Japanese Restaurant Doraya — Restaurant in Hong Kong

We were visiting from Vancouver and we still dream of the meal we had at Doraya. It was the absolute best donburi I’ve ever had.

Understanding that North American style sushi is all about elaborate and non-traditional rolls crudely lathered in sauces, we wanted a meal that was authentically Japanese; a simple meal with high quality fish as the main focus.

We definitely got what we were looking for, and the taste was beyond our expectations. The way the mouthwatering fat from the O-toro melts into every bite of rice. The way the minced bluefin tuna perfectly mixes with the rice in your mouth. It was such an explosion of happiness in my mouth that I felt compelled to write this review 2 months after our visit.

I got the Tuna Quartet (4 kinds: O-toro, seared O-toro, minced bluefin tuna, and regular bluefin tuna) and my wife got the Tuna Duo (2 kinds: O-toro and minced bluefin). In my opinion, if you’re getting a don, go for the O-toro/Minced Tuna Combo. What makes a Don great is how well the topping blends with the rice. The beautiful slices of O-toro simply melt and the minced tuna is mechanically engineered for greatness. The regular bluefin tuna cut is too stiff to be enjoyed on rice in the same fashion, and is better off eaten as sashimi as you can enjoy its texture and flavour better that way. On paper you might think the seared O-toro would melt even better, but O-toro is so fatty with a low melting point that searing it only reduced the fat content in the fish, making it stiffer and somehow less flavourful. I imagine a seared O-toro nigiri eaten immediately would achieve the right effect, but on a donburi the fish needs to maintain its integrity for longer making the searing ineffective.

We also ordered sashimi with Hamachi, Salmon, and more bluefin tuna. We wanted to try salmon on the other side of the pacific and it was okay… we’re spoiled with Vancouver salmon which was better imo. Hamachi was very fragrant and fatty, and would probably also be wonderful on rice. The block of bluefin tuna was delicious, thick, and firm and I think this is the best way to enjoy this cut of the tuna.

Price was higher but not unaffordable and well worth the money.

This is the longest and most heartfelt review I’ve ever written, not only about the restaurant but on the nature of the food in general. If you made it this far, thank you for your time and I hope I’ve helped you on your journey of food exploration. I wish you many exciting adventures with your tastebuds....

6 floors up a tall building and yet it never fail for the restaurant to be at full house at all times, though the catering seat is at maximum of 52 at one go. Queue is expected here (average 90 mins as suggested) especially in big groups, got myself lucky of just 30 min as a pair at Friday 7pm peak hour.

Japanese restaurant that serves fresh sashimi with their speciality of tuna and sea urchin, the former is more widely sought after as the latter seems to be quite exotic to many, including myself.

Tuna slices are really good, the set pairing with the side dishes taste good too. Salmon sashimi with roe is the bomb.

Tamago Egg wrapped eel shouldnt be missed out too. The waitress recommended us the la la (clam) soup which the la la comes in big size and freshness is there, another dish that is up to order upon availability as it is always sold out.

Price may be a lil steep but definitely a place to try out for a good Japanese eatery. I'll say its worth the value for its portion and quality of food. Waiter/waitresses are very friendly and engaging so you'll bet to have a...

Doraya is my favourite Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong. The ingredients they use are always fresh and I would highly recommend this place if you are a fan of tuna. My favourite is their fatty tuna and minced fatty tuna. Truly awesome!!

For kaisen don they come in set or you can customise at your own choice and you can choose between sushi rice or warm rice. Each set comes in a small dish which is always refreshing, a little plate of pickle, chawanmushi (steamed egg) and miso soup. Miso soup with clams is supplied in limited quantity with extra HKD10.

Besides kaisen don or sashimi, their “cooked” menu is awesome too. If you like seafood, the grill fish is marinated and cooked perfectly. For meat lovers I highly recommend karaage and tonkatsu.

Pricewise they are not the cheapest but definitely affordable. In average you will spend around HKD200 there without ordering any drinks.

I used to go there a few times a week and I am craving for it all the time when I...