In short, fantastic value, huge menu, great taste! I've walked by this place many times and I was craving oyako don so I came in. They are busy but service is fast and friendly and turnover also very fast. They have tons of donburis including seafood / sushi bowls and some sushi offerings and curry. The key to good oyako don is the egg. Theirs did not disappoint at all. The bowl arrives hot and the egg is half cooked and very soft. It melts into the rice and gives you that fantastic soft egg rice mixture that is perfect oyako don. I haven't had oyako don this good in a long time. Very tasty. Miso soup on the side is perfect compliment. Be sure to stop by! read more

Kita No Donburi - Steaming hot oyako don - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I've structured it to highlight the atmosphere, the service, and your specific recommendation for first-timers. ​Delicious Lunch Spot in Vancouver! ​I've been coming here frequently during my stay in Vancouver, and it has quickly become a favorite lunch spot. ​The Atmosphere & Service: The restaurant is a bit on the smaller side, but it has a very welcoming and approachable atmosphere. Even during the busy weekend lunch rush, the wait isn't too long, and you can usually snag a seat pretty quickly. A huge shoutout to the staff--everyone is incredibly friendly and attentive, which makes the dining experience even better. ​The Food: If it's your first time here, I highly recommend starting with their lunch sets. They offer great value for the price, and I've always been satisfied with both the portion sizes and the quality of the taste. ​On my most recent visit, I tried the Unagi Don (Eel Bowl). As you can see from the photo, the presentation was beautiful! The eel was well-prepared, and the entire dish was very well-balanced with the fresh greens and side of miso soup. ​Verdict: Overall, it's a wonderful place for a casual, high-quality meal at a reasonable price. I'll definitely be back! read more

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I wanna gatekeep this so bad but they really do deserve all the love. Fresh delicious chirashi don; I like original way more than the spicy option. The tempura is also super good -- crisp and light. I highly recommend their lunch sets! read more

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I was looking for a quick and affordable but decent meal downtown and went to Kita No Donburi upon a friend's recommendation. I ordered the Katsu with egg curry as a combo with a side of miso soup and salad. The miso soup was standard, however, the side salad exceeded my expectations: the ingredients were fresh and it came with a rich dressing. The Katsu with egg curry was also excellent - it was warm and rich in flavour, making for a perfect quick meal on a cold day. read more

Kita No Donburi - Katsu with egg on rice - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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The food was hot and tasty! The servers were attentive and kept the tables clean. They also had fast service. read more

Kita No Donburi - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

UMAMI to the max. If you're craving truly authentic Japanese cuisine in Vancouver, this place is an absolute gem. Every dish we tried was a flavor-packed experience that transported us straight to Japan. The shrimp tempura was seasoned to perfection--light, crispy, and utterly addictive. The miso soup had just the right balance of savory and umami, a comforting start to the meal. The beef gyudon was exactly what I needed--tender, flavorful, and deeply satisfying. The sushi and salad were fresh and delicious, but the real standout was the yakiniku. Served sizzling hot in a stone bowl, it locked in every bit of moisture and flavor, keeping the meat juicy and warm until the last bite. If you haven't tried this restaurant yet, do yourself a favor and go. It's a must-visit spot for any food lover. I recommend it a hundred thousand percent--you won't be disappointed.. Servers are amazingly nice as well. The are located near the water .. just a few blocks away... in the heart of Eastside downtown Vancouver. read more

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I have chicken katsu don and everything here is quite affordable. The chicken katsu don taste like home cooked meal. The chicken is tender and the egg is soft. Food is comforting and the servers are friendly. read more

Kita No Donburi - Chicken katsu don - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Was looking for Japanese in the area and this one looked super authentic, and it was also packed, which is a good sign. I popped in and the staff was super nice and helpful and the ambience was light and easy. We were planning on getting a couple of different bowls, but at the last minute decided on the spicy tuna roll. Unlike the rolls we are accustomed to with tiny chopped up pieces of tuna this was legit. It also had asparagus, which gave it a wonderful crunch. I'm so happy we discovered this place because it was so yummy. If I lived in the area, I would definitely try out many of their other dishes. read more

Kita No Donburi - Spicy tuna roll - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We came here with a sushi craving without reservations. They had free WiFi which I also appreciated because I did not have cellular service in Canada. There were good descriptions and pictures of the food for those not well versed in Japanese cuisine like me. I had the chicken karaage and an order of the Prone to Prawn, which was kind of like a sushi roll with no seaweed. It was the perfect bite! The chicken was a bit chewy and hard to eat but had good flavor. Service was fast and friendly. This definitely hit the spot. read more

