Donburiya — Restaurant in New York

Visited Donburiya a few times for weeknight dinners. Depending on when you come it can be a wait out the door or your choice of seating. Service is always a bit busy but polite and professional. The interior can also be very very hot. The first time I came was in fall so it wasn’t too big a deal but the second time was in the summer and the lack of AC was a bit excruciating especially when we were eating plates of hot sizzling foods. This spot is definitely known for their meat so go for the BBQ options and grab a beer with it!

✅ Grilled Shiitake: A veggie dish if you still want something meaty. The bonito flakes add a salty savory depth to the meaty mushrooms and it pairs so well with a crisp beer (4/5) 🆗 Dynamite: Not as mayo-heavy of a dynamite and a rather nice side dish against all the meat dishes we had. The fake crab kept in tubes providing some meaty. Otherwise the mish mash of other seafoods weren’t too overcooked. Nothing too special but tasty nonetheless.(3.75/5) ✅Kani Croquette: Piping hot, fluffy creamy potato inside with just a tinge of fake crab to give it that bit of seafood flavor. The breading exterior is crackly perfection. I do wish the filling was a bit more seafood forward but otherwise tasty (4/5) ✅Pork Jowl w/ Truffle Salt: A nice snappy bite followed by a firm fatty piece of meat. The truffle salt really enhances the fattiness while the hint of lemon cleans it all up. Delicious (4.5/5) 🆗Sizzling Ribeye Plate: The ribeye itself wasn’t overcooked but the pieces of beef are already cut so you get an overall more well done piece of meat with lots of browning which does add to the flavor. The jus on the side is the main sauce though I would like something brighter to act as a highlight in the dish. The steak fries were good with a crisp exterior and a fluffy interior. I love that they were slightly on the more well done side and absorbed the scent of the meat as it sizzled...

Went there around 5:30PM today when it opened for dinner service today. I went in and a lady with hot pink hair told me and the rest of the guests waiting to walk back towards the stairs. I told her that I was waiting for my +1 and had me wait on the side even though I was there 1st and there weren't that many people that walked in after me (4 people were behind me). When my +1 arrived, I walked up to her and let her know that he arrived since no one had walked up to us in 10 minutes. She got freaked out and had me walk back to the waiting area. My friend was looking at the menu before hand and somehow that offended her.

Our dinner pretty much went downhill from there. The waitress who is usually bubbly and friendly was not so friendly and looked like her day was ruined by our presence. My friend ordered a beer which would normally come in a chilled mug came in an unchilled mug. He also ordered the Tonkatsu Set and wound up with a different tonkatsu meal that wasn't part of the set. I ordered the Oyako Don which unfortunately came with raw egg white. I asked one of the waitresses if it could be cooked more since I don't like eating raw egg white. I saw one of the cooks pop it in the microwave and was skieved out after. I tasted it and it was super hot and the chicken had a strong chicken smell that wasn't appetizing. I could barely eat it. Wound up taking it home.

It was a very upsetting experience given that I've been going there regularly for the past 5 years along with my husband. We go there pretty often that the manager knows us very well. I happened to have gone on my own to meet a friend this time around. I have mixed feelings going back when the manager isn't around. I love Donburiya but service was very much off which has never been the case in the...

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...