Overpriced and underwhelming. 70 dollars for two with one beer for food that had better analogues at many other places. Omuraisu for $20 is a joke (plus a 4 dollar upsell for hayashi sauce), especially when it isn't improved or modernized in any way. I was really looking forward to this but unfortunately it just doesn't have any draw for me to try a second time. read more

Unlike the other entitled reviewers for this restaurant so far, we actually ate here and can comment on the food and experience. I enjoyed the tonkatsu - the best in the city is still Kingyo and friends but this is a decent second. I wasn't a big fan of the curry rice but my SO was, I found it a bit weak on the curry and somewhat ketchup tasting. The mille crepe was also fine, but lacking in matcha flavour. Service was also fine, we engaged in normal social interaction with the waiting staff and nobody had to freak out about anything. The prices are a bit on the high side for what's being offered (Kingyo easily beats it in price and quality, and probably also quantity). Would love to return if the restaurant makes improvements over the next while. read more

Great atmosphere, delicious food and fantastic service! The food feels and tastes much more traditional than your average Japanese restaurant, with an upscale taste. Service was extremely attentive, without being annoying. Come if your looking for a relaxed night out with some delicious tapas and drinks! read more

Good: Simple and cute inside. Kind server Bad: Food took way too long. Seriously they need more people in the kitchen. Food is just okay. Quality of the food doesn't justify the high price. Not too crazy about their pork belly katsu despite the fact that Im a die hard fan of pork belly, and tonkatsu (pork cutlet). Something was lacking besides it being too greasy. I might go back one more time just for dessert since I got too full and couldnt order any dessert on my last visit. But won't go back for dinner. read more

Came here with my wife and a friend to try this trendy youshoku "western style" Japanese restaurant. We got several dishes to share and it was really good. The omu-rice had a very fluffy egg and the okara-hamburg was very tasty. The hiyashi-chuka was my favourite, it had a really nice sesame dressing. The best appetizer was the tomato salad which was not on their regular menu. We finish the meal off with a coffee jelly parfait, parfait and a matcha milcrepe. Their coffee jelly parfait is a must try. They use a cold brew coffee for the jelly, so if you like coffee as much as I do, you're gonna love it. The service was top notch, the staff was very pleasant even though we stayed a little longer then closing. read more

Despite being highly instagrammable, the taste and service was not there. The dinner took about hour and a half to finish and majority of the time we were waiting around for our food. We ordered pickles, and it was more like barely(if you can even call it that) seasoned raw vegetable. Whoever made it had no clue as to how to make a proper Japanese pickle and even if the brine was right, they served it WEEKS too early. At least let them age, for the Culinary God's sake! And imagine our delight when the very same pickles we're served within our salad dish! Yay. I lost my appetite at that point. First of the two main dishes came out and it was the simmered mackerel in sweet soy. The fish was very fishy which can either mean it simply was not fresh or it was not marinaded properly. The sauce was extremely salty and tooth-achingly sweet, as if it was trying to cover the fishiness of the mackerel. The main attraction, tonkatsu, finally arrived almost an hour into our meal and IT. WAS. UNDERCOOKED. It was freaking bleeding, and so was my brain which desperately tried to process how a restaurant can serve a undercooked pork in a deep fried dish that consists of just two ingredients; batter and pork. It was not 'oozing with juice' like a well prepared, thick piece of fried pork. It was just bleeding. We complained and they apologized, brought us a new one and the other piece was TINY compared to the first one we received and guess what. Yeah, I dare you to take a guess. It was dry as sand and tough as a puck. The space was nice, minus all the eyes of hatred against gentrification behind the window, and owner lady seemed nice as well but the dinner experience I had here was disastrous. read more

Really wanted to like this place, but I will be brutally honest. The prices were too high for what you get. I know it's all local and housemade, etc. But it's on the pricier side in my opinion, so I wouldn't really want to come back knowing how much l'll pay for what I get. I love homestyle Japanese dishes. But I don't really want to fork over too much in order to get a small-ish portion. Me and my boyfriend went during dine-out Vancouver. I found the salad I had before my meal very underwhelming. It really was not a meal to rave about. But things may improve hopefully in time as it is a fairly new restaurant. People complain about how "sketchy" the area is but come on, don't be over dramatic! It's silly to think you're in some immediate danger getting to the restaurant. Old Japantown is an interesting place to start a homestyle Japanese restaurant. Things keep changing and I hope Dosanko will evolve more. read more

