Dosanko Restaurant

The service was polite and nice, the place looks very nice, not the typical Japanese restaurant. but I was pretty disappointed with the food. All the photos on review looked amazing and looked high quality, but it wasn’t. I didn’t take any pictures of the rice under the egg in Omu-rice, but the veggies were cut poorly, and there were so many small black pieces in. Like the pan they used are not washed properly. I have seen those burnt stuff at a Mongolian grill when they keep using the same pan over and over again. I ended up picking some bigger size of the burnt pieces from the rice to eat. The scrambled egg was too buttery, didn’t taste egg enough. The Kastu was not bad, but nothing really special. The spring mix was very sad looking, not fresh at all. Not crunch, just warm green. The presentation wasn’t very good either. With those quality, the price for both were way over priced. Maybe we were just very unlucky, and the cook wasn’t in a good mood or something?

Was on our list for a while and glad we got to check it out! We ordered the curry rice, the tan tan men (special for the day/season?) and a crispy cheesy onigiri. The curry rice was unlike any other curry or Japanese curry specifically that I’ve ever had - when they said 40 ingredients, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was simple, straightforward and delicious - exactly what curry should be! The tan tan men was also incredible. Usually I don’t like how other variations are heavy with peanut sauce, but this was the perfect blend of the nutty peanut and mild chilli oil heat. The crispy cheesy onigiri was an impulse get - it was yummy, but certainly much saltier than I was anticipating! Overall a lovely dinner with great service and a hello from the chef. Definitely a hard neighborhood but it’s still worth a visit, especially with the free parking in the area. Will be back!

Japanese comfort food and it’s delicious. The cocktails are well made and nicely balanced. I had the Sake Sour and my husband had the Matcha Gin and Tonic and both were excellent. The food is well portioned, and the flavours and style make you feel like you’ve been invited to dinner at your Japanese neighbours’ home. The omurice is outstanding and executed perfectly. Also it’s a quarter of the price and just as good as the Michelin starred Kissa Tanto’s version down the street. We also had the Tan Tan Men noodles and we are so sad we left our to go box! The portions for the price is definitely a plus- we left stuffed. Great addition to the neighbourhood! We will be back!

Solid value Japanese spot with a variety of options available for lunch and specials. Pricing is very competitive and the food is well made. It’s not in the greatest part of town, so look down when you walk. Overall, solid spot to get a quick bite for lunch. They also do serve alcohol, in case that’s something you’re looking for.

My partner and I are from Toronto and went here for lunch because of the good reviews. I had the omurice with hayashi sauce and he had the omurice with curry sauce and both tasted amazing! I like how they cut open the omurice and pour on the sauce for you. Plus the waiter named Hikaru was super friendly! I even had a chance to practice my Japanese in a conversation with him. When we come back to Vancouver next time we'll definitely stop by again for that omurice. :) Edit: The dessert and the tea were also very good!! おいしかったです！

The moment I walked in, it felt like stepping into a different world. Maybe it’s just because I don’t usually visit this area, but the atmosphere really stood out. The food was solid all around—everything we ordered felt thoughtfully made. The chilled ramen had a nice chew to it and was especially refreshing, perfect for those hot summer days when you’re feeling a little run-down. If it were closer to home, I’d probably stop by more often. The location is the only real drawback.

Really recommend! Home style Japanese food, and they made them so well! All sauces (salad dressing or food dipping) are extraordinary and special. I finally tried the soft scrambled eggs on rice! Love it!

Wow !!! This place is incredible. The space / feel / staff / and OMG the food!! I came into town from Calgary and I will come back for this place. Really creative cocktails / menu. A must come and experience!!!

I picked this restaurant for one of the stops on our bachelorette tour. The menu looked delicious and there were so many items that everyone wanted to try. The staff were very friendly and accommodating to our large group of 7. Even though the dishes were not all meant to be shareable in style they were easily split amongst the party. While we may have not gotten huge portions of each item, we at least got to try everything. If ordering individually I would say the portions were good, not oversized. My favorite items were the two different omurice (curry and tomato) but you really couldn't go wrong with anything you ordered. And the drinks, they were fun creative combinations that fit well with the Japanese menu.

Really enjoyed our meal at Dosanko. They have a wide variety of Japanese dishes with amazing flavors and beautiful presentation. Most had a their own little "spin" on some of the more traditional flavors. Pay for street parking which is available in the area.

Delicious Japanese restaurant, easy street parking, welcoming staff. Food was really good here. Dishes you traditionally don't see. I loved the beef katsu sandwich, mushroom risotto, and the omelette with various sauces. I highly recommend it if you want to try something new. We called in for a reservation for 6. The ambiance is nice casual, with a corner area do people with toddlers. We had a toddler in our group and he had so much fun while we enjoyed dinner. It was really nice. Great date spot too. Service was very friendly and helpful. Parking was very easy on the street Bathroom clean. Highly recommend. Give it a try.

I loved the ambiance!!! You wouldn't guess from the outside. We ordered the tuna tataki, tantan noodles, and omurice. The tuna tataki was tender; I thought I wouldn't enjoy the tantan noodles as much because the sauce was thick but it was my favourite dish! I genuinely loved the items we got and would rate them all a solid 8/10. The waiters were all very kind and gave us recommendations as well (:

Let me start by saying everyone we spoke to here was amazingly nice and always had a smile on their face! We started with appetizers which were all amazing! The egg based appetizer was my favorite and I could've ate that all on my own. They also have flights of sake or whiskey, but they choose what you get. When we got there, it wasn't busy, but it stayed pretty consistent from the time we arrived to the time we left. Easy to make a reservation and it was close to where we were staying which was nice. Enjoyed the food and the ambiance which was very chill. Good way to end a long week.

