Don. By Tokyo Bird
Features
When Naoya Shimada and Jason Reyes left Sando Bar in 2019, the Commonwealth Street corner site reverted to co-owner Jason Ang, who also runs much-loved Japanese small bar Tokyo Bird next door.
Ang has kept it as a cafe, but he’s rebranded with a newfound focus on one of Japan’s most popular dishes. Where Sando Bar was named for its elevated riff on a famous Japanese convenience store sandwich, Don does donburi – bowls of white sushi rice, crowned with classic toppings such as diced sashimi and tobiko flying fish roe, or stir-fried sliced beef with a soft egg, onion and pickled ginger. There’s a concise menu of curries and ramens, too.
Averting uproar from Sando Bar devotees, the signature katsu sando has stayed on. It’s an inch-thick medallion of panko-crumbed pork loin, nestled between two slices of crustless, cloud-like Japanese milk bread and layered with pickled slaw, tonkatsu sauce, karashi mustard and kewpie. It also comes in chicken and prawn-starring variations, with a side of lotus root chips.
Aside from a rebrand, little else about the space has changed. It’s still tiled, spacious, and fills with natural light. Coffee is by Little Marionette, and there are Japanese beers and cocktails courtesy of Tokyo Bird next door.
Contact Details
Phone: 0414 518 879
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