It is not in a very good area and it does make a difference. Food was okay but not worth going into the area. Fries with poutine, not my choice but another guest was okay as poutine goes, mackeral , guest would not share , so no comment, karage was tasty, best testing was one of the pickled items on the appetizer, tuna was good, good size portions and very hot. Main course, stew okay, udon, duck was excellent, skin was crispy and tasty even in the broth, Play kitchen in the back area with couch, had a 6 year old with us, kept himself busy. servers were very efficient and friendly. read more

they have the worst service among vans Japanese restaurants. They made us wait for one hour without telling us in advance while it's not busy at all. And even no apologize for wasting our time. Totally ruined our Friday night. A restaurant without basic service standard would make people lose all the appetite. Worst of the worst. read more

A very pleasant dining experience! Friendly service, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and delicious food. We had the burdock salad, the house salad and the fried chicken - lightly coated, juicy and crispy chicken and a very plentiful portion for an appetizer. Also enjoyed the tuna tataki, and the pork katsu and miso saba as main dishes, and a matcha Mille crepe for dessert. Japanese comfort food, looking forward to coming back soon. read more

A cozy, relaxed homey environment with consistently delicious, made-to-order AUTHENTIC Japanese home-style comfort food. This is not the all-you-can-eat cheap quality fare reused the next day food, not the mass-produced $3 sushi bargain basement made by Asian teenagers and not the fried everything including frozen balls of octopus and pushed into non-vinegared rice because "some people don't like it" kind either. This is a particular, unique style of Japanese cooking with heart and soul, using Western-style techniques from the talented & experienced team behind the successes of Campagnolo & Tojo's. Dosanko bring to Vancouver, a mix of the kind of food one finds in everyday Japan: teishoku dishes (battered pork, chicken or seasonal seafood with a side of rice, pickles & soup), omurice (egg on tomato rice with the most tasty sauce options), tonkotsu sandwiches with cabbage, mayo on milk bread and my personal favorite, onigiri (japanese rice balls) with saba-miso or tuna-mayo. I've tried over half of their menu along with specials like their seasonal fried herring, and tempura udon using house-made noodles, and I can say that everything I've had on numerous visits brings me back one of many visits to Japan. It may not be for everyone, as Vancouver offers an overdose of Japanese food options (the good, the bad & the ugly, and everything in between), but if you want a real piece of Japanese home living, made to order by one talented chef in the kitchen, this is worth giving a try. read more

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Why is this place not swamped by all the lunch-goers around here? It's amazing!!! This is Japanese comfort food at its best - with its delicate, beautiful flavours, wrapping you all up in a warm sweet onion, sesame sauce. My coworker and I come here around once a week since we discovered it last month. Favorites have included the uni and ikura udon, the mandarin jelly cheesecake parfait, the light and airy soft poached egg don - and there's still a lot for us to try on the menu. I was more than surprised to see all these negative comments. I can only guess it's because they weren't prepared for this kind of Japanese comfort food - you know, where it isn't a regular ol' ramen and tonkatsu joint, but actually has a full menu with things we don't see or have tasted anywhere else in Vancouver. They're really masters here at mixing flavours with a delicate touch. If you want a punch-you-in-the-face salty though, this isn't your joint. But come here for warm, homey, very well made goods that you'll want to enjoy over and over again. read more

Dosanko - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

A wonderful gem near Gastown. Don't be put off by the neighbourhood - yes, there are homeless people there, but all of the great restaurants in Vancouver, including Ask for Luigi, St. Lawrence, Belgard Kitchen, and the Mckenzie Room (just down the street from Dasanko) are located here because the reasonable rents actually allow them to open a restaurant in Vancouver. Our experience at Dasanko was wonderful. The atmosphere is warm and cozy and the seating isn't cramped, like many newer restaurants in Vancouver. It's a family run business - a Chef husband and his partner, who runs the front of house. She explained to us that the food is based on the region of Japan where she comes from. We just loved it. They use local ingredients, some of which are obscure, including local Japanese knotweed and local elderflowers. The knotweed, which is a little bit like rhubarb, was made into a compote and served with the cheesecake. It was delicious. The elderflowers found their way into the mixed vegetable tempura -perfectly cooked and a little bit sweet with a wonderful light and crunchy coating. We also had the Goma-ae, the Pickled Vegetables, Curry-Rice and Tonkatsu and Rice with fabulous pork belly. All of it was delicious. We will be going back to try more things on the menu. read more

