The Don in Auckland

Very nice place, very authenticGreat service, Delicious Food.I think i found my new favorite place. In Auckland.

Amazing food and service, was surprised how authentic this place looks. Definitely coming again

We ordered the Teriyaki salmon, yakisoba and chicken katsu curry. Delicious food but the portions have definitely gone smaller than it used to be.

Extremely disappointed because I used to come here quite often. My friend and I waited for our order for 40mins where people who ordered around the same time almost finished their dishes. Even customers came after us got dishes served. Chased up and they said another 6mins wait. Manager attributed this long waiting time to short of staff however we should have been advised in the first place if so that we can expect for this.

Very well made Katsu Don.

Delicious fresh and definitely going back, awesome lunch specials too

What a find. Great food, cozy and has a real feel of a local eatery in Japan. As tha former governor of California once said "Ill be back"

Used to have big portions here. However the services were very nice

Have been dining here since 2015.Squid 🦑 amazingTuna Tataki!!!!!!!Buta don :: freaking deliciousAmaIng house sake with the fried squid just delicious and a great pairI highly recommend here for friends catch up or just a solo dinner

First time visiting here. Price is very reasonable. Good potion size. Both the dishes I had (cheese omelette and the pork katsuwas really good. My friend ordered a hot pot which is quite interesting. It was bit too sweet for my taste though. However, someone else may find it appealing. The restaurant gives a good japanese vibe. I wouldnt say the staff is that friendly though. They messed up our reservation and we had to wait in the cold for 15 mins. However, I would go here again just because I like the food.

Went for dinner on Tuesday night not busy, asked for fork waiter said will give u fork in a while . Two staff came to say we are closing in 15 minutes, then why are guys taking more customers? Didn’t recommend this place at all , not going back definitely there again .

Came to The Don various of times all the way since 2019 and this has been my favorite restaurant in my entire life. The food was really cheap but with superb taste. The waiter and manager was really nice, kind and helpful. I have made a special connection with The Don as if it was a part of me. Everyone was easy to talk with especially the waitress. Overall its the best restaurant out there with excellence environment making me feel like at home.

One of my favorite spots in the CBD. Food is always fresh, hot and delicious. They also have amazing lunch deals too for around $13, super affordable which is amazing especially in this current climate. If youre going in peak times it may be worth ringing and booking a table as we didnt once before and couldnt get a table.

Came to the Don to have some Don but I Don(trecommend the Steak Don, steak was rubbery and very little sauce/flavour for rice (the juice?? 😂😂)Spicy chicken Katsu Don was good not really spicy and didnt come with a sauce so just katsu and rice.Katsu curry was aiteCant hate Salmon Avo rolls so was bangerAll foods came out so pretty.

Easily the best cozy Japanese place in Auckland currently. Katsu is to die for, their broccoli is out of this world. Cassis orange they make is mixed perfectly.Have gone many times, will go again

Love the tofu options and the side salads, yummy food at a good price! Highly recommended :)In the pic: tofu teriyaki (comes with a small non-veg soup, I just leave it behing and enjoy the tofu bowl)

A cheap-eat Japanese restaurant tucked away on High St. Staff was not very welcoming at the start but the rest of the service was fine.The pork katsu was my favourite out of the 3 donburi. Teriyaki salmon was alright too but was a bit bland. Karaage chicken was a disappointment, chicken was not crispy at all and the whole donburi was tasteless.The prawn sushi was OK. Overall average food.An upside is the cheap price and the big menu with lots of options to choose from.The interior is quite nice as well, gives a legit Japanese restaurant vibe.

Ive enjoyed eating here for years because the food is reasonably priced, staff members are friendly, and service is quick. The donburi range is most recommended.

Really tasty Japanese food! A must visit if youre a fan of takoyaki. Very friendly and welcoming staff and good selection of drinks too! Great place for a date or dinner with friends.

Great place to eat, all the food is very nice and loads of options to choose from. Great place to come with a group!

I LOVE this place. The staffs are very friendly. Food came out at a timely mannger.The food is DELICIOUS and amazing value for money. I will definitely be a regular visitor!

Reasonably priced, typical Izakaya setup, can get quite busy, service a little slow.Foods are generous in size, taste good, good selection of sakes, which I don’t see much around here.

We’ve been coming here for over 10 years and we still go regularly. The food is yummy and well priced. Food comes quickly and there are plenty of options. A nice place to go when you want to some casual Japanese food but don’t want to pay a whole heap

Love the food here, lovely pork katsu curry. My usual place for japanese comfort food. Value for money too.

This has quickly become my favourite Japanese place in Auckland. It’s a bit hard to find but we were quickly seated by attentive staff and served delicious green tea. The food is excellent and I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. We’ve enjoyed sashimi, sushi rolls, karaage chicken don, kakiage tempura udon, and chicken Katsu. The udon broths are my favourite, as well as the miso soup. Highly recommend and excellent value.

