Japanese rice bowls @ Dondonya (Elements), Hong Kong

Rice is a staple in the Japanese cuisine, and the Japanese take great pride in the quality, taste and stickiness of their rice. When we were still living among them in Japan, we marvelled at the Japanese people's obsession over this grain. The donburi (rice bowl) is a substantial meal in one bowl that is often both tasty and nutritious. Dondonya in the mall downstairs from our apartment has gotten pretty good reviews, and we recently had the chance to finally give it a try. We're glad we did, because the food was good and affordably priced (for its location), the restaurant is family-friendly, and there are plenty of non-rice options for those on low-carb diets. The convenient location is also a bonus. Reservations are not accepted because seating is done on a first-come-first-served basis, and this restaurant is so popular that we always see a queue of hungry diners waiting outside the restaurant. We went shortly after it opened for lunch service at 11:30am on a Sunday, and got a table quite easily. However the restaurant filled up quickly and there were people waiting outside by the time we left an hour later. The service was good enough, and our tea cups were regularly refilled.

Kid-sized Oyakodon (HK$68) - includes a drink and a dessert (but we forgot about the dessert until after we'd paid, left and gone home). The chicken-and-egg topping was served separately from the rice, which suited the boy who likes to eat his food separately. This was yummy and perfect for young kids, but hubby reckons my homemade version is still better:

Hubby ordered the Teriyaki Codfish (HK$108), which was pretty good:

Another of hubby's choice, the Dondonya Tuna and Seafood Roll (HK$158), which he thought was great:

I ordered the Salmon and Salmon Roe Kamameshi (kettle rice, HK$98)):

The fish and roe were more cooked than I liked (overcooking is unavoidable with such a cooking method), but it was enjoyable, and I loved the flavour of the rice:

We enjoyed our first meal at Dondonya, and we will be back for more.

[Prices above do not include the 10% service charge]

Dondonya (Elements)
Shop 2103-04
Level 2, Elements,
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel. +85 2 2196 8589