DONi — Restaurant in Coquitlam

I discovered Doni through a Korean community, learning that it had recently relocated from Surrey to Henderson Mall in Coquitlam Centre. Intrigued by the positive reviews, I decided to visit during a weekday at off-peak hours, shortly after 3 PM.

I ordered the spicy pork cutlet, and it did not disappoint. The batter and pork thickness were excellent, and the dish was well-executed. Although the sauce was flavorful and creamy, it wasn't the typical accompaniment for Korean pork cutlets and was spicier than I expected. I didn't quite like the sauce tbh.

However, I loved the texture and the flavour of the rice, and the sliced cabbage was fresh. Next time, I would opt for the non-spicy version, though I couldn't find it on the menu this time.

Located on the 2nd floor of Henderson Mall's food court, the area was clean and well-maintained. Like many Korean restaurants, Doni uses a small remote that rings and buzzes when your order is ready. The employee was kind, and the ordering process was smooth.

Some have complained about long wait times for their orders. Despite there being few customers, my order took about 10-15 minutes, which suggests they fry the cutlet fresh upon ordering. Otherwise, the wait time wouldn't make sense.

Considering the inflated food prices elsewhere, Doni is very affordable. I'm definitely returning to try their Korean-Chinese menu items and dumplings. Keep up...

A lovely little corner of the world. It's been a while since I've visited Surrey, and at a friend's recommendation, I came to this little gem of a dumpling and noodle shop.

This is one of those unfussy spots where the owners take great care to provide. Prices are very reasonable, the decor homely and well used, and the food -- it embraces you from the inside.

It's nothing over the top, but the dumplings, noodles and soup (Combo A provides you with a front and centre taste of what this place provides) are hand made, of carefully considered ingredients, and delicious. Grandma made this for you, and happily. Eat up!

Crispy deep fried dumplings with a lacy crust are filled with pork, vegetables and tofu. Light, guilt free, these were my first and last bite of the meal. The soup was light and some of the best I've had, and the soup dumplings were plump and well filled.

Noodles were a little softer than I would have liked, though -- but this dish might call for softer noodles, so I'm not a good judge! They are made of a similar body and texture as the dumpling wrappers, which totally makes sense, but seasoned with spinach.

Seriously considering bringing back some frozen dumps home, but I'll revisit that idea...

This restaurant is known for their dumplings so we ordered Mandoo Combo B ($32.95). This combo offered the opportunity to try a variety of dumplings.

The dumplings were amazing! You can taste the quality of the ingredients and the homemade feel. Each type of dumpling were tasty in their own way. The steamed dumplings were seasoned nicely. I can taste the difference between the pork and kimchi dumplings. The kimchi dumplings were slightly spicy, but was still very enjoyable. The deep fried dumplings were crispy. The soup dumplings and noodles were a bit softer than I would have liked by the time I got around to eating that dish. However, the flavours were very good and I would order that on its own.

Service was good. Food arrived in reasonable time. Our server checked up on us a couple times. The menu is available by QR code on the table. Staff checked vaccination passports and wore face masks. My only complaint is the menu is smaller than pre-COVID times. However, this is a great option for some...