I usually have a good experience here but I wasnt impressed with the curry, it was a little too plain and underwhelming. Left me feeling I could have done a better job myself. Service was good and the staff are friendly.

This is one of my most visited places in the CBD for casual Japanese food. Over the years my top three meals to order have been :- Japanese style steak Don- Karaage Don- Karaage UdonI also get their Chazuke with marinated octopus or plum occasionally, which is great to go with some salmon shashimi.

My go-to dishes here are the Katsu Chicken with Egg Don and the Spicy Crispy Chicken Don! The Curry Beef Udon I tried for the first time recently and it’s good too. They have a really wide variety on their menu.The staff are friendly and efficient. Tables are quite close together so it can be a little cramped sometimes!

Lovely little place. Perfect serving size and delicious. My husbands meal lacked flavour (egg chicken katsubut he still ate it and just used some of my meat to flavour it. What you would expect to pay price wise. Definitely be going back again

We are the regulars of the don. We really like the food. But the reason I give them this five stars is their practices in reaction to COVID-19. They actively prevent the lockdown again by instruct yoy to scan qr code. Keep the tables seperated. And every staff is wearing a mask. It makes you feel safe to eat here!

A decent place to catch up with friends with cheap Japanese food. The atmosphere has much to be desired. I would recommend the Katsu Chicken Don and the soda plum wine. Unfortunately ‘The Don’ has stopped doing BYO so with drinks meals can get expensive. Otherwise, food is decent!

Its close to work and I often have lunch here. Lunch special is very good, cheap and delicious.

Excellent place for authentic Japanese food and affordable prices. The takowasa was a real gem. We also enjoyed the rice bowls and sashimi.The shop accepts card and cash.

It’s a lovely restaurant, a bit hard to find it,but I always feel relax dining here. It’s really chill, also good place hanging out with friends

Awesome food and kinds staff .Very delicious and good price^^

Excellent customer service and lovely food. We always come here for Don when we crave Japanese food. We ordered Takoyaki, Sauce Katsu Don, Chicken Karaage.Really love their chicken karaage which was so crispy outside and the chicken was so tinder inside. Yum yum!!

The meat was juicy, and the amount of sauce and rice come in equal proportion.But itd have been nice if theres a bit of vege, like broccoli or even frozen peas or carrot would be nice.

Delicious reasonably priced food. The staff were really friendly. I have been back multiple times. It does get busy during dinner time so I would suggest booking if you dont want to wait.

Solid meal at a good price. Rice was not brilliant but the chicken was great. Lovely atmosphere, huge effort has been put into the decoration. Trendy and focused on students and a younger working crowd.

Excellent customs services. Our udon was not fully cooked, the waiter was very polite and really sorry about it and took it back.Food are all good.

One of my favourite lunch places. Ive tried the bento, salmon sashimi don and the spicy chicken and everything was great but the crispy skin of the chicken is my new go to.

This is my favourite donburi place in Auckland. There are a lot of donburi choices on the menu, along with soba and other Japanese dishes. Since this restaurant is also an izakaya (Japanese pub), you can also order alcohol, they have a decent range, and pair it with a variety of interesting drinking snacks.

Extremely moist chicken (we ordered chicken katsu and karaage). Food is steaming hot, super tasty and super filling! Friendly staff, quick service and comforting atmosphere. Would 10/10 visit again.

Great decorations, delicious food and friendly staff. I got the teriyaki chicken udon noodle soup (bottomand my dad got the teriyaki chicken bento box (top), I highly recommend both!

Really good portions for affordable prices. Staff and service area both really good. Great place for lunch as the service is quick and its in a good location

The Don is fantastic. Very delicious meals and great value. They have a large menu and lunch specials for groups. Whats also nice is the little call button on the table you can use to call if you require any service. They can get busy around lunch time but Ive never had to wait for a table or long for the meal. I just keep coming back for more hear, too tasty to pass up!

We went to The Don on a Wednesday and I tried the daily special: Sauce Katsu Don with Chicken for $13.50. The dish was very good and price is reasonable. The dish had a savory taste to it from the sauce and the crispy texture and feel of the chicken complemented it. The miso soup that came with the dish was also good. Just make sure you drink it first, it wont taste good if it gets cold.

Table service is a bit slow, weve had to call over wait staff and ask for water a few times. Food is fast and delicious though, prices are great! They have some gluten free items on menu and the waitress understands gluten intolerance, they have gluten free soy sauce. No wheel chair access that I can see. I like the green tea ice cream here, reminds me of the ones I had by Meiji Shrine by Harajuku.

Great value for money with above average Japanese food. Good option for a not-so-rowdy BYO

I like the atmosphere of this tiny hide away place in the middle of the city. Foods are nice and well priced compare to some other places in CBD. Fast and lovely service. Could be better with a couple more choices~