This is a prime example of a great local business that is not pretentious and focused on their customers' experience. We each ordered a bowl of udon (one with broth and one with Japanese curry) and the food is simply phenomenal. None of that premade stuff from US foods or Sysco, just great ingredients made with care and love. There's also outside tables if you enjoy outside dining which adds to the chill vibe. Worth a stop if you're looking for a simple meal that won't break the bank in downtown Long Beach. Bon appetite! read more

Donburi Cafè - Katsu curry udon - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

Ordered the sauce katsudon, and it was alright. The meat didn't seem to stick to the batter properly, so the breading tended to separate from the meat while eating. read more

Food is delicious, and the service is excellent. It is a small, family-owned business known for its tasty food and kind service.

Glad I decided to try! High quality premium food and its like I'm eating at home! Family vibe and go-to Korean & Japanese fusion restaurant. Distinctive flavor that can't be found anywhere but here! Amy the owner is friendly and caring which is rare in this era. Definitely a gem and solid 5 star restaurant. They give you stamp card so if you eat here 10 times you get free meal on 10th visit. There is wall full of stamp cards from regulars who eat here on regular basis. This is very special restaurant. 1st day I got Spicy chicken don with rice. It was really good I couldn't have asked for better. 2nd time I ordered Fusion ramen with grilled chicken and rice on side. AMAZING...! I can eat the Fusion ramen everyday foreals! 3rd time, I got Curry udon with grilled chicken and side of rice. Wow I was full after eating and felt amazing b/c its high quality premium food made with love and care! Food here is not just meal there is art to preparing and cooking each meals. Amy is amazing person God bless her. My #1 favorite restaurant forsure! They cook ramen broth in house and wow I can taste the umami flavor. I truly enjoyed the food and the hospitality offered by Amy the owner. If you're in the area stop by here! read more

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What's an anime con without anime food? Jk jk, but we did stop by here during Anime Los Angeles at the Long Beach Convention center and we're glad we did! It was only day 1 of the con but the eatery was already pretty packed with limited seating inside and outside. I'm pretty sure it got even busier as the weekend went on. There's really neat decor inside and a stamp card wall for all the regulars which I think is very neat. We got the: 1) Curry Katsu Don: -Delicious curry with pork cutlet katsu, you can never go wrong with that. -Very comfortable, home style dish for sure. -Curry was flavorful and had a good amount of carrots and potatoes in it. Not too watery and reminds me of those Vermont curry roux (not a bad thing!) 2) Katsu Don: -Unlike the sauce katsu don, this comes with egg on it. More like an oyako-don except instead of chicken cutlet, it's a pork cutlet. 3) Sauce Katsu Don: -Just a regular katsu don with a small dish of tonkatsu (bulldog sauce) on the side. -Wish they gave more sauce, but For each of these dishes the rice was cooked to perfection. Nice big, warm fluffy grains and the katsu was crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. Very flavorful and each order came with free miso soup. I think my only issue was that it too an extremely long time in between all of our party getting their food. Like 3 people got their food extremely quickly and then it took over 15 minutes for the other 3 to get their food too. Since everyone was starving, by the time the other food was there, the others had finished and we were just left to awkwardly sit there. Also someone didn't get their miso soup until they were almost finished with their food and only when everyone told him he was missing his soup. When he went back into the restaurant to get it, it was just out on the counter and cold for quite awhile. Apparently they didn't have enough time to make it and place it all at once with his order. Either way, still a solid place to get donburi in DT LB. read more

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Of you have a yen for good curry then this is the spot. It's Japanese with a bit of Korean mixed in. Very satisfying curry udon. Highly recommend. read more

Enjoyed dinner at Donburi Cafe in Long Beach for the first time yesterday! It's a great place to order donburis (rice bowls) and noodle dishes like udon. The service was friendly and quick. I love ramen so I decided to try their fusion ramen - $11.50, which is made with their homemade broth. I chose the medium spice level and added 2 shrimp tempura on the side - $4.50. I loved the flavor and spice! Would love to go back and try their donburis which also looked really good. The food was delicious and very filling. Loved the seating areas both inside and outside. We sat outside and lucked out with the perfect weather! Also, was very impressed with the prices. Super reasonable! Would definitely recommend trying Donburi Cafe if you're in the area. read more

