DON! DON! Pondok Indah

That one Saturday afternoon, I was doing some errands in Pondok Indah area when I found this restaurant, located almost hidden in Pondok Indah Plaza 2.

You can instantly tell that DON! DON! is a Japanese restaurant just by looking at its door. They placed a menu board outside the door so potential guests can have a peek at their menu, and that’s exactly what I did.

Like its name – DON! DON!, this restaurant served Japanese food, with Donburi as their specialisation. If rice bowls are not your thing, they also have a decent Sushi+Sashimi selection and some Kushiyaki/Yakimono too, all priced very reasonably.

Intrigued by their menu, I walked in. The interior was cosy, filled with brown hues that somehow made it warm. There were not many tables – I didn’t count exactly but I’m sure it was not more than 10, including 1 tatami-style table for 4.

I ordered Gyu Yakiniku Don (IDR 45,000) and Gyu Tan (IDR 28,000). Mind you, I was hungry hehehe. Anyway, I did not have to wait long for my order to arrive, which is a plus point.

How’s the food, you might now ask. I love it! The Gyu Yakiniku Don is served with the right amount of rice and also generous beef + veggies. The Gyu Tan is one of the best in town for me because I personally prefer a thick Gyu Tan rather than the thin-sliced. Here, they served it in thick pieces, but still chewy.

In overall, my first experience was good and I decided to come back. And I did come back for the second time, with my family last weekend. Food-wise, everything was still satisfying. I ordered the same thing and the taste was still consistent, but I tried several new dishes that my family ordered.. such as their Salmon Sashimi (fresh!), Salmon Yukke Don (Ok to me but my brother liked it), and also Wakame Salad (fresh!). We did not try their dessert, perhaps it’s a thing to do for our next visit.

One thing though. Contrary to my first visit, the restaurant was rather full on my second. Then I realised, that they allow customers to smoke in the dining section. Unfortunately for us,  two customers were smoking while we were there and even though their table was not that close to ours, I still found it quite disturbing.

Will I come back? Sure, for the food. Let’s hope the restaurant will be smoke-free by then.

DON DON Pondok Indah

A: Pondok Indah Plaza 2 BA37 1st Floor, Jl. Metro Pondok Indah – Jakarta Selatan
T: 021-27828182