Nothing fancy neighborhood donburi place. Pop music blaring in the background. For a Monday night, place was busy with donburi fanatics Got the Chirasi don. Katsu don w/egg and Sukiyaki don I dunno but it seems like the food portions in Vancouver are smaller when compared to Ontario and much more expensive but finally found a place with with proper portions at a fair price All bowls had a good portion of hot rice with plenty of toppings as per menu description. Katsu was tender with light breading and matched with a properly done egg. Chirasi toppings with surprisingly fresh seafood and assorted vegetables Sukiyaki beef was tender and thinly sliced with a good ratio of vegs/ mushrooms Great quality and good value for your hard earned money, no need to go to Japan anymore, oh yeah read more

Kita No Donburi - Inside - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Great little Donburi bowl place! Good prices. Service was quick and friendly. Nothing fancy. Authentic Katsu Don with Egg. Portion was great. The takoyaki portions was large with a good amount of octopus in them. The salmon sashimi portion was also generous. Nice affordable place! read more

Kita No Donburi - Katsu Don with Egg. Takoyaki. - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

My coworker raves about this place and is one of her favorite places for Japanese curry rice. We came here just before the lunch rush and it was already half filled. So come early before 12 pm If you can. I also saw many take out orders waiting to be picked up. The menu is extensive and I decided to try the curry. I ordered the katsu mori curry rice. It has deep fried prawns, pork and chicken cutlets. It looks like a huge portion but the plate is shallow so it is quite manageable. The curry is really good. Unfortunately the meat is too tough. They seem to be overcooked. Pretty disappointing. Service is nominal. What's with coming over to refill our drinks only after we ask for the bill. No checking on us before that. This place feels like a fast eat and go place, not a place to linger over the food. read more

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Love the food food ambience and quality of food and service , Its a small place very Japanese read more

Kita No Donburi - Kumo & Mori - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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We're in Vancouver for a few days so my fiancé really wanted to try this place. We got the Katsudon with egg. The quality and taste of the food is not so mind blowing, and I wish they gave a little more meat. There's a lot of sauce that just trenches the bowl although I think that surprisingly really hits the spot and leaves me craving for more after e. This place is amazing for the following three reasons: 1) decent comfort food, 2) reasonable price, and 3) cheap alcohol. The inside looks like a traditional Japanese cafe although it's little shabby. The servers here are nice and quick. I could see myself coming here frequently if I lived here. read more

Kita No Donburi - Katsudon with egg - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I've been to Kita No Donburi a few times before and they are consistent with very reasonable prices although the food is pretty standard. This time around I got the katsu don and it was what I expected with decent flavour. Would recommend if looking for something that's not too expensive downtown. read more

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This is a small place in the Downtown corridor. We've passed it a couple times and decided to stop for a late lunch. There are several tables and bar-like seating. Reminds me of the small diners in Japan. The place primarily serves donburi with an extensive menu and there is sushi and a couple of lunch sets. We tried the katsu Don with egg $13.75 and Tendon $11.95. Hubby liked his katsu Don a lot. My Tendon had 2 shrimp and several slices fried battered yams. It came with dipping sauce and a delicious miso soup. The fried pieces were crispy and the bowl of rice was huge. Green tea is complimentary. All great on a cold, rainy day. Staff was friendly and nice. There are 2 bathrooms in the back. read more

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This place deserves more than its 3.5 stars on Yelp, so I'm rating it a little higher than I normally would. We had just arrived in Vancouver and after a 4 hour bus ride we were hungry & tired. Luckily, our first meal in Canada was nearby and didn't disappoint. I shared the sha-ke don and sukiyaki don--both bowls were plentiful and fresh! I was amazed by how cheap everything was (~12 CAD, ~9 USD) and how many different options we had to choose from. Our orders came out quickly and efficiently. I also appreciated how the menu had calorie counts for a diet-conscious consumer. I would love to be a worker in the area who could frequent this place for lunch. Regardless, Kita No Donburi is excellent choice for anyone in the area. read more

Kita No Donburi - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Excellent food. Small restaurant but legit Japanese food. Highly recommended! Prices were reasonable too! read more

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I ordered takeout from here with my friend and we both got the chicken kaarage rice bowls. The chicken kaarage bowl had plenty of rice and lettuce. It also came with this delicious sweet potato mash that tasted so good, I wish they had more of it because the chicken was not as juicy as I wanted it to be, it was crispy and had a nice sauce but the chicken was not thick at all so it was just really chewy. However, I've been here before and tried their other menu items and I reccomend those much more. read more

