Gyudon Ya

Not too long ago, Gyudonya opened up. I had some time to kill and didn’t have lunch, so I thought I’d try this place out. I walked by it once and noticed no one was in there. I shrugged it off at the fact it was almost 3pm so most people would’ve already had their lunch.

The main reason this place intrigued me was on my last trip to New York, we had stopped at a place called Yoshinoya that serves similar food (fast food donburis) which I enjoyed.

I walked in and was greeted promptly by the server at the till. I was looking at the menu and he asked me whether I would eat in or take out. Clever. I said eat in and he sat me down at the bar.

I ordered the Beef Bowl ($5.95) but also ordered sides which are an extra $2. In less than 5 minutes, my meal appeared. “That was quick!” I exclaimed, but to little or no enthusiasm from my server. There must be a reason why this was so quick. ..

This ‘beef’ bowl was very dry and consisted of fatty beef. It kind of reminded me of when you go for hot pot and get those thin slices of meats and over cook them to death. At the very bottom of the rice was the sauce, it would’ve been much tastier if they had added the sauce on the top. There is hot sauce and mayo condiments on the bench but not even that could save this dish. How sad.

My sides were miso (which is non-negotiable) and I chose Korean kimchi. The kimchi was alright, a little flavourless though.

I guess for $5.95, you really get what you pay for. It’s a little unfortunate considering there are so many great alternatives near by. If you’re looking for quick, cheap eats you might like this place, but skip the beef bowl as it is a definite miss.

Food: