“丼丼屋 A neighborhood eatery serving inventive Asian fare in compact quarters with exposed brick walls.”

— DonDonYa

If you're looking for an amazing Tonkatsu sandwich, then DonDonYa is the place to be. DonDonYa has two locations in Montreal, one in Cote des Neiges and the other in downtown Montreal. Today, I visited the location in Cote de Neiges at 5349 Av. Gatineau, Montréal, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This location opened its doors on March 1st and has since been a huge hit. They serve an assortment of curries, Tonkatsu dishes, teas, desserts, and more. During my visit, I got to try a few items from their menu and enjoyed the overall taste and presentation. Take a look at my visit below, and as always, be sure to leave a comment, recommend a dish, or tell me your favorite.

“Asian fusion restaurant”

The Menu

The menu at DonDonYa is beautiful; there are over a dozen pages that showcase their appetizers, main dishes, desserts, and drinks. All menu items have a picture to accompany them. I have been to dozens of restaurants, and this is the first place to have this. This was a huge plus for me, and I wish more restaurants would follow suit.

“Katsu Sando (カツサンド)”

It was a tough choice to choose my main dish, but I ended up settling on the Tonkatsu Sandwich. I can honestly say that I do not regret this decision, as the sandwich was amazing.

Ingredients:

Japanese milk bread, fried port cutlet, cabbage, cucumbers, and a blended sauce.

The sandwich was served on a small wooden board. It was cut in half and topped with their blended sauce. The tonkatsu sandwich was thick and packed with fresh vegetables and a large piece of fried pork. The taste was amazing, and all of the flavors blended well. The bread held firm and was not soggy at all. I highly recommend this dish and give it a solid 10/10.

Tonkatsu Sandwich by justonecookbook.com

“Lychee Osmanthus Jello-ライチ、キンモクセイゼリー”

I am a huge fan of lychee, so it was no surprise that I ordered the lychee osmanthus jello. This drink was packed with lychee, blended osmanthus flowers, and jello. The taste was amazing, and I felt like I was enjoying a cool dessert rather than a drink. Perhaps it can act as both.

This drink will be perfect during the summer, as it is very refreshing. Overall, I enjoyed the gelatinous taste of it and the combined flavors. A must-try!

“Black tea panna cotta-紅茶奶凍”

To finish my meal, I had to order a dessert! I ended up settling on the black tea panna cotta; it was served with light syrup and chewy tapioca pearls on a small saucer with a gold spoon.

If you're looking for a sweet panna cotta, then this is not it. This panna cotta was slightly sweet due to the tapioca pearls and light syrup. The taste of the black tea stood out and balanced all of the flavors well. I cannot say that this is my all-time favorite dessert, but I appreciated the flavors and presentation.

My Full Order

1. Tonkatsu Sandwich

2. Lychee, Osmanthus Jello

3. Black tea panna cotta

“Second Visit to DonDonYa”

Folks, I had such a great time at DonDonYa that I had to visit again. This time, I tried three new menu items, and they were simply amazing. Today I ordered the Chia Lemonade, Yaki Don, and Taro Chiffon Cake.

I thoroughly enjoyed each item that I ordered, as they were all delicious. Check out my updated visit below, and as always, leave a comment and tell me your favorite dish from DonDonYa.

My full order

1. Chia Lemonade

2. Yaki Don

3. Taro Chiffon Cake

“Chia Lemonade-チアレモネード”

Just like the Lychee Osmanthus Jello, this Chia Lemonade gets a solid 10/10 for me. DonDonYa, in my books, has the best homemade drinks that I have tried so far. This Chia lemonade was super fresh, not too sweet, and quenched my thirst. The mixture of lemonade and chia worked well together.

If I did not order dessert, I would have ordered a second glass of this drink. Spring is officially here and this drink will be a huge hit going into the Summer time.

“ Yaki Don-焼き丼”

For my entree, I ordered the Yaki Don for $13. This dish consists of BBQ Taiwanese pork, rice, cabbage, corn, and shredded carrots. All of the ingredients in this dish blended well together and tasted great. The portion was generous and very filling. My favorite part of this dish was the BBQ pork; it was grilled to perfection and topped with toasted sesame seeds.

I highly recommend this dish; the presentation and taste were perfect. I am very happy with this dish and will order it again.

“Taro Chiffon Cake-里芋のシフォンケーキ”

I love a great dessert, and this Taro Chiffon Cake hit the spot. The bottom layer was a vanilla sponge cake, and the top was taro with a cream frosting. This dessert was simply amazing and worth every dollar. This was the first time that I ate taro, and it was surprisingly good.

The size of this dessert may look small at first glance, but it is packaged with ingredients. I highly recommend giving this Taro Chiffon Cake a try, as it is top-notch.

DonDonYa CDN Montreal

I had an amazing experience at DonDonYa CDN; the staff was super friendly, and the food was amazing. I ended up spending less than CAD 25 on all the items that I ordered. Placing an order was a breeze. The menu showcases a picture of each dish, which makes the ordering process much smoother.

Each item that I ordered was incredible. The lychee osmanthus jello was refreshing; they did not skimp on any ingredients. The black tea panna cotta was cool and refreshing, and the taste was as expected. My favorite item was the Tonkatsu sandwich; each bite was simply amazing, and it is the reason why I will be going back.

I highly recommend visiting this Japanese restaurant, as it deserves a solid 10/10. The flavors are incredible, and the experience was amazing. I loved my interaction with the owner, as she was super friendly and hands-on. I will be going back soon to try more items on the menu.

For more information on their locations, menu, and hours, please visit DonDonYa's official website.

Visit Restomontreal.ca for DonDonYa’s full menu