Giving it 3 stars because the dishes were a hit or miss. Hit: the creamy, velvety and flavourful omurice and delicate matcha Mille crepe. Miss: the zangi which fell short on the ginger and garlic flavour the menu described and it came off like a chicken karaage lacking in crisp; hamburger patty served in a sizzling dish with ratatouille-like vegetable stew. Selection of veggies were great but the patty had a strange soft texture and the sauce was too salty. Service was excellent. Will definitely return for the omurice and to try the other dishes. Hopefully more hits than misses! read more

My boyfriend and I went for dine out with a reservation. Cute place. Food was a big let down. Very plain and unflavorful. Not sure if their regular menu is like that but it's expensive so I hope not? No affordable sake options. Hopefully for their price point a regular dining experience would be better - not sure if we got the crap food and service because we opted for the $20 dine out menu but would of happily paid more for a better experience. Would not recommend this restaurant to anyone based on our experience read more

Warm welcoming and amazing food, They make everything from scratch. Everything home made even Tankatsu sauce, Mayo, etc... Will be back again soon!!! read more

Our group was four coworkers for our first excursion to Dosanko. All very diverse backgrounds and tastes, and all extremely satisfied with our meals. This is not the stereotypical Japanese restaurant, but home style Japanese which is delicious. The restaurant interior is beautiful with exposed brick and lots of wood. The service was very attentive, warm and friendly, and the prices were very reasonable. They are located in the downtown eastside a few blocks from Gastown. This could be off putting if you are not familiar with the area. Our group was four females, and we were not even approached. We all left very full and happy. The family owned Dosanko is a gem. read more

We need a reasonable, but good, place to meet friends before going to a concert @ The Rickshaw. This was in the Vancouver Sun 2017 list of good, inexpensive restaurants. No sushi - eggs, rice, pork cutlets - all delicious. Their wine and beer offerings were a bit thin, but that's my only complaint. read more

Really like the foods here, they use special salt that is house make for the tempura. 5 stars read more

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Brand new Japanese tapas and small plates eatery that opened up in the downtown Powell Street area. I came here with my good friend for a monthly dinners and to just try something a little bit different other than sushi. I'm not gonna lie I totally did dessert first this time because I saw a green tea cake that was brought to another table and I wanted in on that sooner rather than later. The style the cake was more of a crêpe cake style that's popular and a lot of Japanese bakeries. Nicely layered with just enough filling within. I have a deep fried tempura that looks more like a long cut tempura fries. This is a bit of a disappointment as the ratio of better to tempura was a little. Service for all the dishes including my friends appetizers and small means came out in a timely manner considering that it was actually very busy for a Friday. The prices are a little bit higher than you would expect from a normal place considering the demographic they're trying to target but certainly not out of range. Customer service was very friendly. read more

I had my first trip to Dosanko two weeks ago. I was able to try several dishes on the menu. My favourites were the Salmon, the Tonkatsu and the Curry Rice but I was extremely happy with everything I was able to try. I've been really looking forward to my return which finally happened this evening. I was completely blown away again! I tried some of my favourites from my first trip along with some new dishes including the Saba Miso which was incredible! Not only was the food incredible but they have a great bar with some stellar drinks and the service is phenomenal. I'm really excited for my next visit! read more

Decided to try this spot after reading the review in the Vancouver Sun. It doesn't disappoint! All the food is made from scratch and home-made. Their signature dish has to be the pork tonkatsu. Every morsel disappeared. Will return for sure! read more

Wow, add some neon on a rainy night and this restaurant could be right out of the original Bladerunner. Beautiful family operated venture with love and attention to detail. Added bonus, the only thing better than the food is the people. Have the Aki salad then Curry rice with added tonkatsu. Listen to me now and thank me later. read more

Wonderful service, had the lunch set for 2 rice balls and a half salad; Light and not too heavy..lol you don't feel too guilty after eating it. Had the Panna Cotta which was SO GOOD. It was huge but I finished it all ;) Counteracts the whole not feeling guilty after lunch part but my taste buds are happy so I don't care. read more

