with a nice portion of salad and some miso soup on the side and a glass of nice cold beer for me.
Surely love to comeback for my donburi fix.
The Don is fantastic all round. For a small price you get brilliant Japanese food and lovely service. I've never had a bad thing off the menu - as far as I can tell, absolutely everything is completely delicious. The drinks are great too, and cheap! This is our go-to for a night in the city. I highly recommend the namban donburi in either chicken or salmon. And the dessert gyoza!
A wonderful Japanese restaurant hidden away on high street. The variety of Don is really good. There were a good number of vegetarian options too. As people have said the miso soup was excellent and the chicken was perfectly cooked. A good variety of drinks also was available. Service was quick and prices were nominal especially "the don of the day" for lunch. Would surely recommend it someone who would like to try Japanese food.
Came here for a quick lunch on a busy weekday afternoon. Service was friendly and fast. We went for their special which was a chicken don for just $10. This came with a small bowl of miso soup. The miso soup was delicious. The chicken was good too, but a little bit dry. Overall, the food was great, particularly for the price.
Also liked the old school rock they were playing (from Limp Bizkit to Guns n' Roses and everything in between).
Will definitely be coming here to take advantage of this brilliant deal. Can't think of many better ways to spend $10 on lunch!
Dinner at the don~ superb!! Really liked it. Had the cheese chicken katsu ($14) and friend had a chicken katsu. It came with miso and some salad in the rice. Also had a melon soda and ice cream, was so nice! Such a nice twist and so unique. The cheese was nice and saucy. The shop is quite big but deco is nice and authentic. Will definitely come back and recommend this place!!!' Loved it ;DMichelle Chua
Very happy with this place. Just under Bang Sang on high st. Standard meal prices for donburi type meals. $12-$13. We had the prawn curry with rice. And i had the kimchi donburi, very korean for a japanese place but it was pretty tasty. When we arrived they banged a drum which was a neat little addition. The curry was amazing. spicy but in a good way. We ordered extra fish tempura which was expensive for what we got but the crumb was extremely well done. Staff were friendly. Had no issues. Will definitely come back.
One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the CBD. Always referring people to try this place out. The staff are super friendly and the service is very efficient. The price of the Don Buri's is very competitive and the quality is great. The alcohol menu is very reasonable as well and the tap beer is very affordable. They also usually give you a cup of hot tea or cold water when you sit down.
Dropped in at lunch time and they always have weekly lunch special which cost about 10 bucks for one Don include salad inside as well as a muso soup in the side. I had the spicy tuna sashimi which was pretty amazed with the amount of tuna you get for just $14. U get to choose between salmon or tuna in addition to that you can see there's lunch special menu. Service was great and environment is good too.. 4/5 for environment service 4/5 Food is 4/5.
Good authentic Japanese food with great service! it's nice to come here once in a while, probably for a celebration, as their food are little on the pricey side but totally worth the money.
This is probably one of the most authentic yet cheap Japanese restaurants that I know. The restaurant was very nice, and the chairs were really comfy. We were served tea the moment we arrived. The food was really good at affordable prices! They also have a student discount which is a sweet plus! The wait time was really short so I definitely recommend this!
Chin And Prony Powichitkul
+4.5
Really hard to find a real Japanese restaurant with actual Japanese people running it!
The don offers quick Japanese fix with the taste of real Japanese ingredients. Extensive menu from rice sets to popular Japanese side dishes and sushi.
They are licensed and serve local liquor as well as Japanese liquor.
They also have menu of the day options which is perfect for students on a quick lunch break. Nice quiet ambiance and friendly staff.
Hygiene is very well up to standards. As for the price- cheap and very appropriate compared to the dish size.
Def recommend for anyone looking for a quick authentic Japanese meal in the city!
Reviewed this place back in August 2015. Till today I'm still here eating my favourite chicken tatsuta don. Definitely tried more dish and snacks from the restaurant.
My favourite drinks would still be the melon float.
