Uncle Don West End in South Brisbane
154 Melbourne St, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia
About
In December 2023, Uncle Don spread his wings to open his second store in the bustling West End / South Brisbane area. After a successful 3+ years in Paddington, Uncle Don has used all he has learned in that time to create something even more special at the West End store. With an extended menu, a beautiful fitout, and a host of other refinements, Uncle Don West End is well worth the visit.
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What a great evening. The food that was served and the service we received was outstanding. Lovely place to catch up with friends and family. We will definitely be back. Two thumbs up
Ordered the grilled veggie curry don with a side of scrambled eggs to go and it was one of the best Japanese curries I've ever had. Veggies were grilled just right and the onions were so sweet. Eggs were fluffy too. Wish the pumpkin slices were slightly thicker though. Grilled chicken don was nice too and you can order a side of curry if you'd like. They forgot to pack utensils and one of their staff chased after us even though we were quite a distance away already. Absolutely mindblown and touched by her efforts.
Had 2 salmon don's with a friend here today. Overall the food was not amazing, but it also was not lacking. I would say the plating of the food is 10/10, but it really tastes mediocre and there was nothing really special about it. Felt like the dressing of the salmon could be better instead of just soy sauce (the miso soup was salty but good, but with the soy sauce and dish, the overall taste of the food became very salty in general, a sweeter sauce wouldve fit the meal better) the sashimi and onsen egg was appealing to look at, but the taste was not anything special (feels like someone just assembled some eggs n salmon prettily from a supermarket) Atmosphere of the place wasn't 10/10, plating and tables were nice but the walls could use more color that can make the restaurant stand out compared to other restaurants/cafes. plus, there was a lot of flees that were on our table (perhaps because of rainy weather) and the kitchen was quite noisy. Overall food is not bad, but restaurant is a bit overhyped from TikTok. not a bad experience necessarily, but i wouldn't come back as it was nothing special.
Food was absolutely delicious and portion sizes were great. The truffle soy and the charred Broccolini paired perfectly with each other and with the wagyu. I think if this had been in a more upscale restaurant I would be saying what good value it was. The food quality and the price point were definitely higher than the ambience and qr ordering system would make you expect. But would I order this again? Absolutely!
Gave Uncle Don in West End another try after a not-so-great first visit. Unfortunately, it didn’t change our mind this time either. Small portions and overpriced 😮💨 look at the photo I took how small the portion is next to my hand 🤚🏻 , we also found that there are too many sauce in the tofu and the prawns Don. still don’t understand how 4.5 stars reviews on google map, but if you eat a small portion worth checking it out tho! Here’s what we ordered: Yuzu Kosho Prawn Don $32.00 yuzu kosho butter, crispy onion, garlic chips, ikura, chives (we can’t taste the yuzu fav actually) Salmon Sashimi Don $27.00 salmon sashimi, sushi rice, shiso leaf, soy cured yolk, ikura Tofu on Tofu Don $19.00 fried tofu, teriyaki, steamed rice, tofu cream, gyoza skin furikake, spring onion Pork Katsu Sando $16.00 Japanese crunch pork cutlet sandwich • • Follow the world of @what_is_in_my_stomach on Instagram to discover the answer of the most often asked question, “what to eat” contemporary approach to all kinds of restaurants, street food, cafe and home cooking together ‼️
**Uncle Don** offers a creative menu with standout dishes like the **Dry Age Duck Don**, featuring tender, richly flavored duck over seasoned rice. The **Parmesan Chicken Karaage** brings a unique twist with crispy, juicy chicken and a hint of Parmesan. The refreshing **Yuzu Highball** perfectly complements the meal. Great flavors and a cozy ambiance make this a must-visit spot!
