Don Don

Having spent many weeks in Japan surviving on Bento I can highly recommend this unfortunately tiny restaurant. It is well known throughout Melbourne for locals and visitors and is speciality is Bento style fare. The accuracy of its reflection of this Japanese staple is uncanny. While the restaurant is a bit cramped and unemotional the food is excellent for its category both in quality and price. Someone going here is not looking for a fine dining experience but good food at good price and this is what I base my ratings on. Don Don is no more a restaurant than an icon.

It's not hard to find - just look for the closet sized stand up take away restaurant on Swanston Street. Throngs of people head there every day at lunchtime for the cheapest lunch in town which serves up quick and hearty filling Japanese meals. The menu is limited but the real draw of Don Don's is the amazingly fast turnaround: walk in, choose your meal, pay for it, wait 5 seconds and it's ready for you! Definitely a bit of Tokyo super speed efficiency in laid-back Melbourne which means you can chow down and get back to sight-seeing, shopping, school or the office in record time.

Love how quick the serve the food especially if you are in a hurry. Food is affordable and worth the money.
the downside is, I find if you are ordering chicken curry, you will only get about 4-5 small pieces of chicken and it seems like you need to eat ASAP as a lot of people queueing behind you and need a seat.

These guys must have a fully equipped Dolorean under the sink with a fully functional Flux- capacitor installed, as being able to manipulate time & space is the only explanation I can give for the speed at which my curry katsudon was produced, garnish and all between the moment I ordered at the bar until seconds later pulling a tenner out of my wallet. Had me pining for lunchtime in tokyo in a matter of seconds. 

Having to generate 1.21 Gigawatts of power every time someone orders must make their power bills expensive though.

Great food at a great price. Popular with city workers. Cafe-style Swanston Street gets very busy over peak times and take-away is the way to go. Try the second restaurant -style site in Lonsdale Street which is a little more expensive, but with more seating and nicer decor.

The teriyaki chicken bento is the best and for well under $10, it is a bargain.  There is also another Don Don in Bank Street South Melbourne.  A nice chilled place for a quick bite!

One of Melbourne's best go-to places for food in a hurry. Everything is cheap and good quality - grab a bento or teriyaki don for $10 ish. The place is tiny, so if you plan on eating inside it can be a bit of a squeeze.  Best for lunches or a take-away snack to keep you going.

Take your don across the road and eat on the grass or steps of the State Library.