Whereas my favourite snack would be the renkon chips, mentai chips and agedashi tofu.
Staff here are really friendly and i highly recommend you to try this restaurant. The Don will always be in my top list. Atmosphere here is really calm and you get really nice soulful music.
Love to go to this restaurant whenever I feel like Japanese. The waiters/waitresses are all very friendly though some cant really speak english well but they do understand. Love their donburi especially the Miso Katsu Don and Salmon Sashimi Don. They are very accommodating to what you want on your dish and how u want your dish. The best thing about this restaurant is the fact that they are very authentic: japanese restaurant with japanese workers in a japanese setting.
I went to this place Saturday afternoon. It was very quite, reserved but very relaxing as well. They are really a Japanese restaurant and the people who manage and serve customers are also Japanese. We ordered a teriyaki chicken don, a takoyaki and an okonomiyaki. Food was really good and it was delivered in less than 10 minutes. We loved this place and we will certainly get back more often.
Always good food and friendly service. The $10 lunch dons are well worth the price and are always hot and fresh. I can only assume the same for the dinner meals. Staff speak good English so no need to be worried about a lack of communication. This little restaurant is always packed which is never a bad sign!
I frequently dine in The Don due to its affordable prices and the tastes of the food. I particularly enjoyed their Niku udon because the soup has such a unique, flavourful taste. However recent visit, that flavour wasn't present in the soup which I was disappointing . But that was the only time out of all my visits (approx 10). Overall I would recommend this restaurant. Lastly, the staff and customer services are always quick and friendly.
The Don has been one of my favourite Japanese cheap eats for a long time now, and it probably will be for a while! It just doesn't disappoint! Central cbd location, great for uni students and lunch breaks etc!!
I've tried quite a few of the dishes now, and I can say that their karaage chicken don and the tatsuta don is probably my two favourites. The tatsuta is quite different, its a soy sauce and cracked pepper battered and then deep fried. Dipped in the Japanese Mayo in the don, is perfection.
Service is average. The only downside of this great place.
Hella authentic which plays a massive role in the taste of all their dishes- considering it's a mission to find delicious authentic Japanese food nowadays since they're run by non-Japanese. Sashimi and meat flavours are on point AF.
One of my favourite Japanese places in Auckland. My favourite are their donburi and yakisoba like dishes such as oyako Don, cheese yakisoba and miso katsu Don. I usually come with my boyfriend. Their Orion draft beer is very light and refreshing cheap for Japanese beer.
I find The Don great for big groups, as there is plenty of space in the "back room". The food is decent and there is a good variety to choose from. The don meals are pretty standard, I usually go back to order the Miso Katsu Chicken Udon. Would also recommend trying the Yukke.
Since I am a uni student, I tend to be more leniant to cheaper eats, and this place is one I never hesitate to go to - for both lunch and dinner. Nice proportions and nice pricing, but nothing fancy. Though they have a never-disappointing display and taste of food. Their cheese yaki udon is one of my favourites. Service is good but not great - could be a bit more faster, but very polite and friendly. But please, they should get better air conditioning for summer....
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The Don is located down a staircase and man... What is at the end of the tunnel gave me a pleasant surprise!
Because the sitting area at the back of the don would make a great yakuza (Japanese mafia) den! Black couches for each table, booths.. All it needs is smoke and Japanese men gambling in suits with greasy hair, not students eating. Like me haha.
I got the karaage udon, but there were things on the menu that really caught my eye, like mentaiko udon, which is is spicy cod roe apparently sautéed in butter. They offer a lot of dishes I haven't seen in other Japanese restaurant menus.
They also have a $10 lunch special which changes according to the day.
My karaage udon was nice but I though karaage was fried chicken, but I don't think mine was entirely chicken- it was like some sort of maybe chicken mixed with flour mixed with vegetables in some parts? I don't know.
My friends got the salmon don, chicken sauce son and takoyaki.
The salmon don gave an oily feel, but that is expected of salmon and it was tasty.