I'd had my eye on Dosanko for quite awhile and we finally got to try it out! This isn't your run of the mill Japanese restaurant. There's no sushi to be found on their menu. They are described as a Japanese Homestyle Yoshoku Restaurant. Yoshoku is a term which refers to Western food, so Dosanko serves up Japanse dishes with Western influence. Mugi Cha Grape Calpico Soda Kinpira Crispy Cheesy Onigiri Farm Vegetable Tempura Beef Belly Katsu Sandwich Omu Rice Pacific Cod Fish Katsu We'd had a Cheese Yaki Onigiri in Seattle earlier this year, and until now I didn't know of any places within Vancouver that served it. Even Takenaka's Onigiri Cafe, which is Vancouver's one and only dedicated Onigiri restaurant, does not have a Cheese Onigiri on their menu. Dosanko not only impressed us by having Cheesy Onigiri on their menu, but they also managed to cook it better than the one we had in Seattle!  We'd been happy already with the one in Seattle, but that was because it was the first and only Cheese Onigiri we'd ever had. There was no basis of comparison. After trying this one from Dosanko, there's no way we'd go back to the one in Seattle. Upon a first glance, Dosanko's Cheesy Onigiri was paler in colour and didn't look as attractive as the one we had in Seattle. Biting into it was a different story though. It was way less greasy than the one in Seattle, and so it felt better in our stomachs.  "O mu goodness," the Omu Rice was soooo good! They gave us plenty of tomato sauce for the Omu Rice too, so we were able to pour some of the extra tomato sauce onto the plain rice that came with one of the other dishes. Every other dish was executed to perfection as well. This was such a wonderful meal and we will definitely be back sometime to try out their lunch special! Five stars for the foods; however, it was a hot summer's day and there was no air conditioning in the restaurant, so....4 stars overall when factoring in the ambiance. Service: Good Parking: Paid parking on the street. Free parking a couple of blocks away. Location: 566 Powell St.

The restaurant has rustic decor. Has the vibe of slow dining indoors which is nice when you just want to sit and chat with friends. Service was a bit busy and they seemed like they only had 2 people working the floor so expect it to be slow at times. The servers were super friendly and accommodating though. The food was amazing! Highly recommend the omurice with tomato sauce.

Craving omurice so decided to give this place a try, it is in a bit sketchy area so be careful. We came during peak dinner time, when we were greeted at the front, they told us our food wait time is 30 mins, and we were ok with waiting. It was super pretty inside, the gorgeous Xmas tree, the decorations, screams comfort. We ordered beef belly katsu sando, fried chicken karaage, omurice with beef sauce and omurice with tomato sauce. The food actually came within 15 mins which totally exceeded our expectation: - fried chicken karaage: we didn't get the pairing sauce and it proved that we never had to, the chicken was fully marinaded and so juicy it bursted out into our mouth. the portion is a little small i wish they could sell a bigger portion for a little more expensive - beef belly katsu sando: OH MY GOD, fatty beef fried to perfection in golden toast, 100000/10. I think there is a little too much coleslaw which made the whole thing way too sour for some bites, but that is totally understandable. - omurice: ok, i think this place's omurice is much much better than marulilu's even tho price is a little higher. i personally dont think the beef sauce is worth it, it is much more than the tomato sauce and we didn't quite taste enough beef to justify that price, tomato sauce one tho, is extremely good. would totally come back again :D

Hey guys, I really like this restaurant because they're giving me food to fill my NZ stomach guy because sometimes I wondering if this food or any good because it was so good that my brain thinking it bad guy because not real could it be because on top of my head, I thought that this food was so good that maybe I'm making up how good it was inside of my head but also I'm wondering if it was actually really bad inside of the food in my mouth going to my stomach guy because the food was really good and also really bad to making the five star review would be also to making the one star review because my brain is not thinking I like it or not like it at all guy and also end of my head. I love this type of food, got it very hearty and fulfilling to mine Thank you guys for the food.

Truly an outstanding meal! We started off with their Beef belly katsu sandwich. Super tender and juicy with their tonkatsu sauce&koji mayo + and their house made milk bread. Next up is zangi. Garlic, ginger, crispy chicken and their jalapeño mayo. Delish! Crispy cheese onigiri is oh so cheesy:) and their Proscuitto with quince was a nice addition to our appies! The mains were amazing with their Ling cod katsu. Wild-caught cod was panko crusted so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Their cheese stuffed Menchi katsu burger is a super creative burger. Beef patty stuffed with American cheese and their tonkatsu sauce, Loki mayo and caramelized onions! Saving the best for last which is their Omu-rice with their Hayashi sauce. The omelette was perfectly cooked and oozed all over the rice. Need that decadent Hayashi sauce which takes it over the top! One of the best meals I've had in a long time and I can't wait to come back!

Location at this restaurant wasn't great but once you're inside, it's so nice and clean. Came here specifically for their omurice & they did not disappoint! My little picky eaters finished their omurice as well. Just the fried rice alone was so good but with the omelet, it made it taste so much better. The chef was nice enough to come by our table to chat. The owner & the waiter was super nice, too. We will definitely return when we visit Canada again!

Great food. Great service. I got the feeling our waitress was the owner. Never had the egg on rice dish before. The egg was silky smooth and perfectly cooked. Cut it open and it oozes out over the rice. Beautiful.