Overview Uncle Don is an outstanding little Japanese joint in the West End on the corner of Melbourne and Manning Streets. Food My wife and I lunched here on a Sun afternoon. We started with a plate of charred edamame beans ($7) followed by the chicken katsu don for me ($26) and the mushroom keto don ($24) for my wife. The charred edamame were nice and crunchy, the perfect way to whet your appetite as a starter. And what followed was excellent. My chicken was delicious, with finely sliced pieces of succulent and tender chicken in a crumbed batter and served with katsu sauce, shallots and something called “fukujinzuke'', which is a red pickle, but thinly sliced and it gave the dish an extra kick to it. It was neatly presented on a smart white striped plate. My wife was very happy with her mushroom don, which had chunky pieces of shiitake mushrooms, with onions, peppers, broccoli and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Service This is where Uncle Don excels. We had taken the precaution of booking ahead for a Sun lunch, which was just as well because when we arrived at 12.30pm most of the tables were taken. We were immediately attended to by a super friendly and smiling waitress, who showed us to our table. Ordering can be done at the front counter or by using an app on the table. Because we had a few special requests, we did our ordering at the counter and it was quick and seamless. Within a few minutes, my beer arrived, followed soon thereafter by the meals. This place hums like a well oiled machine, and it’s all done with a friendly smile. Our special requests were handled well without any issues. This is how all restaurants should be in the service department as it just makes the whole dining out experience a pleasure. Atmosphere This is a smallish place that’s been tastefully decorated with tiled floors, sturdy wooden furniture, high ceilings and strong lighting. The effect is to create a casual, relaxed and laid back vibe. When we arrived the place was quite full, although it did thin out as closing time of 2.30pm approached (it reopens again at 5.00pm for the dinner service). Acoustics were fine and we were easily able to converse and even though it was a chilly winter's day, the inside temp was quite warm ensuring that we were all comfy. Cost This is where things get a bit tricky because sadly, thanks to the disaster of hyperinflation, eating out is now rapidly becoming an unaffordable pastime. Altogether, for a schooner of lager (or “larger” as it says on my receipt), a small bowl of edamame beans and two modest main meals - one chicken and one vegetarian - we paid a whopping 71. A cash payment saved me a further cost by way of the hated “credit card surcharge”. A year or two ago, we would have got change from 50 for this lot. On this count therefore, Uncle Don only scores an “average” because 14 for a schooner of beer is just way over the top, although I do understand that most of this is the beer tax imposed by our own govt to fleece every last cent out of their poor citizens. Toilets There are no toilets in the restaurant per se, so you need to grab a fob off the front desk and go into the next door building. I found it a bit hard to find, until the helpful waitress pointed me in the right direction. But they are clean and well maintained, with male, female and disabled cubicles. Parking Being so close to the city we decided not to drive, but rather to take the pleasant ferry trip and hop off at South Bank, from where it’s a fairly easy 20 minute walk. Summary Overall, we had a fantastic lunch at Uncle Don’s in the West End, with fresh, tasty and delicious food, a pleasant, relaxed and laid back atmosphere and fast, friendly and efficient service. There are clean and well stocked toilets, and plenty of pub transport options to easily get you here. Despite the sky high prices, which is what we have come to expect from dining out anywhere in Australia these days, we will prob return.
What’s more perfect than a yummy Japanese don for lunch🥰 The atmosphere is so cozy!!! The wooden interior design. - Crispy eggplant chips tower $16 - Salmon sashimi don $27 - Char-grilled chicken don $24 The presentation is well and not to mention the taste of the don. The eggplant chips are really crunchy and juicy inside.
Best donburi Ive ever had in my life. Number 1 . Highly recommend.
Super good food 10/10
Char-grilled chicken is !!
Great food, especially the duck don!
The wagyu steak don was amazing
Knew this restaurant from a friend. Everything is beyond my expectations. Will come back for sure! Food
I tried the new yuzu prawn bowl and it was nice with generous portions! The staffs were friendly. This is personally the best uncle don s location I ve been to!
Food was amazing
Great spot! Food is delicious, quick and friendly service. Price wise a little on the steeper side for casual Japanese but the food is delicious and the quality is there! Do recommend
The food was amazing, especially the yuzu one. The waitress was so nice and loving and caring. 10/10 experience
the salmon sashimi don was soooo good, the presentation is beautiful. chicken parmesan karaage was nice but i would prefer more intense flavor (just slightly). the vibes are great and its cozy
A great chain restaurant with high quality food and concise and varied menu. The service is like any other chain restaurant; you order through a QR and get the food served relatively quickly. I highly recommend this restaurant
Yup. This was exactly what I was hoping for. Crispy, tasty, good portions. The eggplant was so good. Food : 5/5 |
The prawn don was so so so fragrant, yuzu was well infused into the prawns and the rice, I finished the whole bowl! There re plenty of prawns too so it s a good value. The only thing I d suggest to improve is that it s slightly too salty, if you could reduce the saltiness by 10-20% this will be perfect! The chicken katsu don was also yum! Chicken was so tender and juicy. The crispy pork rice was a disappointment though, the pork wasn t crispy at all, and pork was a bit bland, just fatty. Would NOT recommend the crispy pork don. Update: Tried the grilled chicken don and it s sooo good! Will go for this option again when I m here next time.
