Donto Sapporo @ Broadbeach

Donto Sapporo is located in Broadbeach, on the Gold Coast. From the outside it is a restaurant that can be easily missed, but once you step into the restaurant, you’ll be able to see that it is actually quite big. The interior décor is typical of a traditional Japanese restaurant, with lower-set tables, Japanese cushions for sitting (zabudon) and room dividers consisting of washi paper over a frame of wood (shouji). You are welcomed by friendly staff as soon as you enter and that, together with the atmosphere of the restaurant, teleports you to a typical restaurant in Japan.

The menu range is one of the most extensive I’ve seen at a Japanese restaurant and it took us a while to decide what to get. In the end, I opted for their Chirashi sushi and whilst my friends shared a Shabu Shabu Set.

Chirashi Sushi

The chirashi sushi was average for the price. Yes, the sashimi was fresh but I don’t think it was worth it for the portion size and price.

Shabu Shabu Set

Again, the ingredients were all fresh, but it was a pretty normal shabu shabu that other restaurants would have at a lower price range as well.

We didn’t want to give up on Donto Sapporo based on only two main dishes so we tried some of their desserts as well:

Crème Brulee with Japanese Plum Sake

The plum sake was strong but it didn’t overpower the crème brulee.

Deep-fried Mochi with Vanilla Ice Cream

Though I have never had Japanese-style deep-friend mocha before, this dessert was only average. I find normal mocha more aromatic and chewy.

Green Tea Ice Cream

Even something as simple as green tea ice cream was presented differently from other restaurants – it came with corn flakes at the bottom of the ice cream with red beans on top. I did find the green tea ice cream to be a little too sweet – it would’ve been better if there was more green tea taste to it.

Their dessert range was diverse, with monthly specials of their own creative Japanese-Western fusion-style desserts.

Overall, Donto Sapporo was pretty average and I think it is overpriced for what you get. Apparently, they do good lunch Obento specials, so wouldn’t mind giving that a try one day.