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Nice little Japanese restaurant in the heart of downtown Long Beach! Atmosphere: 10/10 This is in an amazing location and I truly hope downtown LB can find a way to recover and flourish again like it used to so this quaint little restaurant will thrive and stick around. The decor is simple and beautiful. The place is very clean and well maintained. Service: 10/10 The woman who greeted us and took care of us was very sweet, patient and just all around gave perfect customer service. We were the only two there so there was no wait. The woman took our order, cooked our food and brought it out. A young man came in to work and he was also very polite and courteous. Food: 8/10 I ordered the tofu veggie don and my daughter ordered the katsu curry don. We both enjoyed our meal and my daughter wouldn't stop talking about how amazing the curry was. I prefer Indian curry over Japanese so I'm a bit biased, my daughter is the opposite so her opinion is more valid than mine. So the curry was 10/10 for her. Miso soup was ok (7/10) and the tofu vege don was pretty good (8/10) but tasted better after I added the sauce it came with. That sauce was perfect (10/10)!! They could successfully bottle and sell it on the market. read more

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So I know I wrote a review a loooong time ago but I can't find it to update it. Just so you know, I've been coming here since 2015. It's nice to find an Asian food spot in DTLB. Since then, there have been a couple more spots that opened up but this is a place I'll always miss when I haven't come in a while. The owners are so kind and sweet and the service is always great, especially when they're around. I've noticed a few new employees over the years but they come and go. The best is when the owners are here. So always look for the sweet lady with glasses. She's like my mom away from my mom. The patio is great for outdoor weather and cool breezes or for when you bring your fur baby. So glad they have beer and sake! Mmm! Now on to the food: I've tried a lot of different dishes! The shrimp tempura is good! The gyoza (dumplings) are good! The karaage (fried chicken) are good! The ramen is good! The curry is goood! The udon is yummy! The KATSU!!! Mmmmm!!! Try everything! I love food, so... if you're like me, you won't get disappointed! read more

I always order the katsu curry and it never disappoints. The pork is juicy and the breading on the outside is perfectly crisp. Add in some ginger and it's a perfect bite. You also get miso soup with your meal. The owner is also really nice. The place is kinda hidden in the back part of a strip mall but it's definitely worth a visit! read more

I came to Donburi Cafe around noon on Tuesday for lunch and it wasn't too busy. I ordered my food and it came out in about 5 minutes. Service is friendly and quick. The restaurant is small, but there are tables both inside and outside to sit at. I ordered the sauce tonkatsu and it was about $14. Everything came out fresh and hot! The set came with tonkatsu, rice, sauce on the side, a small side salad, and miso soup. The tonkatsu was a good size and it was perfectly fried and crispy. The sauce was tangy and cut through the fried food. There was a large amount of rice and the side salad added the perfect refreshing touch. The dressing tasted like Tom-Yum sauce, which I love so no problem with that. The miso soup was super hot and warming. It got a lot busier in the fifteen minutes I took to eat. Lot's of people came in to order to-go or have a meal in the restaurant. I love seeing people support small businesses like this. The woman working in the back asked me how my meal was and seemed to really care about the quality they were putting out. Great food and great people! read more

Amazing food! My daughter grubbed down in the chicken Udon noodles, I got the spicy udon and my wife got the shrimp tempura! We don't come to LB often but when we do we are coming here from now on! Thanks for some amazing food and Asahi beer! Service is good and the ambiance was cool too! Shrimp TempuraSpicy Chicken DonChicken Teriyaki Don read more

Donburi Cafè - Spicy Udon, Grilled chicken and a lil munchkin - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Donburi is a super easy lunch spot. Very casual. The best part is the chef and I assume owner. She comes out with a huge smile and you can tell she loves what she does. That makes it 5 stars for me. The food is solid and just simple. I'll be back to see you again soon! read more

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OM NOM NOM. service, great. food, yummy. surrounding area, cute. i love the food, v cheap. been coming here for very long. read more

Donburi Cafè - Katsu Curry Don - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

cute small mom and pop cafe in the heart of downtown long beach. got their udon with a side of shrimp tempura, chicken karaage, and beef don. udon (12.99)- rich broth and well cooked udon noodles. although, the shrimp tempura were kind of room temperature/almost cold (2 pieces-$4.50) but it was still very delicious meal! chicken karaage ($8.99)- comes with 4 pieces, chicken was tender on the inside and good size. although i wish it was more crispy! beef don ($12.99) - really good and i think they're known for this! a small bowl full of flavors and a bunch of veggies for your palette cleanse. it comes with a side of miso soup and was really delicious! miso soup imo was kind of salty for my taste though. recommend if you're in the area and wants to support mom and pop shops! read more

Donburi Cafè - Udon - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

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This is a small and charming cafe in the middle of downtown Long Beach. It is a bit hidden but not "hiding" if that makes any sense. Just look for Johnny Rockets and it's behind that inside the courtyard. I had a late lunch here one Monday after walking around the city running errands. The restaurant is very neat and clean. The service was great, I believe she was the owner who helped me out. I ordered a small beer and a katsudon (pork bowl with rice). I paid around $20 for this and I felt full and satisfied. The pork was thick and juicy, the sauce was tasty, and the rice and veggies were warm and yummy. The miso soup had some nice chunks of tofu. I am so happy this place is close by and I can't wait to go back and try out their Katsu Curry plate. read more

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While visiting in the Downtown Long Beach Area, I was searching to have some Japanese food and came across Donburi Cafe with around 400 ish reviews and four stars. In the mood for a rice bowl after consuming so many soup-based meals recently, I set out to give them a try. I did not expect much at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. I came in on a Saturday at 12PM sharp to see only staff in the restaurant. Though as my time elapsed, more people came in (families in particular) to dine in and take out. The restaurant did seem quite small upon first impression as most of the tables inside were for one to two people only. Fortunately, Donburi Cafe has its own patio in front with a variety of larger tables. The overall vibe of the place seemed to be warm and cozy which was particularly great. I then proceeded up to the counter and took a look at their menu. It mainly consisted of japanese rice bowls, but had other selection of items such as ramen, udon, and other smaller appetizer items such as gyozas and karaage. After taking a look, I proceeded to order a regular Katsu Don which cost $14.50 before tax. Once done paying, I took a seat and my food came out to me within 5-10 minutes. The lady manning the cashier was very kind and always had a warm smile on her face from ordering to serving my food and more which made me feel comfortable and welcomed in the restaurant. Restaurants often forget that great customer service can make the experience 10x better. And at the end of the day, everyone wants to be treated like they belong. Props to the lady working the front! Taking a look at the food at first glance, I was not entirely convinced the price-to-portion ratio was good at all. From what I saw, the bowl had about 6 pieces of pork katsu, a cooked egg on top, a small side of vegetables (broccoli, potato, and carrot), and rice. But after examining in more depth, there seemed to be more than met my eye. Each piece of pork was very large and ended up being very filling. On top of that, the single egg that was given turned out to be breakable, which allowed the katsu to be coated with a thick yolk which made the meat even more filling. Underneath the pork had some caramelized onions which were a nice addition, and bottom of the bowl had a large serving of rice which was needed, especially with the large pieces of katsu. Finally in addition to the Katsu Donburi, the meal also came with an small bowl of Miso Soup which was also nice to have with the meal. After looking through the contents in more depth, I'd say the price-to-portion ratio was pretty good, especially for the price tag of $14.50 in the Long Beach area. I would have enjoyed having one or two more pieces of katsu, but the amount given was more than fair. The taste is definitely where the dish shines though. The miso soup was quite delicious with a good ratio of miso powder to broth. It was served warm and had a fair amount of ingredients inside such as green onions and tofu. Moving on, the rice at the bottom was fluffy, fresh, and neutral which helped balance all of the items in the bowl. Next, the katsu itself was moist, which contrasts greatly from most katsu dishes you come across. The meat wasn't spongy, but wasn't chewy either which meant it had a good balance of consistency. The panko coating was light, which gave a light fried taste. But because it was muted, the dish did not feel heavy and gave the meat a chance to shine. The egg was creamy and heightened the flavor of the katsu which gave it multiple dimensions that the meat alone wouldn't have otherwise had. The caramelized onions were particularly good as well as they were lightly sweet which added a different flavor to the mostly savory items in the bowl. The only issue I had were the vegetables since all three of them just tasted like your typical boiled vegetables. But because a vegetable medley like this isn't typically isn't served in a donburi dish, I wasn't particularly focused on it. From the great service to the great food all at a decent price tag, I argue Donburi Cafe deserves a 4 star rating! Everything was exactly how I'd want my dine-in experience to go. The food quality was definitely at a four star rating. If the portion was a tad bit larger, this would easily be a 5 star rating. Besides that, I have no other comments for improvement as the experience was overall great. If looking for a QSR or a sit down japanese place that is casual, tasty, and welcoming, I'd suggest giving these guys a go! Great job all around Donburi Cafe! read more

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Don't sleep on this cafe! It's hidden away but very much worth seeking for. I wish I had multiple stomachs to go back for more rounds but I'm cursed with only one read more

Great place to eat Mommy Amy's food very welcoming and positive all the time , highly recommended

PARKING: I called the restaurant ahead and they told me 2 parking garages nearby with FREE 2-hour parking with validation (I'm pretty sure I spoke with the owner). I parked in the structure on PINE & 3RD STREET. I got my ticket and when I asked the cashier to validate she said they didn't! WTF. This is where I removed one star. FOOD: $14 Grilled Chicken Curry Bowl (not on menu). I requested grilled chicken because I've been eating too much fried food. It was AMAZING Japanese curry! Comes with miso soup. SERVICE: Friendly cashier, but incorrect info given about parking which is annoying. I'm pretty sure they do validate, but she just didn't know? I'll never know. Other than the parking debacle the food is GREAT especially for that price! I will definitely be back to try other items on their menu. Definitely recommend the food here! And staff should know which structures around their own restaurant validate or not. read more

Donburi Cafè - $14 Grilled Chicken Curry Bowl (not on menu). AMAZING Japanese curry! Comes with miso soup. GREAT PRICE! Will definitely be back. - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Nothing horribly wrong but nothing great either. I asked for the chicken katsu with all veggies instead of rice and got one broccoli floret, 1 cauliflower, 1 quarter of a cold potato and a few leaves of spring mix lettuce. I was under the assumption of "all veggies no rice" meant more steamed veggies but maybe I was mistaken. The katsu itself was alright in flavor but the breading was literally separated from the pork cutlet. Maybe they get away with it if it's covered in curry but I got it on its own and was pretty disappointed, seeing as that the katsu is what their menu is mostly made up of. Probably won't go back unfortunately. read more

Donburi Cafè - Sauce Katsu Don with the breading completely separated from the cutlet. - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

I wanted to see what the Yelp review was about and everything look delicious and tasteful but at the end it was a big disappointment. Let's begin with the quality of the food, the karage udon was bland, overly fatty and not tenderized at all. On top of that the curry lack flavor and underwhelm with every bite. The quantity of is was very disappointing as well, they only gave you 3 PCS of kitchen for a 15.00 bowl (13.00 but gave 2.00 tip on each plate). As for the curry katsu udon is was the same thing. You'll see with the pictures I have uploaded. I doubt I'll be coming here again. Staff was friendly and nice. read more

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Food delivery order came quickly. Got a bulgogi don and katsu curry don, hoping to get a few meals out of my order. Ordered extra ginger as well. I can say that the portions are generous. But the curry was rather tasteless. The bulgogi don had a little more flavor. No ginger at all was included in either bowl. Very disappointing as I have ordered delivery from this restaurant in the past and the food was delicious. I'm giving three stars instead of two, hoping they just had a bad day. EDIT: The bowls tasted better the next day. I also got some pickled ginger which paired nicely with the curry. read more

An adorable mum and pop shop selling donburi (rice bowl) and other Japanese dishes. I've tried their; - Sauce katsu don: Fried pork cutlet with Tonkatsu sauce, over rice. Comes with free miso soup. $14.50 - Curry karaage don: Deep fried marinated chicken with curry sauce, over rice. Comes with free miso soup. $14.50 Both were crispy, non-greasy (which is the norm), and rather delicious! Not to mention filling - the portion sizes of one donburi was enough for two meals. I'd recommend this place to not only help a local business, but to get eat delicious food with great service and courteous owners, as well as keep yourselves warm particularly the winter time. read more

Small shop, limited seats, and budget spot for a quick fix. Outdoor and indoor seating. Service was nothing but amazing and very wholesome. Lady or the mom of the shop was very accommodating for our group. She moved all the chairs and table to fit the whole group. Got us settled and the heater ready for us. Cleared our table when we were about finished. Food in general was very good. The favorite was the Nabe Udon and definitely hit the spot. Soup was a bit salty but great overall. Katsu don was pretty good and most dishes come with complimentary Miso soup! read more

Donburi Cafè - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

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First time here and idk if I have much to say about this place.... This place is located on Pine in a little 3 restaurant outdoor plaza in downtown Long Beach. First off, the inside has tables and chairs to dine in as well as outdoor seating. I ordered the udon which right off the bat didn't look too too good only because when I asked for no onions... The worker told me it doesn't come with onions (which was a HUGE lie), there's was tempura breading in there which I'm not too fond of but didn't know they put that in there, I added the bulgogi so I would have some protein and it was ok but some of the pieces was hard to chew.... The udon itself was chewy and up to my expectations and I like that the broth wasn't salty. The seaweed was good and the fish cake was too. Overall I give it's 3/5 rating mostly because it's a bit overpriced, the worker lied to me about not having onions in the soup and the bulgogi was ok tasting but idk if I would come back here again. I definitely had to try this place out once and gave mixed feelings about this place. read more

Donburi Cafè - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

I love how comforting this place is. Curry is always delicious, ramen is really good too. Always leave feeling full, warm, and happy.

