Great food packed with flavour at good prices

IT MIGHT not always have been the case, even just a few years ago, but there’s no longer any doubt that Cardiff has more than its fair share of superb restaurants. That can mean that some can go unnoticed, especially if they’re not in places you’d traditionally expect to find great restaurants. When thinking of Ely, your first thought may not be about food but the new(ish) Japanese cafe/restaurant on its main road may change that.

Don Don Yatai gets five-star reviews on a regular basis from those who eat there, and I can see why. It opened during the pandemic in 2021 opposite the fire station on Cowbridge Road West. If you’re driving, the only parking option is one of the residential streets surrounding the restaurant but there is a bus stop on the restaurant’s doorstep for services from and to Cardiff city centre.

Don Don Yatai has already won awards, including for the best sushi in Cardiff. It’s small, with only four tables to seat guests and a bench under the window. It was quiet when we visited, not only because there was only one other table but also because they did not have any music playing, which made me feel very relaxed and a bit like I was eating at home. They had one chef and one front of house staff member working, who was very accommodating and polite, even pulling the chair out for us to sit (you don’t get that at home!)

We definitely felt spoiled for choice in what to order as the menu has so many delicious-sounding dishes to choose from. To start, we opted for two chicken dishes: chicken karaage in wasabi sauce (£7) and spicy chicken gyoza (£6). Both dishes we expected to be spicier than they were but that did not mean that they were not delicious.

I could not go to a Japanese restaurant and not try the sushi. They had so many options that it was hard to choose but I went with what I know and ordered the simple salmon hosomaki (£5.50). It was on another planet to your supermarket sushi and undoubtedly the best sushi I have ever had. The fish tasted very fresh and the rice was sticky and the perfect texture.

For my main dish I ordered one of the restaurants’ signature rice bowls: gyudon (£10.50), which is simmered beef with soft boiled egg seasoned with Japanese sweet sauce. This dish tasted just as good as it looked. It was full of flavour and writing it about it now has me craving it all over again. The rice again was the perfect texture and the beef was cooked just the way I like it.

My sister ordered the chicken katsu udon miso soup (£13), thick noodles with deep fried cutlets coated with breadcrumbs in Japanese miso soup. She really enjoyed her meal, complimenting especially the crispy chicken.

It was a hugely enjoyable experience and we are both keen to return soon. With the portions very generous, it turned out our eyes were much too big for our bellies and we ended up taking home what we had left, great quality food packed with flavour at really good prices.