Dondon
Dondon Japanese restaurant makes up for its small size by serving generous portions of food at cheap prices. Offering all manner of Japanese favourites such as sushi, noodles, tempura and teriyaki in big bowls, it is a great pit stop before embarking up Oxford street on a shopping spree.
Contact details
Dining Options
- Eat-in
Price Guide
- Mains under $20
Cuisine
- Japanese
Licensing
- BYO
Konichiwa my hungry little rabbits!
Like everyone else who isn't Japanese, I'm obsessed with Japanese culture. I love it. the art, the weird, the music, the traditional, and OH MY GOD THE FOOD!
Don Don has the magical culinary delight of Japan down to an intimate science.
Every bite was ...read more
Don Don appears to a permanent local fixture to the famous Oxford St strip, gathering neighbours and visitors alike to fall in love with Japanese cuisine they offer in a small, intimate place without the need for fancy decor to act as an aphrodisiac. The service from the Japanese staffs felt local and courteous, which gives a nice unusual feeling of being woven into the district by a cuisine range rarely seen in the area.
During my first visit to this place (which was last week), we ordered a good size bento box and a beef teriyaki rice dish from the slightly extensive menu offering other things such as udons and Japanese curry. The chicken teriyaki box (Box A) that we ordered was largely portioned and the quality was acceptable. The taste was pretty authentic and I would not change a thing. All of this comes at a price that is quite reasonable.
There aren't a lot of great affordable dining options near the Oxford Art Factory, so Dondon usually wins for sheer location if nothing else. My experiences here have ranged from underwhelming to fantastic, seems to depend on what you order. Chicken teriyaki bowl is delicious, comes with miso soup, lots of rice and pickled ginger, so you're getting bang for your buck. The entrees tend to be lacking in flavour and texture, having orders the gyoza which appeared to be deep-fried instead of steamed and a disappointing seaweed salad.
If you're after a cheap meal pre-gig, then this is the place. Order a main and you'll definitely be satisfied. Let it be known that the space is tiny and big groups will face a long wait to get a table.
