The Don

The Don is a bit of a lunch time institution for the inner city desk monkeys. Always consistent, great value with there $ 10 don of the day, friendly tasty food.
I stepped away from the normal order and selected the new Salmon Don, while the salmon was well cooked I found the dish a bit on the bland side if Im being honest but then I just added some chili sprinkles and it was a passable dish. (but this is just my personal taste and other dishes I have ordered have been great)
The Don excels at catering for groups with large tables and BYO… almost unheard of in the city center.

I came here with a small group of friends for my birthday. I called ahead and they couldn’t take a reservation for a group so close to time of arrival, but when we got there they had a comfy booth ready for us.
We did BYO, and it was a $ 5 fee per glass. They had a wide range of drinks that I would have tried had we not come already equipped with wine. My bf and I started with the renton chips (fried lotus root), and had sashimi and the seafood pancake for mains. We both agreed that the seafood pancake was our favorite! Others at our table had one of the donburi bowls, which come with miso soup, and an array of tasty dishes. We all enjoyed the food, and for the price it was great.
The ambiance of the restaurant was fun, it looks like a typical Japanese restaurant up front (soft yellow lighting with light wood), and the back is dark and cozy, with low red lights and dark benches. Each table has a little buzzer on it, so you can call over your waitress when you need her. My only complaint is that the food came out kind of sporadically — all was mostly fine except for one person in our party who didn’t receive his donburi bowl until everyone else had received multiple dishes and mains.
I’d definitely come back here but would probably skip the typical sashimi plate and go for the more adventurous looking things on the menu, like that tasty pancake, or one of the delicious looking don bowls.

Found out about this great little Japanese place on Unilocal when searching for a place to take an old-​friend-​recently-​connected with tonight (thanks Unilocal).
The Don is perfect for that sort of date, it’s cosy so you can catch up, but not pricy so you can foot the bill and still have change for the bus home.
The meals looked lovely and I’d recommend the teriyaki tofu don… my friend’s sashimi on rice was a a bit of a rice mountain.
The edamame beans were plentiful (always a good thing).
I’ll definitely visit again next time I have a Japanese craving after work.

Very good ambiance and décor for its price range. Food is excellent too although abit bigger of a portion wouldn’t hurt.

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!

Little gem Difficult to find in the middle of high St. Believe it or not, I’ve been past this place for the past 10 years and never went in once until Unilocal showed me the way.
They were very accommodating and even able to fit a group of 16 people in short notice. Didn’t have to wait long for the service at all and it was packed out.
One thing I have to say the rear room with the couch seats a little uncomfortable, feel like a child eating at the adult table having to sit up straight to just to reach the food. They need a little more light at the back feel like I’m at the Red light district with two red hanging light.
We ordered soft shelf crap, agedashi tofu, nanam fried chicken don and chick katsu don. It was pretty good and the price is not too bad. I had better agedashi tofu at Ken yakitori though. Overall great night out with a bunch of friends that’s not over the budget.

Looking for a legit BYO in the Central City? The Don is it!
Tucked down off High St, not only do they allow you to open your own botts without charging an arm and a large for cockage but the food is legit too. Simple, fresh and fast.
We recently game here with a group of 10 for a causal dinner pre Erykah Badu. They sat us in a cosy alcove behind the kitchen, which almost served as our own private dining area. However, I did notice that there’s also an internal courtyard/​deck that looked pretty cool too.
I kept things simple and ordered a mixed sashimi platter with salmon, snapper and tuna ($ 18) and good old edamame beans. The fish was skillfully cut and as fresh as it gets.
Love finding hidden gems like this — will most definitely be back!

I was often walking past the Don without even noticing it was there… and yet one day their black board sign outside of the restaurant caught my attention with a $ 10 lunch deal that changes every day.
I have only had take away so far at the Don but the teriyaki chicken is delicious! I really like the fact that for $ 10 one gets a full meal including miso soup. And I only had to wait a few minutes for my food, perfect for those short lunch breaks when I have to go back and eat a my desk.
I cannot wait to try more items of their menu.

Oh Don, I nearly forgot about you. I’m sorry — you really are one of my favourites in the city and I’m ashamed that I nearly left you off my rave list.
Find World on High Street and take the stairs just beside it and you’ll find the cutest little donburi restaurant in the world. The food is cheap, tasty and really quickly delivered — I have no complaints. They’ve always been really good to me and allowed me to turn their dishes vegetarian, and when they do so, they provide me with lightly cornfloured tofu that tastes really amazing. Because dinner is so cheap I normally order at least a couple of wines to go with it… hell, I normally order a couple of wines with lunch if I’m there.
Last but not least, whenever I’m leaving The Don, I’ll grab a couple of packets of Hi-​Chew that rest on the counter.

We went to The Don a few weeks ago upon the suggestion of my brother. James told me I was going to love it. Upon arrival I noticed it was pretty quiet. There was only one other table with people at it. I took this as a warning sign, but was pleasantly surprised — the food was very good and well priced. The menu was huge but I had some chicken thing on rice which was fantastic. The drinks are cheap and it’s BYO which is rare in Auckland.
Not sure why it was so quiet that Wednesday night because it was one of the best well-​priced Japanese meals I’ve ever had.

The Don is the best BYO restaraunt in the CBD, especially if you come in a large group. They have a multiple page menu, with something like 56 food options available. They also offer a giant range of drink selections — at a super cheap price (5 dollar shots of Jameson.) Probably the most interesting thing on the menu for me was the Wasabi icecream — in fact the desserts at the don are one of its highlights. I once had dessert dumplings — which are banana and chocolate, deep fried, with ice cream and strawberries. They have a happy hour, but last time I was there during it I imbibed a bit too much and so I’ve forgotten what the hour actually is. Staff are super friendly and actually seem to enjoy dealing with a big group of drunk mid 20 year olds — so long as you finish all your food ! I definitely recommend the don as a great place to have a celebratory dinner.