My brother kept raving about Dosanko so I finally went with him to try. This place is tucked away in the back streets of Strathcona. The restaurant is spacious and cozy. The staff were friendly and provided great service. I tried a few dishes starting with their onigiri, the Zangi snd Crispy cheesy. The crispy cheese came with jalapeños mayo dip which I used for zangi as well. Then I tried the Beef belly katsu sandwich which came with a generous piece of meat. I would have liked a little bit more fat on my meat or a tad bit more mayo to get more creaminess. For my main, i got the hayashi rice. This has some powerful flavours. It was nice, but could have used a bit more rice to balance it out the flavour a little. Also tried to the spicy chicken katsu on the side. I was surprised by how spicy it was, kinda tasted like buffalo seasoning. Again, nice flavour but needed to be balanced out with rice. Overall, food had some good strong flavours, but could be a bit more balanced (I'm probably partly to blame because of the assortment of dishes I wanted to try). Though I didn't drink this time. It looked like they have a variety of Japanese whisky on hand. I wouldn't mind coming back for a drink and to try other dishes!

Great food, superb service. Chef Nathan and Aki are the best in the business. First time was through Dine Out before Covid. Kept coming in for take out during the Lock Down. Glad that they are in full steam now.

After going through Dosanko's menu it was soo hard to just pick a few items. We wanted to try them all!! We ended with quite a spread for our dinner with the Ramen Salad + Zangi + Omu-Rice + Crispy Cheesy Onigiri + Beef Belly Katsu Sandwich. There were plenty of leftovers for the next day! They were all very very flavourful and amongst them our favourites were the Omu-Rice and Crispy Cheesy Onigiri! That egg in the Omu-Rice is unbelievable! So creamy and it just melded into the sauce and rice perfectly! The Onigiri is such a simple pleasure for those who love rice! It has a very light and crispy crust and inside comes with just the right amount of gooey cheese that just hits the spot! The Beef Belly Katsu was very tender but I it would have been perfect if it had just tiny less fat between the meat, but had a great taste overall! A great place to try some creative Japanese dishes!!

My first time dining at Dosanko and won't be my last! Though not in the best location but the food is worth to come. It's during the pandemic and happy to see table are distanced comfortably and staff wearing mask. We came with couple for friends and ordered some great dishes! You won't be disappointed with any of the dishes here. You need to come hungry! We ordered: - Omu-rice: it was so mesmerizing and satisfying watching the staff cut open the egg omelette. This was by far our favourite dish as we added hayashi sauce. - Beef Belly Katsu Sandwich - wow! The beef belly was substantial and so melt in your mouth flavourful and decadent. I would definitely order this again. - Zangi - The chicken was super crispy and quite forward with garlic and ginger. We finished every piece quite quickly. - Ling Cod Fish Katsu - The fish was battered perfectly with a thin slice of ling cod. I really enjoyed the salad paired with the fish. - Calpico Panna Cotta - You can definitely taste the Calpico and was very nice and light at the end of a delicious meal. Great service and great food!

I was excited to try this place out after having it on my list for awhile, however I left feeling a bit disappointed. The restaurant is a large space with large tables in the back and smaller ones in the front. I really like the interior of the restaurant. It feels warm and homey. Some items we tried was the tsuke mono, ling cod katsu don, and the beef belly tonkatsu sandwich. The tsuke mono is various vegetables pickled in different ways. The highlights were the onion and the cabbage. The carrot just tasted like cooked carrot and wasn't anything special. I wish it had a stronger vinegar flavour. The ling cod katsu was fried nicely and was crisp. With the purple cabbage, it added a nice vibrancy to the bowl. The beef belly sandwich was the item that fell short for me. The bread, sauce and crispy outer layer was all delicious. However, the piece of meat had way too much fat to meat ratio. With beef belly, I was expecting some good fat, but it was just too much. I had to give some to my friend because it was just too much for me. I think if I went with the chicken katsu, it would have been better because of the leaner piece of meat.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how good the food at Dosanko was. The owners were working at the front of house and it was great to see them interacting with the diners. We got the omurice and the shoulder tonkatsu for dinner. We were oh so impressed with the omurice - the quality of the egg, the mix of ingredients together and just the overall taste. There are few places in Vancouver that serve omurice and we definitely know we will be back to have this. The tonkatsu was also pretty good. I liked how they offered three selections for the tonkatsu which is unique - loin, shoulder, and belly. With the number of specialty tonkatsu restaurants, it was on par with other but not better. Prices are a bit on the higher side for comfort Japanese food but we were thoroughly impressed and can't wait to be back!

Ordered via Ubereats for pick up. Ordered: beef belly sandwich - OMG SO GOOD. Rich but didn't feel like it was fatty. Red cabbage gave some crunch on top of the toasted bread. Tonkatsu sauce had a bit of a horseradish kick that was nice. tonkatsu sandwich: very tasty. My husband liked it more than the beef belly. Came with side salad. egg sandwich: omg soooooo much egg. They mustve put 4 eggs in it! Definitely two hand sandwich. Nice sweet mayo sauce. Came with side salad. I definitely recommend! Area is a bit sketchy though haha.

What a lovely hidden gem on Powell Street! Tried it for the first time on a Friday evening. The owners were very friendly and the service was extremely prompt. Tried the tonkatsu curry rice and it was very flavourful - the beef was extra crispy and the cheese was perfect on top. The Korean hot chicken had a good kick to it. The mushroom risotto was on their special menu, and had a nice earthy and creamy cheesy taste to it. Throughly enjoyed my meal and can't wait to go back!

