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Gyudonya
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
500 Robson StVancouver, BC V6B 2B7
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(604) 569-0259
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
36 reviews for Gyudonya
Review Highlights
"I always get the Beef Short Rib bowl when I go - if I'm..."
(in 8 reviews)
"Food is nutritious and wholesome and very affordable."
(in 3 reviews)
"The thin slices of beef were so tender and I finished the..."
(in 3 reviews)
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36 reviews in English
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Review from Esther G.
Vancouver, BC
2/5/2012
I don't know if it was because it was I was ridiculously hungry, but this place was amazing.
I was a little hesitant at first because the outside didn't seem to be the most welcoming of places, but I'm glad that my friend had been there before and said I would not be disappointed.
There's nothing fancy about this place. The menu is simple, the place small. They have giant photos of their menu options, which always makes the decision more difficult.
Their bowls come in mini, regular and large. I think most times, I would've been OK with the mini, but again, I was really hungry.
I got the short ribs beef one, in a bowl of rice. The marinade was spectacular. It was SO flavorful. There were big pieces of broccoli in there, which was nice.
It's a little awkward to serve this type of food with chopsticks, as the rice got harder to pick up the more it got soaked in the sauce, but I managed. And I didn't want to be one of those people who asked for a spoon because I couldn't pick up my food.
Next time, I want to try the burger one (not sure what it's called).
For a quick bite, lightning-fast service and a satisfied stomach, I'll come back here for sure. -
Review from Arnold P.
Vancouver, BC
2/7/2012
I'll compare this to Japanese Yoshinoya. Yoshinoya is the largest chain of beef bowl (or gydon) restaurants in Japan and probably where Gyudonya is copied from.
Like Yoshinoya, this place is small and its meant to be fast food and not for a big group/party. The food itself is just OK. It is very convenient and fast but it could use more meat than rice.
It's nothing like Yoshinoya. -
Review from Sean N.
Vancouver, BC
12/17/2011 7 photos
Gyudon Ya opened it's big wooden doors last year and I've passed by it a million times. They serve up Japanese fast food in the form of donburi rice bowls or in other words~Japanese rice bowl or dish.
It's usually packed at lunchtime with office workers getting a quick lunch and is generally slower on the weekends so when I was walking past on a Saturday I stopped in to give them a try.
This place used to be a little cafe for many, many years and these guy's took it over just over a year ago. The seating inside is limited to the bar and the window bar behind that, there are a couple of 2-top tables but that's it. I wasn't a fan of what they did with the place~it looked kinda dirty or "grungy" looking. Food wise I went with something that totally sounded good:
The "grilled" beef short rib bowl, the quotes I used were also on the menu like that so it should have been a warning sign!, I chose to make it a value meal and my choices were kind of limited~potato salad or cabbage salad and miso soup, the cabbage salad was a total miss, the mix was a bag coleslaw mix and it wasn't very fresh and the dressing had a sweet taste to it that I couldn't put my finger on. The miso soup would have been OK but for the fact they put so much kombu in it that it wasted like the ocean.
My "grilled" Short Rib bowl consisted of 90% rice and about 10 thin slices of beef that has an odd rubbery texture to them and a sweet sauce in them, I don't think they were freshly "grilled" and I have no clue why they use quotes around the word grilled other than to mean "grilled like?", there was also some Japanese pickles and lettuce as well in the bowl but like I said~it was mostly rice.
With all the good food in this city it really stands out to me when I get a bad meal and boy I can say I didn't feel good after eating this, I don't think I'll be back. -
Review from Larry L.
I have seen 1 stars and some 5 stars here, but this place isn't really about 5 star quality. It's just a place to get grub. This is what I see it as.
The staff friendly, food served promptly once ordered. Menu is simple and so is the food.
Ordered the Gyu Don with kimchee side and miso soup. At first I thought there wasn't enough sauce but then as I went through the bowl and ate, I realized, I didn't need it. It would have drowned out the rice and there would have been a puddle of goo at the bottom of the bowl.
The portion of meat to rice was pretty good and well balanced.
Simple effective and the place after all this time still has customers and it's still doing well.
I think they had some challenges at the beginning, but things seem to have been ironed out now.
I would come back.
I also noticed there are alot of orders for takeout.
