DonToo, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil

I've been to DonToo a few times now for lunch and still can't make up my mind about whether I like or not. On the negative side the food is mediocre and the tables too small and close together. I also don't like the way you wait next to the front counter for your meal to come out; it’s a small café and you always seem to be in someone's way. On the other hand, the food comes out so quick and it is very cheap.


From the outside DonToo is a very nondescript café, easy to walk past. With a mixture of students and suits, it's certainly very popular with the locals. Walk in at 12.01 and i'ts nearly empty, walk in at 12.10 and it's almost full.

The menu is limited, with maybe ten or so dishes available for lunch and a different but similarly limited menu for dinner. The seating area is small and quite dark away from the front window, and with the way everyone crowds in I probably should dislike it. However, while it's hardly my favourite place to eat it has grown on me a little. I like the minimalist approach of the bare wooden tables, a few pictures and empty sake bottles for decoration and the Latino style music they sometimes have playing in the background.


The food is a bit of a letdown though. The curry chicken katsudon comes with the same grilled chicken used for the teriyaki chicken, the rice sitting in a huge bowl of the curry sauce. The serve is generous and it's prepared within one minute of ordering, but the whole thing is fairly ordinary. Not bad, just ordinary.


Again the Don Don Box isn't great even taking into account the price. It comes with teriyaki chicken, shredded beef, some fruit and vegetables and rice, none of which are bad but nothing that I really want to return for either. Best of the Box was the beef, which was still moist and not dry, but even that was nothing special.


Completing the trifecta the Sashidon comes with salmon sashimi and a few vegetables on rice. The salmon wasn't past its use by date but was a long way from being the best around. Sort of meh.


Overall
Whether I return to DonToo will probably depend on what I'm after. It's really close to work and if speed and price are of the essence it’s a reasonable option. In fact it's probably the quickest service of anywhere I've eaten in the city and it did usually come with a smile. But if I had a bit more time and more than just a few coins in my pocket, there are much better options in the city.

Verdict
Food - 6
Ambience - 6.5
Service - 7.5
Price - 7.5

Address
Shop 6, 340 Little Lonsdale St
Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: (03) 9670 7113