Ordered spicy pork don takeaway, it looked really good. It was extremely sweet so no need a dessert after...
Honestly if they close Id be pretty angry. Amazing food, so tasty. I had gyudon twice last week and I could go again!
The char-grilled chicken don had way too much sauce, making the rice feel entirely soaked with overly salty, sweet, and thick sauce. Previously, you could ask for the sauce on the side, but thats no longer an option. The chicken itself used to be delicious, but the sauce ruined the entire dish. Ive tried other dishes before, such as gyudon and yuzu prawn don, and they also had the same problem with too much oily sauce. If the sauce isnt served separately, its hard to finish the whole meal. Plus, the internet signal is really bad there.
Taste not bad, little fusion compared to traditional Japanese foods... price bit expensive during the location...
The food here was excellent! Ordering can be done through a QR code or at the counter. The egg and karaage chicken bowl was tasty and generous and the duck bowl also looked great. The meals come with a miso soup and the potions were large and very satisfying. I would definitely come back to try more food!
Food is a bit overpriced and service is order through QR code so its just like an In and Out, take away service.
This is my 2nd trip to Uncle Don. Happy they actually opened a 3rd restaurant nearer to me in the Gabba. I ordered the grilled duck don. And I have to say, I have never enjoyed brussel sprouts so much in my life. It was amazingly good. Then the duck, it was fantastic. My GF ordered Ochazuke, which we think its ok. We had better in Japan. Nice comfort food. Dishes like these deserve to be in a fancy restaurant. Highly recommended
Our group of five went around 2:10 p.m., close to closing time (2:30pm), and was seated immediately. The signal was quite bad, so I ended up ordering at the counter, but you can also order through their app/qr code. We ordered the gyudon, crispy pork don, and pork katsu sando, and they were served to us pretty quickly (around 10-15mins)! Both dishes were very delicious, and I would love to come back another day to try some more.
I couldnt be more happy about the arrival of Uncle Don in South Brisbane! Nestled at 154 Melbourne Street, this spot is rapidly winning hearts and its easy to see why. Specializing in Donburi, Japanese rice bowls, Uncle Don offers an impressive selection of over 20 varieties, catering to all dietary preferences with options for vegetarians and vegans. Every visit has been amazing, leaving us eager to come back again! The Pork Katsu Sando is a standout dish thats so delicious, youll want it all to yourself! The Baked Cauliflower with miso cream is absolutely divine, that Ive developed a bit of an obsession with it! The Parmesan Karagage Chicken is another must-try, along with the baked Tenkasu Salmon don and the irresistible miso soup and charred broccolini with truffle soy. The staff at Uncle Don are incredibly welcoming and friendly, which adds to the experience. The restaurants bright and fresh ambiance adds to its charm, making it a delightful place to enjoy a meal. Uncle Don is a little gem in South Brisbane and is a must-visit. Highly recommended for delicious and authentic Japanese cuisine! Note: Servings are very generous. Vegetarian options: They have vegan and vegetarian options. Dietary restrictions: They also have dairy free options. Parking: There is side street parking where available.
Generally good experience at this joint, taste is great, flavours of grilled teriyaki chicken rice was balanced with richness of the sauce and the rice. The baked salmon fresh as always and we ordered the eggplant tower. The eggplant was crispy and tempura style, different to the regular chips side which we enjoyed. Will come back :)
It says a place for bossy uncle, but its not. Just good fud and vibes.
Its really delicious here. It feels a bit like a chef. The quality is not bad and the quantity of rice is also plentiful. Be sure to try the karaage, especially.
service was bad. I ordered a karaage chicken don and it was hella dry. also it was rlly overcooked. Prob the worst don i ve ever had.