My husband and I came back from Japan and craved for good Japanese food. We came here to have dinner. Our first time! We came here after 6pm and luckily got free parking on the street right outside the restaurant. The restaurant was not very busy that two servers were serving customers. Both servers were Japanese ladies that they were super polite and friendly. We ordered the omurice with hayashi sauce (beef), fried cod with salad and rice, a bowl of miso soup and salad. All of them tasted great! The food was Japanese style but more suitable for western people. The amazing part of eating omurice was cutting the eggs in half and pouring the hayashi sauce (beef) on top of the eggs. The eggs were very soft and smooth. The rice underneath the eggs was cooked with carrots and other ingredients. Excellent!! We tried omurice in other Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, but the omurice here was close to the real one in Kyoto in Japan. The real omurice actually has the egg sauce that comes out from inside if we cut the eggs in half. The fried cod tasted great or better than the American fish and chips. It came with two types of veggie salads and rice. We would probably come back to try their tonkatsu with rice next time. It is also a famous dish in Japan, so we would like to try it here. The miso soup was very unique that it was not a normal miso soup with tofu and seaweed. The restaurant or chef put more ingredients to thicken the soup base. The salad included some flowers! It only cost $10! We thought it was a very good deal. It priced reasonably and tasted incredibly fresh. The restaurant got some of these veggies or ingredients from farms in UBC. Last but not least, we ordered a matcha milcrepe for desserts. The restaurant or chef made all the desserts in house. The matcha milcrepe had about 20 layers. It tasted soft and went well with some whipping cream and caramel jello (that tasted sour). The restaurant is located in a sketchy area on Powell Street. Other than that, we had a great eating experience here. We will come back here to try other dishes in the near future.

This humble Japanese Yōshoku restaurant is a must go! Tucked in the Japantown of Vancouver, you can find beautiful home cooking and elevated westernized Japanese dishes. Omu-rice There aren't a lot of restaurants in Vancouver that dishes out the technically difficult but simple looking omurice! The eggs were fluffy, dreamy and luscious. Although they don't fall on its own when it is cut in half, it is a must order. You will be amazed at how there is no uneven browning and the eggs were so smooth Curry-rice My friend loves this dish and orders it every time she is here. This is because it is COVERED in delicious cheese! The curry was so flavourful and we just kept digging into this dish. You won't be disappointed. Beef Belly Katsu-Sandwich Don't let the size and look fool you. The beef belly was so tender that you didn't have to chew it constantly like steak. The bread is the soft and delicate Japanese milk bread and I liked how a mustard smear is included to cut the beef's fattiness. Another must order. Korean Hot Chicken Not quite your Korean style but I like how they put a Japanese spin on it. The spicy (not that spicy) sauce gives you that beloved kick of flavour and it compliments the sweet and natural chicken flavour. This is more of a chicken kaarage but it was a great sharing dish. Uni Udon It is difficult to find handmade udon. Although it resembles fettuccine, it was cooked beautifully, al dente. I was sad how the uni flavour is masked by the sauce but I guess I prefer to eat an uni nigiri with the uni being front and centre. The Red Bean Rice Pudding was a beautiful and not too sweet, sweet note to the end of our meal. It was difficult to scoop the ice cream but the rice pudding was light and red beans had a nice chew to it. For a party of 5 who ordered 6 dishes, the price came to $22 per person. It was not expensive at all. I was surprised at the bill because I thought I was at least paying $30 and up for the food, quality and service. I highly recommend you make a reservation. There is a play area for young children and babies. So very family friendly!

I don't usually write reviews, but I had to for this place. A really amazing spot. The food is super unique, I always go for the spicy chicken katsu sandwich. I think they make the bread in-house which is really nice. Food aside, the vibe is super cool and the service is incredibly friendly (authentic Japanese restaurants always are, no exception here). Great atmosphere. Super impressed!

My number one criteria for a 5-star is 'would I go back to this place.' Maybe that's too intense, but there's like, what, 4 billion restaurants in this city. Point is, I would go back to this place- and often. The high point is the chef coming to ask how everything tasted. All chefs should do this. I know some of y'all are running a busy service, so it's not always possible, but maybe just once in a while for feedback and goodtimes purposes. The crispy onigiri is seriously good stuff, stuffed cheesy insides and delicious dip. Tad bit of 'stuck in teeth chewieness' on the batter, but it worked. Korean Hot Chicken is perfect- ideal level of spice and batter for me, I could eat 1000 of these sonofaguns. Burger was also good, but I'd go for something a little more specialized next time. Can't say enough about our experience and how great the service was, especially for our toddler. We had a quiet table in the back, a GINORMOUS and delicious kids menu option (at $7, a bargain) and kid-friendly cutlery and bowls.

Everything hit the spot for me today from the food, the friendly staff, the decor and cleanliness. We came in for lunch and after the first bite, we knew it wouldn't be the last. Favorite item on the menu was the Beef Belly Tonkatsu Sandwich. So tender, juicy, enough fat/lean meat distribution and wrapped in lightly toasted Japanese milk bread with mustard and cabbage. There's no doubt we will end up trying each one. Tied for second place because it's hard to choose one over since they are so different are the Katsu chicken rice bowl and the daikon salad. Both solid dishes. If you don't like sour salads, then skip the daikon salad, but I loved it.

I've seen Dosanko on my social media feed for sometime now, the Omu-rice was what got me in door. Warning for those who are not from here, this area is on the sketchy side of town. Personally it doesn't bother me but it might other people. For example I came when it opened right a 11:30am, I got free 2 hour parking right in the front but you quickly notice a lot of people wondering around, under some type of influence, or using right in front. This might bother some. Also while eating a random man walked in only with pants on, but the server was right on it and told him to leave. Regardless you've been warned. The restaurant is lovely well decorated with natural wood, exposed brick, and pretty hanging lights. It felt really welcoming. On to the food. The menu had lots of options from traditional Japanese food, from sandwiches, donburi, sushi, katsu so on. The menu was a lot bigger than I thought. Many looked tempting but I came for one thing. As mentioned I came for the Omu-rice $18, I added the beef sauce for an extra $4. I was warned it would be at least 20 minutes. I've never had Omi rice before, I didn't know what to expect. After waiting for what seemed to be no time at all my food came. The server came and sliced opened my omu rice, which exposed the creamy inside of the omelette. After she topped it off with the beef sauce. I couldn't wait to dig in. My first bite which I tried to include all egg, sauce and rice was fantastic. Very savory and creamy, the rice was yummy and I was worried the sauce would over power the omelette but it all worked together. It was a lot of food, I think it would be good for two people or someone who was really hungry. I also thought it was pricey for brunch but I know Omu rice is very technical and it's not offered in too many places in Vancouver. Overall, it was a really good experience and great service. I recommend trying it.

Omu-Rice with Hayashi Sauce, Ling Cod Katsu, and Poutine with Curry Sauce _ Everything was exactly what I expected it to be! Although it's in a super sketchy area in Downtown East Side it's worth it _ I'm not going to pretend I know anything about omu rice but this was what I would imagined it to be or at least very close. The egg was fluffy and runny which I think would be the perfect texture. They also used a thicker, chewier rice that I thought was a good choice so it wouldn't get lost in the rice The Ling Cod Katsu had a delicate light batter that didn't over power the light fish. They used a shiso tartar that differentiated it from a regular fish and chips kind of dish. I do wish they used a vinaigrette based dressing for the salad opposed to cream so it wasn't just one note I was pleasantly surprised with the poutine! The fries were thick cut and plenty of sauce to go around. _ I really wish they were in a better location! But the service was great and decor is super cute in there. PS. They're also mindful with packing to-go boxes neatly

I have been wanting to come here forever and glad I did this week with my foodie group. The food and service was excellent snd you can tell the owners take pride in what they do. Beautiful decor and reasonable prices. Try their house made sodas from house made shrubs. I had the shiso and it was amazing. I shared the beef belly Katsura sandwich as an appy with my friend. We both loved it. Reminded me of a Japanese version of a Jewish pastrami sandwich so that appealed to my Eastern European roots :) I also has one cheesey onigiri with the side of mayo. Very tasty. My main was the ebi chili burger which was very yummy. I only finished half of it as so full and took the rest home. Wanted to try dessert but so full couldn't do it. I will be back as my friend has the omu rice and it's beautiful they way they cut it for you at the table and then pour the sauce. Dosanko is a definite winner!

I had such high expectations for this place. Perhaps the dinner service is better than their lunch but food took forever to come out (over 1hour kind of forever). By the time, the food came, I was beyond starved. Price for quantity definitely left something to be desired. My partner tried their Onigiri combo with the Saba-Miso & Ikura option completed with a side Aki Salad along with the traditional Saba Breakfast Combo. The Onigiri was 95 percent rice, the rest filler. The ratio could definitely have been improved. The Saba with the breakfast combo fared a tad better but again with the wait time, I was expecting something spectacular. Needless to say, very disappointed. I might return for the dinner service but with this latest experience, might be many moons until it happens.

Came all the way on a very rainy day to try their omurice. Unfortunately we were disappointed. In my opinion, the egg was too thick and a bit over overcooked to my liking. Also there was not a lot of rice to go with the egg. The tonkatsu for the curry was way too salty. I did, however, really like the atmosphere and the decor of the restaurant. Another thing is that the pricepoint was a bit high for me so I probably won't be back.

Dosanko We came here for lunch on a weekday and it was quiet - no reservations needed. I came here for the sole intention of trying their omurice (fried rice topped with a runny egg omelette and curry). Omurice with Beef Curry ($21) - THREE STARS The rice was good but very pricey. The regular rice is $18 but we added the beef curry for an additional $4. $22 fried rice! The egg wasn't as runny as I would have preferred - we didn't get the satisfaction of the omelette unfolding on its own when she cut into it. Herring Katsu Don ($13.50) - TWO STARS Pretty disappointed with this dish. The fried herring was good but rest of the dish was boring and needed more toppings. Ikura Onigiri - salmon caviar rice ball ($3.5) - ONE STAR Very disappointed by how little caviar there was. Spicy Tuna Onigiri ($3) - ONE STAR Again, very disappointed by how little filling there was. The tuna was also not spicy. Overall the omurice is a nice thing to try at least once but the rest of the dishes weren't so inspiring. Portions were also a bit small, I left feeling a bit hungry still. Service is really friendly and the interior is lovely (vast contrast to the outside neighbourhood!).

@dosankorestaurant adds a permanent Japanese prescence to the historical Japantown in Vancouver. We visited them twice in a week because we forgot to bring our camera the first time and loved their food so much! They serve Yoshuku food, which are western-influenced dishes that originated from Japan over 100 years ago. This includes dishes like Pork Katsu and one of our favorites, Omurice! Omurice is a creamy omelette served on top of some deliciously flavored rice, and in this case, topped with a curry sauce on top. What's also pictured is their daily special, a Beef Belly Katsu sandwich. As you can see in the picture, the beef is the perfect medium rare color, surrounded by a layer of beef belly fat. The restaurant is a bit out of the way, and not normally in a part of town you would think to go eat. However, we heavily suggest making the trek out there to give them a try.

