Hidden in the basement of Sydney CBD’s Regent Place precinct, Dopa Donburi and Milkbar is a new-age Japanese restaurant serving refined rice bowls and extravagant desserts. We love all things Japanese, so we decided to try to give this place a try on a recent trip into Sydney city.

Dopa is definitely one of the busier restaurants in the precinct, with plenty of tables packed into the dining area. Decor wise, the restaurant mixes traditional Japanese style with industrial elements, using red subway tile as a clever nod to the Japanese flag. Dopa prides themselves on sourcing their ingredients from local farmers across Australia, focusing on quality and freshness.

When we arrived at Dopa, staff were telling people it was going to be a long wait and trying to turn people away from the restaurant. We had nowhere to be so we were happy to wait, but lots of other people did end up going elsewhere. After all the fuss we only ended queuing for about 5 minutes, so it wasn’t that bad at all.

After the initial wait for a table, we scrolled through the electronic screens and opted for the cheeseburger curry rice bowl. Presentation is definitely something Dopa have nailed - we loved how the hamburger patty sat on top of pillowy eggs, with the curry almost looking like a lake. However, after the initial wow-factor of the presentation, the meal fell a little flat for us. The flavours were nice, although nothing really stood out as being different from a typical Japanese curry. The portion size was quite small, and the hamburger patty was slightly overcooked so it was a bit chewy.

Overall, our experience at Dopa was pleasant. For the Japanese foodies out there, it’s worth checking out to tick off your bucket list. Would we queue up to visit again? Probably not in the foreseeable future, but never say never. In saying that though, the desserts did look great, so we would like to give their Haymarket location a go and hopefully the experience will be different!

Dopa Donburi and Milkbar
Lot 50a - 51, Level 9, Regent Place, 501 George St, Sydney NSW 2000
https://dopa.com.au
(02) 9267 5775

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