Donburi Japanese Restaurant

The other day my wife and I were just sitting around wondering where to go out for lunch.  After some hemming and hawing, I mentioned that some of my facebook friends had opened up a new restaurant at Commerce Gate in Richmond Hill and from what I had seen so far from the reviews, the place could warrant a visit so we packed the car and headed over to the restaurant. 

We got there roughly around noon hour on a Sunday afternoon.  The place had about 10 booths or so in which only one or two booths were occupied at the time of our arrival.  We got our table immediately and were given a one-page menu to look at.  Scanning their lunch menu, most of their items were either $8.99 to $12.99.  Since it was my first time there, my wife and I decided to split two meals.  We went with their Donburi Gyuudon which was their signature famous beef on rice dish and Tori Katsu Curry or fried chicken on curry. 

Donburi Gyuudon

Before our meals arrived, we were also each given a bowl of miso soup as an appetizer.  Our meals arrived and smelled pretty good.  The donburi gyuudon was covered in beef and had sprinkles of sesame and onions on top.  There was plenty of sauce underneath all the meat.  When one mixed all the rice, beef and sauce together, the proportions of each one were just perfect. The sauce created was like a satay-beef type sauce and blended really well with the rice.  For $9.99, this dish was well worth the price.  The overall moisture of the rice was just perfect and the rice itself was not drowning in its own sauce. 

Tori Katsu Curry

The curry chicken was just a little rougher and chewier and after examining the dish I could see why this was the case.  The rice itself came on a plate with about 10 pieces of fried chicken surrounding it.  The curry sauce was poured over the chicken and the rice.  In order for the fried chicken to be effective, it would have been better had the curry sauce been poured over the rice only and not the chicken.  This would have preserved the crispiness of the chicken.  Doing it the way that they had done it caused the crispy part to become extra chewy.  The battered surrounding the chicken actually became more rubbery as the temperature also started to drop on the dish itself.  When it did it made the outer part more difficult to chew on.  The chicken inside the batter was fine and the curry sauce was that of the Japanese type where there is little to no spiciness to it.  Otherwise this was a fine dish although some will argue that at $12.99, the cost associated with this dish would be slightly more than the industry’s norm. 

The restaurant was pretty clean and tidy at both the booths and in the washrooms as well.  The staff were very pleasant ensuring that we had extra bowls and utensils by our side at all times.  Although the fried curry chicken dish was satisfactory at best, their signature dish definitely lived up to its standard and it’s a dish that I would highly recommend to anyone who visits this place.  There was plenty of free parking outside and being inside Commerce Gate, one can go shopping or have dessert at nearby restaurants afterwards.  Overall I will give this place a 4 out of 5. 

Donburi

505 Highway 7 East

Unit 94-95

Markham, Ontario

(905) 597-6505