Not bad! I come here with my co-workers for lunch, and I'm impressed with the quality of the food. I'm only giving it 4 stars because it's pricey for what it is. It's good food, but it's not worth $16. I get the curry don, the pork is nice and crispy but there's only 2 pieces of vegetables and then it's all rice. I would feel more comfortable paying $10 for this. Other than that, it's good for Long Beach and I'll be back because there aren't many good food options here. read more

Donburi Cafè - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

Dropped in on our usual Thursday date night and found this nice spot. Little note, not really a date spot, more like a little cafe n go place (like it indicates in the name). No music, just the humming of the neon signs and refrigerators but if it wasn't cold and raining we likely would have sat outside in the cozy little courtyard anyways. Got a 4 star cause the food was delicious but a little pricey for it being set up as a takeout spot. The curry was definitely my favorite of the 3 entrees we ordered. The spicy chicken was a good level of spice and wasn't punishing. Last note on the udon - definitely eat the crispy flakes and tempura sooner than later. I let my tempura get soggy and that was not great (my fault though). Other than that it was great, noodles were thick, broth was mildly sweet which was pleasantly surprising :) We will definitely come here again in the future when we want something quick, hearty and warm. read more

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I had high expectations about this place given the reviews but maybe its my fault that I was let down? I thought the Donburi was incredibly underwhelming. I ordered the Katsu Curry Don and I won't be coming back. The curry tasted okay - nothing different than what you can get yourself and make from the supermarket packages. I think the rice and Katsu portions were small as well. read more

Donburi Cafè - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

They take your time prepping your food to be fresh! So good and will definitely be back. Staff was super friendly as well

I got the katsu curry and it was mediocre at best. the curry to rice ratio was not there with barely any curry to cover the katsu. The curry was a little watery and I can tell it was from the packets (not the worst thing to be) read more

Quality of food is amazing!! Pork tonkatsu,miso soup and kaarage..I would say its good even i ordered it in uber eats and its not that hot, i cant imagine if ate at the location... read more

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Came for lunch during my stay for the ICC Conference and the food as well as the service was fantastic! Highly recommend a visit at least once while you're in the area! read more

Their curry katsu don is honestly overhyped. I found that the curry is not that flavorful and a bit more expensive than the other dishes as it is advertised as the signature dish. I feel like this is just to trick you into a buyer's bias. I will credit them for large portions. For those who must have a katsu fix in LB, Donburi is a bit tucked into the side, but easy enough to find inside the strip mall it's placed in. Not much to say about service as you pay at a register and they bring it out. Appropriate given the setting read more

The food was delicious. I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken Don, which comes with a complimentary miso soup. You walk up to the counter, and the lady behind the register is courteous. My food came out quickly despite the lunch rush. Also, the restaurant is very Japanese and decorated accordingly. It feels like you're in a small Japanese restaurant, very cozy. My only negative feedback was that my veggies were cold. I'm unsure if they were supposed to be that way, but the dish was good, and I would order it again. read more

Donburi Cafè - Chicken Teriyaki Don - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Amazing food here. I've had the bulgogi and spicy chicken. The quality of the meat is fantastic and far above what you would expect for the price. The sauces are delicious and flavorful. Spicy chicken had a big portion. However, the best part about this place may be the rice. I can't recall having better rice at any spot in the entire area. Moist yet not too soft or sticky. The way it soaks up the sauces is just perfection. read more

Right off the bat, I can clearly see they are short staffed and incredibly busy. Ordering was hectic. People bumping into each other, Uber eats person waiting for their order, the place is small so... it felt claustrophobic. We placed our order at 12:31pm and received our food at 1:10pm If you're looking for a quick lunch, I'd suggest a different location. If you have time, definitely try it. The food was great. read more

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We got the Shrimp Don with egg and it was just not good. There wasn't enough shrimp and the flavor was like something I could whip up at home in 30 seconds. Way too expensive for what it is. read more

Mmmmmmmm donburi!! We came here after a day trip to Catalina. After the coldish ferry ride back, we wanted something warm and comforting. I got the bulgogi donburi, and it was HOT. They really made it right there. The miso soup was yummy. The kind lady encouraged us to sit outside, where she turned on the heat lamp. I wish I lived closer to Long Beach so I could eat here more. I brought home the curry for the husband, and it was also tasty. The price point is wonderful, too!!! read more

Donburi Cafè - Beef Don (Bulgogi) - Japanese Near Me - Long Beach, California