We were two families with a couple of kids visiting Dosanko for the first time, and we found the service to be attentive and friendly and selection of food to be varied and distinctive. The yoshoku style menu is a delightful alternative to the sushi and ramen joints all over Vancouver. The ambience was relaxed and family-friendly while still providing a high-quality casual dining experience. The food was prepared and served with love and care, which reflects the vision of this family-run restaurant. The drinks list offered something for everyone, with choices that were both alcohol and non-alcohol. We were too full to try dessert but the choices sounded delicious. We enjoyed the bonus of meeting Chef Nathan and his daughter! Dosanko will surely become a go-to spot for our family. read more

Best tonkatsu I've had in Vancouver in many years. I did not know it was possible to get pork this good here. Also, the sake flight was educational as well as well paired, and once again, made me aware that good sake can appear in Vancouver. I had not known that before. Keep up the good work, Dosanko. You make Vancouver a much better city because of your unexpected quality. read more

I don't usually write reviews, but this restaurant is a must. I only tried lunch, and it is the worst in Vancouver. $13 pork rice with only 2 slices of pork fat. Ordered rice balls and was told they were out of rice after 20 mins. Don't go to this restaurant or you will come back and wish you could up vote this review. read more

While i'm writing this review a few months after visiting the restaurant, I do remember the food being tasty. However, the stand out for me was the overall experience. The service was wonderful. The front of house was very friendly and accomodating. We had a rambunctious toddler with us and the host offered to move us to a table that was next to the kid's area. That segues to the next shining light - the existence of a play area. The space was equipped with many toys, books, etc. My husband and I were able to enjoy a nice dinner, while our 1.5 year old busied himself with a cars and trucks. It was a stress free night out at a restaurant with a kid, which as any new parent can attest to, is an extremely rare and very special experience. read more

Came here for a family dinner and had a wonderful experience. Atmosphere was warm, staff was very friendly, and you could tell the ingredients were high quality. LOVED the uni udon and koji cured ham! read more

Came for lunch, inviting room with warm and friendly atmosphere. Had one of the rice bowls and my friend had the omelette, both delicious. Desserts looked yummy, but to full to try this time. read more

This new restaurant is a hidden gem. Great open space, brick walls, low volume music so you can actually have a conversation while enjoying soothing flavors of Japanese comfort food. Dishes are inventive and delicious, service is personal and attentive. This place has a comfortable atmosphere you'll want to return to. read more

My wife and I eat early so got there when it opened. After taking our seat the next thing that happened was a "character" with multiple open face sores and his pants down below his butt came in and locked the door behind him. Now, that's the first thing you do when you rob a bank or are planning on killing everyone in the place. After some tense moments the tiny waitress convinced him to leave and a big guy came from the kitchen area to help him unlock the door on the way out. And so our adventure began. Right in the heart or Vancouver's beautiful Downtown Eastside we saw dozens and dozens of other characters too varied and colourful to recount here. However, they did not come into the restaurant like the first fellow and we just observed them from our window seat as they went by and of course more than a few observed us as well. Besides the entertainment the food is excellent at Dosako as well as the Whiskey. They have quite the assortment of Japanese Whiskey which you can get a flight of. Fine Japanese dining in what was once Vancouver's Japantown for the adventurous. read more

with the level of food they are serving, I say this place will go out of business by next spring

We enjoyed the food there with our order of OMU-RICE (Japanese omelette, fried rice and tomato sauce, with Hayashi sauce, Pork Loin Tonkatsu and special of the day, Lingcod Tonkatsu, ended with Japanese Whiskey Bread Pudding. It was the best Tonkatsu that we have had with light crispy batter, and the Japanese omelette was beautifully handcrafted with the sauce. The portion is moderate and the price is not bad as dinner main course, but expensive compared to same menu at other Japanese restaurant. We also ordered her suggested 3 oz glass of orange wine and 3 oz glass of rose wine, which we found the Orange wine with good aroma but taste as mediocre, and Rose was more flavorful. Overall, good food and nice high ceiling, but the menu is very limited with less than 10 items, so you won't go back too soon. And the neighbourhood was complicated with many homeless people wandering around. I would recommend to visit in summer time when there is still daylight till 9pm. read more