Best donburi I ve ever had I ordered the salmon sashimi don and it was clear how fresh it was to order, definitely coming here again! The parmesan karage was also amazing
Geez this is definitely hidden gem in West end! This restaurant looks always busy when Im passing by, and now I figured out the reason. I ordered wagyu steak don and Raichi Martini - all the staffs were so welcoming and friendly, of course FOOD IS PERFECT !! Enough portion for one, reasonable price too. Okay guys so I *highly* recommend this place for casual/ date night etc, all types of gathering.. And I heard they gonna open another branch in Woolloongaba soon, Id love to come visit there too! Thank you for lovely dinner xx
Today we had two rice Don here. Sashimi Don and vegan mushroom Don. Their rice was sushi style rice which with vinegar, it was too over pouring vinegar, too sour. And the worse is the vegan mushroom Don, shiitake was dry and weird flavour, oyster mushrooms was so sour and almost taste stale flour, so the vegan Don ends up $20 for tiny bowl of rice is eatable. They were quite pricey. If you ask for the price, please make sure your food will be above average at least.
Overall it was delicious! The staff were all friendly and I had a delicious and comfortable meal!
A really tasty and clean place for dinner
Ive been wanting to go since last time, so I saved it and finally went today, and it was really delicious! The karaage chicken is really crispy.. The store is clean and the staff are all friendly, so I had a great time eating there! I definitely have to come back next time to try other rice bowls.
The service and food here was lovely! We thoroughly enjoyed all the mains, the matcha tiramisu, and the eggplant side dish. However, we felt the lotus root chips and the cauliflower side dishes were lacking in flavour.
Came for lunch and had the best meal ever! If I could rate higher than 5 stars I absolutely would. The food was amazing and all the staff were so friendly and polite. Big shoutout to Seina the lovely waitress who welcomed us in so nicely and made our experience here even better. I would 100% recommend that everyone comes and tries this restaurant you will NOT be disappointed at all. I will definitely be coming back to try the rest of the menu soon. :) :) :)
Visited Uncle Dons today and was pleasantly surprised on the high quality food of this restaurant. We were warmly welcomed by the friendly staff and seated very promptly. I looked around and the staff were very attentive to keeping the restaurant clean such as wiping the glass door and making sure all the tables were clean and had cutlery. We ordered the Wagyu Steak Don, Chargrilled Chicken Teriyaki Don, Eggplant Chips Tower and the Baked Cauliflower with Miso Cream. The Wagyu Steak was grilled perfectly leaving a nice char on the outside and succulent medium rare on the inside, at first I thought the price was a little expensive for a Donburi but the serving size was very generous and definitely value for money, I also liked the dollop of fresh wasabi, it complements the steak very well. The Chargrilled Teriyaki Chicken was also great value for money with a generous portion of perfectly grilled chicken on top of fluffy bed of rice. The chef was quite accommodating as one of our party did not eat soft egg and he customised their egg to be well done. The great meal didnt stop at the Donburis, the side dishes of Baked Cauliflower and Miso cream was very delicious as was the stack of eggplant chips. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for high quality and great value and look forward to trying other dishes at this restaurant.
Food
I enjoyed everything I had here. The highlight was a very fresh salmon don which was presented beautifully. Also of interest was an Uncle pie, which would normally be out of place but provided a nice texture contrast to our other dishes. Only complaint was although probably intentional, I thought it was overcooked. You can see its quite burnt. My friend had a great eggplant dish, which had no business being so tasty and not in the slightest bitter. The atmosphere was quite nice, felt extremely clean and everything was kept cool. Service was fine. Very good value for a mid tier Japanese restaurant in the area.
The customer service was atrocious. The man who was serving us was very rude and dismissive. Disappointing how once this place became busy they couldn t care less about their customers. Ruined our evening. Steer clear of this place!!
I ordered a Katsu curry don takeaway on 16th Mar. The chicken was extremely dry and the food looked nowhere close to being prepped fresh. The taste was average, a complete let down for a first-time customer. The food was pricy and not worth it. Never visiting again.
The food and customer service were great. Will come back.
Dude the broccolini! I had the eggplant don and my partner had the tofu don which were both vegan. Big serving sizes, insanely good, even down to the rice being seasoned just right. Highly recommend! Vegetarian options: Lots of vegan options
Uncle Don is a new Japanese restaurant in South Brisbane! Its a bold move to open a Japanese restaurant right next to another Japanese restaurant in a suburb with multiple others, but I think theyve carved out a separate niche for themselves serving donburi, rather than ramen. The meals are a little over $20 for a BIG bowl of rice + delicious toppings. Im a big guy, and it easily filled me up, and were generous with the karaage chicken . The cutlery and plates are really cute, and the donburi comes with a little miso soup! I love this place and definitely recommend it to everyone in the area at least once!
