6DON DOKO DON Japan Bistro
Most Japanese restaurants in Budapest specialize in sushi even though local Hungarian tastes and wallets are more compatible with everyday Japanese dishes. Perhaps this is what the Tomokis, a young couple from Tokyo, had in mind when in 2018 they opened DON DOKO DON, Budapest’s first donburi restaurant near the city center. It's a small, counter-service space with a few tables upstairs.
Donburis are rice bowls topped with meat, vegetables, and a soy-based sweet and savory broth. In Japan, they're a popular midday meal for busy office workers and also a common hangover cure. At DON DOKO DON, go for the gyudon, which is the classic beef bowl with onions (€5); if you kindly request "tsuyudaku," they'll add some extra broth for you. There's also a curry donburi and a vegetarian version made with tofu, carrots, and mushrooms. You can pair your dons with a miso or tonjiro soup (€2). I only wish they'd add a few more options to the menu, for example oyakodon, the delicious chicken-and-egg rice bowl.
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