I came with 2 friends for lunch and we ordered a few things to share including: - gommae - made with fresh yellow beans in a ground sesame sauce ( 5 stars ) - poutine - fries perfectly cooked cheese and Japanese pork gravy , portion was large ( 5 stars ) - tuna tataki - generous large portions of fish but not enough flavour ( 3 stars ) - tonkatsu curry rice - perfectly cooked pork , really tasty ( 5 stars ) This place is a gem and there are spots to eat, to lounge on comfy sofas and is family / large group friendly. Tip go park in Alexander and Princess - there is impark lot if you cannot find parking. It's just 1.5 block away.

This is not your ordinary Japanese restaurant. It's more high-end, French style Japanese restaurant. So I'm a big fan of Hayashi rice and I didn't try it at the restaurant for long time because it's something you can cook it easily at home but one day I really wanted to eat omurice so I tried their omu rice with Hayashi curry. Why didn't I try sooner..., That's all I could think of!! From the very first bite, you'll be amazed how tasty it is!! And it's so big!!!! It was so good that I went back there twice in 1.5week already and the number will grow for sure,, My husband is also a big foodie person but even he said it's amazing... you just have to try to understand how great it is !!!!! We also tried their popular matcha milcrepe. I'm not huge if matcha so I didn't expect a lot but let me tell you. It was so much better than other cakes from cake shops!! Is this real?! I don't like matcha but I love this cake so much!!

Been wanting to visit Dosanko for a while now, but avoided it because of the restaurant location. Finally we decided to visit it, and it was well worth the drive there. The interior decor was nice and spacious, a lot nicer than the surrounding area outside. Dosanko seems like a nice family run restaurant, with a nice lady and her daughter to greet us and bring us water and menu. The food came out fast and definitely didn't disappoint my high expectation. Had the Cheese Curry rice with beef katsu and egg. Beef was tender and juicy, highly recommend. The spicy chicken sandwich was good and flavorful, but wish the chicken was just a singular piece, instead of multiple pieces Overall Dosanko is 5/5

Homestyle Japanese fare with a unique modern healthy twist. The menu is simple yet lovely with all the Japanese elements that remind me of my moms cooking. This place have vegetarian/vegan options and are clearly labeled also. This is a place for kitchen food, as is not a sushi restaurant. (Contrary to popular belief, people in Japan do not often eat sushi at home,) They use a lot of "koji" in their menu and is a health conscious Japanese seasoning that is getting easier to access in Vancouver these days at your traditional Japanese market like Fujiya or Suzuya market. (Look up "shio koji" for more info) it brings out the umami in the dish and can be used in just about everything, which you will notice in their menu. I applaud their use of shio koji! Not sure if others use it also but I haven't seen it so prominently listed in the ingredients as they do at Dosanko. On the the review: I absolutely loved the tempura! It was cooked so delicately and really enjoyed the batter on the veggies. Including the large pieces of shiso. You can even use this as an authentic marker for tempura if they serve it with shiso! Not saying if they don't have shiso it's not authentic but it takes a delicate touch to not crack the shiso leaf when frying. And may be seasonal. (It's in season now!) The koji salt they serve it with is actually not that salty and keeps the tempura crisp and is delicious! - Tuna Tataki: was fine but I feel like I could make this and was nothing to write home about. The tuna grade was, okay. It was nicely plated and the cuts were thick and meaty but lacked depth of flavor for me. - Daikon Salad (no pic) was a nice share starter for 4 people to share. (Don't order it alone, it's too much.) I don't know why I was expecting thinly sliced, thick curls of daikon but the salad was more like a pile of shredded cabbage and daikon salad. Covered in ponzu. It was colorful but nothing pretty. It has quite a lot of cabbage in it so when I saw a side of cabbage salad on my main entree as well I slightly regretted ordering the salad, but luckily the seasoning was a bit different. If you want to give the daikon salad a try ask if you have a cabbage salad as part of your main dish. -Fried cod main dish: I ordered from the specials menu which was the cod, fried and it was kind of like fish and chips without the chips, and had a bowl of rice along with salad and greens. There were about 3 pieces so it was way larger than I was expecting and could have easily been a share plate. -Curry rice baked with cheese: this was baked with a side of tsukemono or Japanese style pickles and was delicious after a few bites. Now the desserts were awesome so save some space! There were 4 of us and we shared 2 desserts. -Japanese Whiskey Bread Pudding: was not as heavy as you may think was divine with the ice cream on top! - Coffee Jelly Parfait: was amazing and so pretty! There were crispy salted caramel crisps on the inside and a scoop of ice cream adorned with whip cream stars piped on which was s nice touch! The cutest coffee jelly parfait! I'm giving this place 5 stars because of the way they have a very traditional Japanese base with a modern twist l, which I love and their use of shio koji.

