Having been to the other Hana Don location in North York multiple times, I was delighted when they…read moreopened a new location in downtown. It's my go-to spot to get my don fix - I love the wide variety of dons (rice bowls) that they offer with various fish and seafood combinations. There are also unique appetizers in the menu, such as Purple Yam Croquettes, Crab Crackers, Braised Bamboo Shoots with Shirasu (immature whitebait fish), and Takowasa (marinated raw octopus pieces, to be eaten with or wrapped in nori / seaweed).
Although the dons are the main highlight of their menu (hence the restaurant name), they also offer traditional sushi, sashimi, sushi rolls and sets (similar to other Japanese sushi restaurants).
Miso Aburi Scallops were very flavourful - nicely torched, giving the scallops a nice grill / char taste. They came with red and green seaweed, and a bit of fish roe.
Large Premium Hana Don contained a good amount of fish and seafood, including a whole abalone, uni, shrimp in the shell, aburi salmon, ikura (salmon roe), salmon sashimi, tuna sashimi, yellowtail sashimi, other various fish sashimi, tamago (egg), and a few slices of cucumber on a generous bed of rice. I liked that the rice was a mix of white rice and some type of dark-coloured grains.
Unatama Don came with a big piece of unagi and tamago (egg) that were both excellent.
The sashimi were all fresh.
Okonomiyaki was disappointing but it was sort of expected... for only $9, it was about 99% just flour pan-fried in a patty, without any substantial fillings (unlike real okonomiyaki, which usually contains protein / seafood, cabbage, eggs, and other ingredients).
Location is super convenient near Bay & Dundas, ambiance is very casual, and service is quick.