Matthew Ho

I’ve been here a handful of times - it’s deliciously well-priced authentic Japanese food (with a very nice izakaya vibe), and the space is large enough that I have never had to wait for a table. The menu is pretty long (can be a bit difficult à la decision paralysis) and they have a (cute handwritten) menu of specials, so I must admit I haven’t tried most of their dishes (nor any of their drinks). But what I have gotten has consistently been fantastic - some highlights include: - Oroshi tonkatsu set: the katsu is so yummy with a wonderful texture (fried to a good balance of not being too oily or soggy). The whole set comes with a generous amount of food (soup, salad as well), and specifically I just love the taste of oroshi in the light dashi broth. I’ve also had the curry katsu before - the curry itself was pretty good, nothing too notable to point out, and the katsu was similarly delicious. - Sukiyaki donburi was a particular favourite. The sweet flavour went with the tender sliced beef so nicely, and it came with a good assortment of tofu, veggies, and egg for a very well balanced dish. Yakiniku don was yummy too - not too salty, beef savoury and well-cooked, and the rice/sauce combo complemented everything nicely. I’ve had the chicken karaage as an appetiser a few times before, and it was a bit inconsistent each time (sometimes a bit soggy breading / not tender meat). I feel like it’s not really worth the price (especially compared to the cost most of the main dishes on the menu). Indeed, overall the price point is very solid here - esp for the neighbourhood. Even though I read some reviews suggesting that they are a no-tip restaurant, I fear this may no longer be the case, sigh. Would love to come back again soon!

+3

Semaru Gaijin

I think this is by far the best Japanese restaurant in Manhattan. And I say that as a person who has tried them all and eats Japanese food regularly. I don't think there is any competition at this point post-pandemic. The only near peer competitor, Restaurant-RiKi, did not survive the lockdown. For super high-quality Japanese comfort food, you just absolutely need to come here. Their Katsudon is easily the best I have ever tried, and their long lost of authentic Japanese entrees and appetizers is unmatched, in my opinion. They also have the best draft beer of any establishment I can think of. If you are looking for high-quality Japanese comfort food in the heart of NYC, you absolutely need to come here, the service is fast and friendly and the food is unmatched in my opinion.

+2

Travis Wise

We arrived right at opening and there was a family in front of us, but we were seated right away. The restaurant filled out quickly. Even on a weekday night during a holiday week. The hot green tea, which was apparently a house special was quite good. The Tonkatsu Ramen was also very good. The broth was served extremely hot and full of flavor. The large ladle was the welcome improvement over the usual large spoon. The dark lighting and warm wood tones in the restaurant are very nice. They've done a good job decorating with little plants sticking out from behind pictures. The only drawback was the waitress was not very outgoing and barely said two words to us throughout the entire dinner.

THE EXPLORER

We were walking around the area today and decided to stop here for lunch. It was not crowded so we got a table right away. We ordered the Tonkatsu Teppanyaki box and one Hiyashi Chaka. Both were quite good except too salty for our tastes. Good portions. Good service and reasonable price.

+5

Jane Ahmon

Misleading portion size!! The food was really good, like tonkatsu curry which was tender and the curry was creamy, and it came out insanely fast, but the disappointing part was the portion size, which was VERY misleading, as shown in pictures. It was half the size as shown in the pictures, and the amount of ffish received in the roe was disappointingly tiny. I left hungrier than i came and it was disappointing as now I have to eat a second meal. Do not come here if you are very hungry as you wont be full. Only come for a snack. And the tonkatsu curry was really expensive so not worth it

+1

J J

We were able to walk in without any wait at Donburiya, even though the restaurant was very busy. Service was quite fast and the food came out quickly. We ordered Chicken Nankotsu, Demi-Glace Hamburg, TanTan Men, and Buta Kalbi Stamina SP. The Chicken Nankotsu (cartilage chicken) was about $14, but the portion was very small for the price, so it felt a bit overpriced. The Demi-Glace Hamburg was just average. The Buta Kalbi Stamina SP tasted fine, but nothing particularly memorable. The TanTan Men was the best dish we had and definitely stood out compared to the others. One nice surprise was that after we paid, they brought us two cups of hot tea, which was a thoughtful gesture. Overall, Donburiya has fast service and a lively atmosphere. Some dishes were better than others, but for the price, the experience felt average. If Google allowed half stars, I would probably give this a 3.5.

+8

Di Lu

The salmon don has a miserable amount of salmon on a big bed of rice (see picture). The eel set was really nice, comes with tea for chazuke and seasoning too. Friendly staff although understaffed for the large space. Nice little dinner spot.

M K

Came here on a weekend night and was able to walk in. Ordered taco wasa, cartilage karage which was small but crunchy, followed by sukiyaki don and Katsu don. As you can see from the picture there was only ONE PIECE of meat in my sukiyaki don, rest were fatty strands or spinach on a bed of rice. Was disappointed how it was skimped out. The Katsu don on the other hand was a winner- juicy Katsu filled till the edge. Definitely recommend to order something from the Katsu section

Green Lemoon

they chase after you to give a high amount of tips. Food is overpriced with small amounts and quality below average. Tastes like those pre-prepared food bought from grocery stores instead of freshly made.

Janie Nguyen

I ordered the katsu special for dinner (fried pork with rice and sauce). Everything tasted fine at first, but later that night I became very sick. I vomited around 3 a.m., and my friend who shared the same plate had the exact same symptoms. Everyone else in our group ate the same meals for breakfast and lunch with no issues; dinner was the only meal we did not all share. I continued to feel nauseous for the next two days, which seriously disrupted my trip. Based on the timing and symptoms, I believe there was an issue with the pork. Very disappointing experience.