It was very nice but I still managed to eat Korean Pancake straight afterwards, so maybe the portions were not big enough.
I really liked the seating area though. It was very cool. I would go back to try the mentaiko udon and to sit in a black leather couch again.
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If you are looking for a nice and central Japanese restaurant that serves cheap and tasty food, then I recommend coming to The Don.
I have been here twice now for lunch and both times have been great. The first time I ordered the Takoyaki ($6.50), which were piping hot and had a nice flavour and the Teriyaki Don with chicken ($14) served on rice and comes with miso soup. It was delicious and I think it is a good price for the amount of food you receive.
The second time I ordered the Yakiniku Bento Box, which is beef marinated in soy sauce and red wine ($18) and served with 2 pieces of sushi, 3 pieces of sashimi, fresh garden salad, edamame, rice and miso soup. The bento box was delicious and it kept me full until dinnertime! I also ordered a 400ml jug of Orion beer (only $5!), which was a nice refreshing drink to accompany the tasty food.
The service was okay. The staff are friendly and you do not have to wait long for your food, but in terms of asking for more green tea/water or another drink, it is hard to get their attention!
Will definitely go back because I really enjoyed the food and its central location!
I had a pleasant experience at this Japanese restaurant. The food was enjoyable, and the ambiance provided an authentic Japanese vibe, which I appreciated. The restaurant appeared to be more spacious than it seemed from the outside, which was a pleasant surprise. The staff members were friendly and accommodating.
I opted for the grilled squids, which were deliciously smoky and well-cooked. However, I noticed a slight sweetness in the dish, and I couldn't determine its source. Nonetheless, the accompanying side sauce complemented the flavors well and balanced out the sweetness. The only minor setback was that the salad portion seemed a bit small, leaving me wanting more.
Overall, it was a satisfying visit, and I would recommend this Japanese restaurant to others seeking a delightful dining experience with authentic vibes and friendly service.
I enjoyed this restaurant's aesthetic, it was very pleasing to the eye and matched the cultural setting for the food they served. The restaurant is a bit out of the way so it doesn't get too busy. As a vegetarian there isn't that strong of a menu but I enjoyed the deep fried gyoza and the renkon chips. The dessert I had at the end was the parfait and while it was presented nicely, the flavour did not hit as hard as the main course did. The mix of corn flakes, fruit pieces and ice cream made for a very unbalanced dessert.
Fresh well-prepared food, quality sashimi and sushi. Nice ambience, good service.
Not so nice are the disposable chopsticks, good thing the food and experience surpass that. Definitely coming back here!
The atmosphere was lively and pretty busy. All of the meal was excellent, served quickly, and authentic. I would come back again.
Food was amazing with a decent variety of choices.
Space is a little crowded and intimate but but once you're in and settled it's very comfortable.
Staff is very polite.
Something that could've been done better is not using disposable chopsticks though.
The don was a really nice place for a lunch in city after a bit of shopping. We got the beef yakke, cheese pork don,
and the salmon avo roll. All three dishes were really yum especially the beef yakke which had a really nice sauce. The pork cutlets were a bit dry but overall the dishes had nice flavours that went well together. The servers are really nice and the atmosphere of the restaurant is really cool and vibey.
Feels like being in Japan. The atmosphere and vibes are great! Not even mentioning the food! 100% would come back again. Only downside is that it can get busy real fast so maybe hard to find a spot.
I went on a Saturday night with my family it was hidden inside a building but shouldn’t miss out. The food were so delicious and not expensive at all. So cool Japanese resto, I highly recommend to friends or family groups.
Huge selection of dons which are mostly delicious.
The food portion here is smaller than other places but it’s also cheaper than other places.
Great food and a reasonably fast service for lunch. They didn't allow like-for-like vegetarian substitutions for the raw fish in the bento (even though it says to ask about it on the menu), just more salad. The menu itself is pretty hard to read and it took me a while to find what I wanted to eat the first time I went there. We like the chicken katsu, chicken yaki soba and also usually get a side salad.
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