Cool air conditioning and the interior tidy. After breaking the egg yolk and slightly moistening the sashimi, scoop up a spoonful of rice and put it on top, top with perilla leaves and salmon roe, add a little wasabi, and pour a little soy sauce on top. It tastes good when eaten in one bite. I plan to try other menu items next time I visit.
Excellent Japanese food in good portion sizes, friendly and helpful staff. Its busy so make a reservation if youre trying to get in for dinner at 7. Eggplant chips are a very generous portion. Mushroom don is very tasty with two kinds of mushroom, one smoky and one pickled. Hard to get internet reception inside so maybe order at the counter. Good aircon inside but also a bit noisy. Overall impressive food and will be back.
Yummy food and nice service. We love this wonderful restaurant in West End, will definitely come next time. Thank you Uncle Don
Love the food here, especially the salmon dons that are available. This location is heaps nicer and more spacious compared to the Paddington location. Definitely recommend a visit
The sando and curry was nice, but the salmon don is q mediocre, salmon was very thin and wasn t fresh as I expected.
ordered a salmon don as usual not good as Padington rice too sticky
Staff lovely and food tasty Only negative to note is that none of the 4 mains came out together and the last one had to be reminded about but was dealt with quickly. I will put it down to opening day, will be coming back :)
Delicious food with awesome staff.
Very friendly staff and good food with really large portions. I do think it s slightly on the expensive side as most of the mains cost $20+, however it is worth it. The air conditioning is quite cold so I recommend bringing a jacket. I ordered the unagi (eel) don, as seen is the picture below, it came with a very large portion of eel with egg and rice. Highly recommend coming to this place, surprised me with the good customer service that I usually do not find around the city. Good atmosphere Friendly staff Large portions of food Highly recommended
Great food, service, and atmosphere. Atmosphere is nice to come here so the friends to meet.
The interior and the staff were nice and the food was very good
Amazing food. Nice presentation and all dishes were super tasty !! So many options to choose from. They even got Keto menus.
Exquisite taste! Grilled Unagi Don was a symphony of flavors sweet, smoky eel complemented by the delicate seasoning of the rice. The portion was generous, and every mouthful was pure bliss.
We came with high expectations as we go to the Paddington location quite often and loved everything we had there. Didn t disappoint! As usual we got a Pork Katsu Sando each (this would be the only dish I think we won t share as both my partner and myself love it!), tried to get the Ochazuke Don but they didn t have it but that didn t worry me too much as our go to was their Salmon Sashimi Don which we did get and also got the Tenkasu Baked Salmon Don which is nice too but we prefer the Salmon Sashimi Don
Genuinely surprised at how delicious and sophisticated this new place is. Was recommended to me by a friend whos visited their paddington restaurant, and this surpassed any of my expectations. Try the Grilled Duck Don, its exquisite!
Great food, friendly staff, and awesome atmosphere. I had such an amazing time and loved everything I had today. Highly recommend! Food : 5/5
By far the best Salmon Don I have tried in West End. The staff were very attentive and nice. Definitely will be coming back.
Wow, the Japanese food here is amazing! I would class this as fine dining japanese food. The prices of the dishes are above average, but it is worth it. Some of the best tasting Japanese food ever. This can get very busy and you may have to book. Parking: You can park at Harris farm markets or Coles across the street and walk over.
Omg when did they open! Couldnt just pass!! One of my favourite place is uncle don in Paddington. Don t hv photo all, but the egg plant tower is absolutely amazing, and love fluffy egg curry + good price with great food
I always order the chicken katsu curry don and it never disappoints. The vibes at the new west end Uncle Dons are amazing and the staff are so nice. I have been taking all my friends there since it opened. :) Wheelchair accessibility: I had crutches and there was a ramp that went up to the area where the restaurant is, they are also very attentive and will help open the door since the door is a little heavy. :)
Amazing Japanese food! Some of the best Ive ever eaten. Delicious vegan options. Highly recommend the Shiitake mushroom Don, vegetable curry and eggplant chips. The service was fantastic too, the workers are so fast and nice. The place also looks really nice and clean.
Delicious food! I ordered takeaway and it was fast and very tasty. The serving size was a little smaller than I expected for the price, but the nasu dengaku was quite rich so it didn t matter. Would definitely recommend!
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