After looking at the delicious photos on Instagram I had to try this place in the heart of Japantown. Don't let the area detract you from trying this place. People mind their own business on the street. Plenty of parking on the street. The interior of this place is spacious with very tall ceilings. Colour and furnishing is casual and warm with industrial brick walls from a previous industry. I was greeted by the Japanese half of this family business. Not too busy at the 2pm time. Ordered the duck udon. There were several slices of beautiful red duck breast meat and a couple of duck meatballs with various vegetables and some yummy deep fried breaded onion slivers. Beautiful dish with plenty of add-ons and I believe these were hand made udon. Washed it down with simple barley tea. The chef had come out of the kitchen to play with his daughter. So sweet. Second time I went to treat a friend for her birthday. We shared a salad, breaded fish, a cheese breaded sandwich and tempura. They offer both their lunch and dinner menu. I had their house made fermented pop-delicious. It's similar to kombucha. Third time I met friends for lunch. I had the curry dish which I don't normally order as sweet curry is not my favorite. However, this one was delicious and came with a side of salad. I had the quince pop and it's so refreshing! And I had their matcha mille crepe....oh heaven! Fourth time I came with a different friend who tried the duck udon upon my suggestion and he loved it. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a side salad. Very satisfying. We don't drink and I like that this place offers more than simple pop. He had the lemonade and I tried the carrot fermented pop. It's the chef's favorite and it was DELICIOUS!!! Now by this time they had been voted "Best Japanese Restaurant," by the Vancouver Magazine and I wholeheartedly agree. They don't serve sushi but more of a home cooked Japanese inspired menu using seasonal local ingredients. I love that they change some of the menu to reflect that. I plan to try their cold handmade udon dish next as well as other ones I haven't tried yet. I've been ordering their wild harvested salad as the dressing is absolutely delicious. The salad is foraged locally and I never knew how delicious weeds and local flora were! In fact, every salad dish including the sides is amazing. I'm usually too cheap to order salad but the originality, quality, freshness and tangy sweet dressing is just too good to resist. The owner explained how each dressing was made and I must say, genius! I love everything about this place. The change in menu is enough to keep me coming back to try the new dishes. They change their dessert as well. Big bonus to this place for serving more than chocolate desserts which I don't like. Most desserts are light and refreshing like their lemon tart. Love that they make a non-drinker like me feel special with their selection of craft non-alcoholic elixirs. They have some bench seating, a cozy back area for large parties and a bar stool area. They open for lunch until 2:30pm and the owners had been kind not rush me as I've stayed over this time. And they open for dinner at 5pm for which I recommend going early for seats and parking.

Went with my adult children for lunch and had the chicken katsu don, beef belly katsu sandwich, lingcod katsu sandwich and the special spring Ramen salad. The katsus were breaded and fried perfectly - not heavy at all - and the milk bread had a nice crunch to it. The salad was very refreshing - Ramen was cooked perfectly al dente, the marinated tofu crumbled and tasted like cheese, the greens were super fresh and the whole dish was overall very well dressed. Would definitely go back again. Service was impeccable! I normally don't give out 5 stars unless the food is exceptional but in this case, the food was 4.5 and the service brought it up to 5!!

Dosanko has been living on my "To-Eat" list for the past year and finally, my friend convinced me that it was time to cross this one off the list. (We've had to reschedule a couple times due to their opening hours and then later finding out that they're closed on Sundays as well). We came here for a weekend lunch and there's plenty of seating in the place. They've got a really big space and the interior reminds me of the same one from Catch 122 with the rustic wooden interior. There's big tables and smaller cafe round tables and we opted for the smaller tables by the window (for camera lighting!) since the waitress let us choose where to sit. The menu is not as affordable as I imagined it to be but it might depend on what you order. For us, it was a go big or go home so I opted for the Omurice and paid the extra dollars to add the hayashi beef sauce. When the dish came, the waitress cut the egg right away and poured the hayashi sauce on the dish and explained that the beef is cooked with red wine and simmered for 24 hours. If you are into food photos like I am, be sure to stop her before she starts cutting the egg omelette.... I'VE WARNED YOU! Don't take the dish lightly though; there's actually a lot of egg on it and honestly, I wasn't enough of a fan of the sauce to say that the extra dollars were worth it. It might have tasted just fine with the regular tomato sauce but the dish is slightly on a pricier side for a lunch in it's given location. My friend got one of the rice bowls on their specials menu so be sure to check that menu out as there is more to their menu than what's posted on their website. Overall, I quite enjoyed our experience here. Mixed in with a drizzling Vancouver rain weather, the food felt very homey. Would say though, I don't usually venture to this area of town just for food and don't know how much food is priced around the area but found that some of the items can be a little pricey for a lunch meal.

I really want to like this place but bite after bite, the flavours just weren't there. I've seen many IG photos of their tonkatsu sandwich and it's been on my list for a while. I tried their beef belly katsu sandwich $18 (2/5). The beef belly was melt in your mouth but there was no flavour to the sandwich. I was expecting some sauce or ingredients to give it some umph. Unfortunately, it was deep fried beef belly in between 2 buns (which wasn't the japanese milk bread i was hoping for either). Omu - Rice $18 (2/5) was the 2nd dish I tried from them. This has been on their menu for while. Again no flavour. I just taste raw egg on rice. I did get the tomato sauce to go on top but again, raw egg on rice with tomato sauce. For what seems to be simple dish, I would say it's on the pricey side with not much flavour.

Hidden Gem. Hiding in full sight on Powell on the edge of old Japan town this restaurant was truly a surprise. Rustic interior with a beautiful bar underneath a ceiling that seems too high to be real. The restaurants name means, Hokkaido's children. The food style is representative of the region. The foods presents itself extremely well in appearance and nails your senses with a wonderful aroma upon serving. What will blow you away is when you find out the chef is Canadian. A mixed marriage with a beautiful outcome. No lie. You would never know the chef is not Japanese. My wife , an extremely accomplished cook and Japanese born and raised could not stop praising the presentation and taste. If you want to taste unmolested , non fusion Japanese food. This is where you can find what you crave.

