Donburi

Being an Asian, I am extremely picky about Asian food, I have very high standards. Normally, I don’t “believe in” Asian food outside Asia as I doubt its authenticity. Japanese cuisine is definitely in fashion nowadays in every part of the world, Quito is not an exception. There are quite a few Japanese restaurants, yet most of them are “sushi” type of fusion bistros. I don’t mind them but they are just not authentic enough. For me, a real Asian restaurant almost has to have an Asian owner, with a few SIMPLE Asian home dishes cooked with Asian ingredients/sauces, and of course, very minimal “local adaptation”.

Donburi is one of these precious gems (authentic Asian restauranates) in Quito. Owned by a Japanese-Ecuadorian couple, Donburi only serves “Don” (means “rice” in Japanese, and Donburi means “rice bowl dish”). Don is so “homey” that almost any Japanese housewife makes it. When it first started, Donburi was not very popular with the local crowds as they stereotyped Japanese food with sushi. But over time, it has gained its reputation. For me, the authentic Asian food pursuer, it has always been my favorite place because they serve “real” Japanese food, the kind of food the Japanese in Japan have everyday.

And my duty is to go there from time to time to make sure that they don’t go out of business.