Kita No Donburi - chicken kaarage rice bowl - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Located right across the Delta Hotel and near the waterfront, this is a go-to place for some quick, affordable and delicious Donburi. The restaurant isn't too big, and it isn't designed for fine dining. You get your food fast and the service is great. I had the Steak Don. The meat was tender, juicy, and medium rare, just the way you like it. My only complaint is that the meat is a bit small. There isn't much in your Don other than meat, a piece of lettuce and a some tomato slices. There's plenty of rice, but near the end you're just kind of eating the sauce + rice, with no more meat. I think overall the portions can be bigger, but it's still acceptable given its price. This would be a good lunch place or for grabbing something quick. read more

Kita No Donburi - Steak Don, $11.75. - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I actually wanted unagi but unfortunately anything unagi related was all sold out. My first choice was unagi bibimbap and then second choice was unagi donburi. They had none of those. So sad I ended up getting the regular Bibimbap. Well this place is ran by Korean so can't see how it would go wrong. The Bibimbap was ok. It came with soup as well. Portion was somewhat small. Décor was more like a fast food place. Most of the tables are communal tables. The place is also very pack during lunch time. If you want to come here for lunch, than you definitely have to show up before noon. Its great that this place offers free wifi. read more

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So good, fresh, and cheap. The portions were huge! There were several different types of salmon in this bowl. A bowl of miso soup was also included. Love the tuna sushi as well -- it has avocado. The flavor is kind of sweet. read more

Kita No Donburi - Sha ke Don - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

A quaint little Japanese place serving big bowls of yummy donburi! On the outside, it doesn't seem too fancy as it has a simple sign but the menu offering bowls of rice with a variety of toppings lured me in. When people think Japanese, most turn to sushi but donburi is becoming a fav as it is like comfort food - imagine a big bowl of rice tipped with your choice of grilled beef, chicken, unagi or even a veggie option. The place serves up a wide choice with big portions that look like they are arranged out of a fancy restaurant. On my second visit, I've ordered the unagi and steak don - both were big and had a tons of veggies with the meat selection. We also tried out their takoyaki, salads and tofu which were all tasty. I'd you are looking for a chance from sushi and tempura then I recommend trying this out! read more

Kita No Donburi - Unagi don - winner! - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I tried takeout from this place and I normally wouldn't come to downtown but I was in the area. And to my surprise, I ordered three different sets, it was mori deluxe that, it was the wahoo Shokuya and also chirashi don... and I would love to come back again because their portions are amazing but most of all it seems so fresh the price was very reasonable too... I would definitely come again! read more

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It was the only place open for Japanese food in the area on Family Day so a friend and I decided to try it and although the food isn't bad, its can be considered mediocre at best. We ordered their lunch tenori set which came a small charashi and small gyu yaki don. Both had way too much rice compared to topping and the rice itself was either mushy or too dry! The sashimi was in extremely thin slices although fresh while the egg and onion sauce of the don was very flavourful with fatty beef. We got a spicy tuna roll as well and this was the best of the bunch with quite a bit of tuna and plenty of sriracha type sauce on top. We tried this with brown rice and I'm sad to say it is very hard and dry but the roll inside and topping were good! Overall, it was a nice place to try but not worth it for the high price! read more

I feel like this place is so underrated! The service was so friendly & efficient, and the food was awesome. We got the Katsu don and soba & sushi lunch sets. Portions were pretty big, so it was super filling. Great value, friendly service, delicious food. Can't really beat that. read more

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My friend was raving about this place to me a while back so I thought it would be worth trying. I was wrong. Even though you may hear random Japanese words being shouted, the owner and the majority of the staff are actually Korean. The food was very mediocre and their version of gyu-don did not make the cut. The beef wasn't very tender and the rice was very bland. As mentioned in my other reviews, I lived in Japan for approximately half a year, so going for cheap and delicious 350¥ ($4.00CND roughly) gyu-dons was a regular thing for me and I expected much more from Kita No Donburi. The salad was kind of sad, with 4 pieces of lettuce and a tomato while the miso soup was decent. My friend got a beef udon and it wasn't anything special. I honestly have to say that my experience was quite disappointing. As for the service, it is quite confusing but fast. After entering in the restaurant, you may be shouted at by the manager, not to sit down. She'll force you to order first and then you choose your table. The food literally comes out 2 minutes after you pay and there isn't much interaction between you and the staff. The waitress will usually just shout out your order and you'll have to flag her down in order to get your food. If I were to ever come back, I think I would try the Chirashi don since it looks like a great deal. ($8.75 for a fairly decent portion) read more

Kita No Donburi - Gyu-don set - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Been to the restaurant before and it was not bad, however, ordered from uber eats last time and it was just so so bad. their fried food was horrible! Both the chicken karaage and the katsu in katsu curry was dried, tough i felt like i was chewing cardboard as there was ZERO juiciness in the meat. I also ordered a steak don, and the steak was tough as well. was disappointed and will not order from them again. read more

Everytime I walk by Kita No Donburi, I always stop to look at the plastic food models in the window display. Finally I decided to give it a try and here's what I think: Good -Decor...clean and open with high ceilings. I especially love the Japanese rice bowl chandellier -Service... although the girl at the cash register had a hard time understanding what I was asking, staff is friendly -Prices were reasonable for downtown. Food and quantity was good for what you paid for. What Needs Work -Food needed to be hotter. The tofu in my Sukiyaki Don was slighty cool in the middle. My husband's Unagi Don was lukewarm. I almost wanted to take it back to the office and nuke it in the microwave for 45 seconds. Lucky the flavors in both our dons were still there, but a minus for the temperature. read more

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The food here is just okay. Curry comes in a pretty large bowl with a lot of curry and rice but only 3 pieces of pork! Adding a fried egg to a dish is quite pricey at $1.75 as well. read more

Sadly, I'm not currently living in Vancouver, but when I did, I went here all the time with friends. I'm constantly craving their food ;__; Food: 5/5 The menu has a great selection of both Japanese and Korean foods. The spicy tuna don, sha-ke don & magu-toro don were my go-to's and the battera and aburi are amazing. The sauces are so good. I also really like the takoyaki and the edamame is nicely salted Staff: 5/5 Everytime you go in, you get greeted with a smile. It's a tiny restaurant and there aren't many waiters, but the people who do work there are very friendly :) Atmosphere: 4/5 It's kind of a fast food place, which of course isn't a bad thing. When you're a student or just busy, it's ideal. Depending on the hour of the day, it could get busy and you may end up on a line, but it's worth it. You can probably get a table 'cause many people get the food to go. It's not too loud and it's definitely a great place to go to with friends. Also, the size is small, but I like it Price: 5/5 Great prices! I've had super expensive don, so this place was a pleasant change. Since I was always ordering fish and the portion sizes are good, it's worth it! Overall, I definitely recommend this restaurant. It's different than other Japanese restaurants I've been to and I like that. It's pretty unique. I don't eat meat, so sadly, I can't give you an opinion on everything else read more

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I've eaten here 4 times for lunch, trying a variety of chicken/beef/tofu donburi. Unfortunately it's just lacking in the flavor department. The food is clean, reasonably priced, and the service is fast + friendly. But of the 4 bowls, only 1 was tasty enough to warrant another trip. Maybe the want to up-sell you into the expensive dishes? Even a simple donburi should be tasty, as some sushi shops manage to do. A fan of the genre should probably check this place out, but non-enthusiasts can do better for a downtown bite. read more

This little japanese shop is a great place for a quick bite to eat, but dont go expecting anything mindblowing. The sushi rolls we ordered were tasty, but a little expensive for the portion, and where overwhelmed a bit by the spicy sauce they dolloped on top. We each ordered a bibimbap, and while my friends was steaming hot and delicious, mine was stone cold (no pun intended), to the point that i could just hold the bowl without burning myself. Servers were really helpful and apologized profusely, but it took nearly 10m to get it warmed up, that the rest of the table was nearly finished eating by the time I was able to start. The food was pretty decent though and I think i just got an unlucky experience. I'll probably swing by again to give them a second chance, so time will tell. read more

Kita No Donburi - Bibimbap - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Kita No Donburi is our office favourite! They've got the basic dons like oyako don, teriyaki don and ten-don but my favourite is the sukiyaki don. I've never had a sukiyaki don before I came here but I love the Kita one because they fill it with all sorts of vegetables and make me feel like I'm (kind of) healthy. The sukiyaki don is basically beef, spinach, zucchini, tofu, mushrooms, seaweed and a half-cooked egg. The one downside is this place takes it's sweet time to prepare your food and it gets super busy during the lunch rush. My coworkers and I always order ahead using the ClickDishes app to skip the line which seriously helps us save so much time. Also they post their menu right outside their store window with all the calories listed for each menu item. It looks like a majority of their menu is almost 1000 calories so don't come here if you're trying to cut carbs! read more

Kita No Donburi - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Cozy little Japanese restaurant in downtown Vancouver. Considering it's not gourmet, the food is quite high quality. Prices are also unbeatable, only $7.50 for a Gyu-Don (beef slices with egg on top of rice) Sushi is also pretty good and full of flavor. Would definitely come back to try other rolls. read more