I had to check this place out after seeing all the mouth watering pictures on their Instagram. Dosanko is located right in the downtown east side for those of you trying to locate it on Powell. It's situated east of the other popular restaurants down there (cuchillo, Mackenzie Room). Once you enter off the streets however, you enter a brightly lit and spacious room greeted warmly by staff. I was surprised to read some of the previous reviews regarding the service as ours was very good and gracious. Between my partner and I we ordered the zangi (crispy chicken appetizer), the pork belly tonakatsu (140g potion), curry rice and the matcha mille Crepe cake. The zangi was delicious! I thought it would need sauce but none was required as the seasoning was perfect. It was also piping hot when it landed before us! As for the tonkatsu, we were warned the pork belly was not for the feign of heart. But my partner and I love pork belly and went for it. The dish comes with a side of rice, light salad and finely sliced red cabbage, a bit of Japanese mayo and tonkatsu sauce. Overall the dish was tasty though I have two remarks. The portion of tonkatsu sauce was skimpy and although the pork belly was tasty, I don't think that the cook was consistent through the piece of meat (strange considering that I thought I heard it is cooked with a sous vide). For example, there would be some nice leaner pieces of pork in one bite, nicely melted fat in another and some bites were just solid fat which was not too appetizing. It seemed that it could've done with further rendering before being given the tonkatsu breading and fry. The curry rice was very tasty. It was served in a stone bowl (yay for crispy rice!). It reminded us of a lasagna but with rice. The only thing I would change is just a bit more curry ratio to the rice. Last but not least the Mille crepe cake. I've never had this before but have heard friends go on about this dessert. I'm not a huge dessert person but I did enjoy the chewy texture of the crepes; the matcha was also not too over powering. The nectarines on the side were a nice touch and very sweet. Both my partner and I had a glass of Pinot noir with dinner. There is a small wine list though I think considering the fare is comfort and home style, the wine list should also reflect this. However I didn't get this sense and a small glass of any varietal was at least $12 and many of the wines were unfamiliar.

Wow! The WORST welcome we have ever had in our restaurant dining out history in the world! NO greetings of welcome! And we were sent home! We took buses from our neighbourhood and looked forward to try this new restaurant. We arrived around 7:30pm, and their front manager told us that they were all booked for the night. "Sorry" was the only word we got. I had to ask what about their bars as the bars were totally empty. She once said that we could sit, but she said the food would take long time to be served. They open till 11pm!! So, she literally kicked us out before welcoming us. No further explanations in why we couldn't eat in. Never go back this worst in customer service restaurant! A great restaurant would have offered anyone for a free appetizer coupon or something to keep us coming back to their restaurant. Irene H. was totally right. The service is beyond the worst you can imagine. What kind of restaurants kick their first week customers out!?

I LOVE authentic Japanese food and was really excited to try this place. The inside is so cute I absolutely love the decor. However I was a little disappointed with the food. I tried the oni cheese only cherry which was really tasty but I found that it was overall quite heavy and probably wouldn't not order it again. I had the lingcod Katsu which was very tasty but nothing special. My favourite was the pasta! I think next time I'll just come and try the drinks!

Gorgeous space and great Japanese food! Tucked away but worth the trip. Big menu with lots to choose from, and they have coffee and good craft beer -- which is rare for Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. Also lots of traditional Japanese options like amazake (a popular warm Japanese rice drink). They found a nice balance between representing both Vancouver and traditional Japanese food. Staff is also super friendly. Overall I'm super glad I found a place like this close to my home.

Dosanko is doing something very unique for vancouver and absolutely deserves better than 3-stars. It's great home style Japanese food in a slightly upscale setting. I think the price point is higher than people expect but if you look at what you're getting (quality, house made goods) it's actually more affordable and definitely better quality than a suika or zakkushi (of which I both enjoy) I had a house made lemonade and a duck broth udon that was full of duck ingredients and house made udon. All of that in itself is praiseworthy. The duck udon broth was dense rich and complex. The udon was a bit dense and not as springy as expected. I liked it but didn't love. But must appreciate the art. Tons of duck. Don't care for their o-Nigiris but nothing wrong with them.

Went here for dinner with a friend. We made a reservation but there seemed to be plenty of tables at 6:00pm on a Friday. Although for a person of Japanese descent, it was basically simple home cooked meals at a premium, I would still recommend it as it was worth the try and atmosphere there is great! We tried the zangi for appetizer - basically a tender, home style chicken karaage. Less batter than your typical fusion restaurant, so it may feel less crispy to those who are used to the former. For our entrée, we got the omurice - an omelet over fried rice with homemade ketchup - and tonkatsu (pork cutlet). Both were good, and reminiscent of homemade meals. We were hoping for the droopy egg when cutting the omelet open, but it was a bit too cooked for that presentation. The tonkatsu came with sesame, sauce, and mayo. It took up a lot of table space, but we enjoyed the variety of flavors. Note: area is downtown eastside, so there were a few shelters and tents nearby. If you are not comfortable in this area, I would recommend driving/taking a cab there at night.

I was craving for tonkatsu so came in here just before their lunch ended. The restaurant is closed for a few hrs between lunch and dinner services. I ordered the tonkatsu with their homemade tonkatsu sauce and an iced milk tea. First the tonkatsu - served sliced up on a bed of rice and the sauces were on top. I generally prefer the tonkatsu sauce on the side but I ate fast enough so it didn't get too soggy. I didn't know there would be mayo so next time I would ask them to hold it. Not a fan of mayo, that's all. I've asked if the milk tea can come in a hot version and they said they would look into it. It's a very light milk tea, if you've ever tried royal mill tea from Japan, it's similar tasting. Overall, I had a good service since it was towards the end of the lunch service. I enjoyed the atmosphere - lots of different wood used in their decor, feels very warm.

Good vibes! Both the beef belly sandwich and fried onigiri were really good! Would definitely come again to explore their menu!