Don Don
Good for: Budget Travellers, food, Solo Travellers, service, japanese food
Not good for: atmosphere, celebrations, sitting down, service
- Address
- 321 Swanston St Melbourne
- Transport
- Phone
- 03-9670 3377
- Price
- mains $6-8
- Hours
- lunch Mon-Fri
Lonely Planet review for Don Don
A Japanese eatery, Don Don, serves great bentō (boxed lunches).
Traveller reviews for Don Don (10)
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Psychic Japanese that's easy on the pocket.
dmcclurg recommends this,
This one time at Don Don i received my order before handing over my $$$.
12:15 - Walked in and ordered my Chicken curry don.
12:15 - Reached into my pocket and looked up to pay.
12:15 - Before i could pay i had to re-shuffle my $$$ and take receipt of my hot bento of goodness.
12:15 - Paid, found a seat and begun eating.--
From here on this happened on every visit to Don Don regardless of what i ordered, i keep checking the door for a 'thought scanning' device as it can't be possible to turn around food that quickly, let alone food that tasty, that cheaply, that quickly.
This place really does have a gizmo (gremlins) type magic about it. Eat in or take away it's my favourite quick bite in Melbourne.
Good for: Budget Travellers, cost, japanese food, travelers with limited time, vibe, magic
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Blink and you'll miss it, but make sure you don't.
jnik recommends this,
Don Don, a tiny little nook on Swanston St, oppositeish the state library, is one of the best budget eateries in town. Its premises may not be that noteworthy (don't even think about holding any major celebrations here - there are only a few small tables) but the taste - and low, low cost - of its Japanese dishes is truly, truly amazing. There's a limited menu, but that just makes it easier to choose: try teriyaki chicken or sukiyaki beef on rice, with pickled ginger and crunchy broccoli... so good. If you think Japanese is expensive, think again - all meals, including their sublime bento boxes, are under $10 and are served within literally 30 seconds of placing your order. Just check out the constant flow of customers and you'll know you've found a winner.
Good for: Japanese
Not good for: celebrations
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Perfect for cheap lunch or a bento on the run...
petercaddy recommends this,
Take your tasty don across the road and sit on the steps of the State Library to people watch while you eat.
Good for: Budget Travellers, cheap, value for money, lunch, japanese food, bento, take-away, a quick meal
Not good for: sitting down
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Don Don: The most authentic Japanese in Melbourne
chrdbates recommends this,
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.
Good for: food, Budget Travellers, Solo Travellers
Not good for: atmosphere
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Don Don, good good
designer1 does not recommend this,
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.
Good for: Budget Travellers
Not good for: atmosphere
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Fast Japanese Food
con4n007 recommends this,
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.Good for: food, Budget Travellers, Solo Travellers
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Don Don have clearly mastered the art of time-travel...
lwnski recommends this,
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.
Good for: food, Budget Travellers, Solo Travellers, service
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Quick bite in MELBOURNE
n0mads does not recommend this,
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.
Good for: food, Budget Travellers, Solo Travellers
Not good for: atmosphere, service
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Fast, cheap Japanese
slunk recommends this,
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.
Good for: food, Budget Travellers, service
Not good for: atmosphere
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