Kita No Donburi - Sha-Ke mori roll $9.95 - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I went there for lunch. At the beginning, it was a bit confusing, because you need to order and pay at the front first. You also need to grab a cup and fill the water yourself. But it was fine, the waitresses there were very nice and explained it to me. I ordered beef teriyaki donburi and takoyaki. The food is fairly priced and looks like something your mom or grandma would cook, so nothing gourmet and stuff, but I really like it though. The takoyaki is really good! The donburi has a bit too much of onions, should have asked for no onion on the rice bowl. The place is very cozy, it is like a typical Japanese restaurant. Pretty authentic to me. Would definitely come back again if I have any chance. read more

I used to work nearby and frequent Kita No Donburi to eat a nice bowl of Katsu Curry Don. Since I was in search of a good Katsudon and found it hard to find a good one in Vancouver, I decided to give it a try here. Every bite of it was sweet but not overwhelmingly so, and was complimented with a slight hint of saltiness. Each spoonful was consistently hot and gave you that warmness inside your body that is especially nice on colder winter days. There wasn't an excessive amount of onions or too little egg in the don which is a good sign because some places can have a hard time finding the right balance. I will say that as far as my typical experiences with Katsudons go, most tend to lean more towards the soggier or softer side, making it commonly a less textured meal. This is primarily because of the cooking process where the eggs and onions are cooked on top of the katsu which likely gives it added moisture and thus softens it. When katsu, egg, and onion mix is added to rice, the excess sauce and runniness of the egg seeps into the rice, making everything melt together. Altogether, this process tends to soften the entire dish and makes it lose some of the textures you might get from eating drier meals. This bowl at Kita No Donburi was no different from this norm that I've experienced so far. It isn't a knock on them either because I think it is largely dependent on your personal preference for dish textures and for me personally, I don't mind that this dish tends to run on the softer side. I will also note with Katsudons, retaining the pork flavour can be challenging sometimes but this Katsudon was successful in keeping that distinctive taste. As for COVID guidelines, masks were worn by the service staff, a barrier was put up for the cashier, and they ask you to put down your contact information which is put aside discreetly to protect your privacy. My temperature was not taken and no barriers were put up between booths but the tables were spaced apart adequately. read more

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I've come here several times when I worked downtown in the past. But back then I ordered takeout to eat during my commute back home. Now I'm back downtown and decided to try this place for a sit-down lunch. The style is more take out with seating area than full-service restaurant. As long as you know it's self-service when you arrive, your expectations won't be shot to hell. I mean, I go to a lot of sushi restaurants, and they are order, serve, pay, and eat. In this venue, the model of order, pay, serve, and eat seems to feel out of place. But it works for them, and helps them to treat all customers the same. And they are super busy at lunch! The food is well-prepared, and looks and tastes great. While eating, I choked on a large portion of wasabi. I asked one of the servers for a cup of tea. The server responded, "Sorry, it's self-service." Now you tell me. It's not like this server wasn't already wandering around, looking for tables to clear. After I swallowed down my meal, I chose to stick around and read a book. I almost wrote a bad review based on the service. But then something happened. The server returned and said, "It's not busy, so I brought you some tea." My only advice to help build raving fans would be for the servers to provide this pattern first, and let us know how to serve ourselves later. But like I said earlier. The model works for them, and they have been successful for decades. So what do I know? read more

LOVE coming to this place for the great and affordable donburis that they have. This restaurant is conveniently located in downtown Vancouver, just a few minute walk away from Waterfront. There are mostly Japanese staff working here who are pleasant, attentive and just put very simply - very nice! On weekdays, this place can be extremely busy especially during lunch hour, so call if you want to put in an order early. But I came this time on a Saturday afternoon at 1:30pm which meant it was super easy to get a table for three people. The menu has a great selection of donburis (beef, pork and chicken), Japanese curries as well as sushi which I are all done decently well. But since this place has donburi in the name, I normally stick to that. I was pleased with my decision this time to get the spicy buta don ($9.50) which had just the right amount of spice but also a good balance of sauce, pork and a few vegetables to top it off. My don also came with a miso soup which is pretty standard but I love my miso. Overall, this place is great to grab lunch and/or dinner. Friendly service, good food and a decent atmosphere (not too fancy but nice enough where you can feel comfortable sitting in this restaurant after your meal). I will be back! read more

Kita No Donburi - Spicy buta don and a miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Love this place! Reminds me of a Japanese eatery in Japan where you can dine alone & not feel weird. It's mostly single diners sharing tables. Was craving unagi don as it was a chilly afternoon. I had originally wanted sushi or chirashi. So many choices here. Looking forward to trying all their Dons! read more