And alot of Japanese customers.
It's just not fancy. It's like a little neighbourhood shop that caters to the area with simple effective service and food. -
Review from patricia l.
Vancouver, BC
Good place downtown to grab a quick and very affordable lunch. It's not gourmet, but it does the trick and you won't walk out hungry. I always get the Beef Short Rib bowl when I go - if I'm super hungry I'll make it a combo.
A few things, they only accept cash and debit and it's not an ideal place for big groups. It's more like a fast food/take out joint that serves tasty and relatively healthy food. -
Review from Trudi C.
8/18/2011
One of my fave places to snack on when in Downtown! A limited menu is good when you are just wanting lunch and don't have a lengthy menu to scroll through.
Very fresh food, comes with a nice cup of tea or water. There's really not that much difference in size between the small and big. Sometimes they scrimp a bit on the peppers or onions, but eh. I've tried all the dishes in there bar the curry, and they were all lovely!
It can be super packed at times, but seating clears up quick enough. Recommended for a quick snack! -
Review from Katrina D.
7/12/2011
I orded the beef rice bowl and at first impression, my food looked bland and I didn't want to eat it. However, upon first bite, I knew it was a keeper! The thin slices of beef were so tender and I finished the whole regular bowl. My sister ordered the short rib bowl and that was delicious as well.
Limited food options but it's good and the staff, however limited their English may be, is kind. -
Review from strawberry l.
Vancouver, BC
5/31/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Why all the Gyudonya hate out there? I don't get it. It's fresh, it's healthy, tasty and faster than McDonald's. It's not even that much more expensive. The service is very pleasant, and yes, the menu is limited but it's very well prepared. I've eaten there a dozen or so times, maybe once my food was a bit cold...I just informed the staff and they brought me hot food. Come on, this could happen anywhere. If you are too much of a pussy to complain your food is cold I don't feel sorry for you.
My favourite is the marinated short-ribs, and i get it value sized with shitake mushroom miso soup and tsukemono. The know me now as the lady who likes the pickles!
One of the better fast food type japanese places on the Robson strip. (see my review for Ebi-Ten) -
Review from Mark H.
3/4/2011
I stumbled upon this place for the exciting reason that it was near my hotel and open. :)
My friend and I really enjoyed our cheap and simple lunch - I had an excellent chicken bowl with teriyaki/soy marinade, lettuce, and rice. It was cheap, fast, and tasty. This no-frills place hardly compares to the excellent offerings that I sampled in Vancouver, but for a tasty and easy lunch, Gyudonya fit the bill. -
Review from Malloreigh M.
Vancouver, BC
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am pretty pleased that this place has a vegan option right on the menu. It's nothing special but it's not too bad. It was greasy but it's fast food - what do you expect?
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Review from Justin L.
8/15/2011 1 photo
Japanese fast food! Simple and super fast. Nothing amazing, but then it doesn't promise to be. If I worked in the area I'd probably come more often. I'm pretty lenient when it comes to meat and rice -- even if mediocre, I'd take it anytime over a mediocre sandwich.
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Review from Charles Z.
8/25/2010
I was strolling down Robson Street (this is the main street in downtown where all the yuppies come) during lunchtime when I saw this small Japanese joint. The color scheme of white and orange was modeled to look exactly like a Yoshinoya place. That's about all the comparison I can give and everything else goes downhill.
The environment inside was very crowded for a weekday lunch, and they had no A/C going. Service was subpar as I had to signal the waitresses many times to refill my water. I ended up ordering the Gyudon beef bowl large for $5.95 + tax and tip. The beef tasted very average, overly salted, and the soup sauce was inundated with MSG. Although it came in an authentic ceramic bowl, the food tasted quite subpar.
Aside from the cheap price, and the fact that the servers speak Japanese, I would not recommend this place. There are a ton of Japanese terriyaki places in the downtown area, and unless you are looking for a major "yoshinoya" type of fix, you would be better off eating somewhere else. -
Review from HELEN C.
Vancouver, BC
5/28/2010 18 photos
Beef bowl - I give you ZERO star because even for someone like myself who don't really cook, i can easily do better than that!
about 4.1 spoons of rice.. topped with thinnnnnnnnnnly sliced beef (or wut i called "the left over beef slices")
For item #1-5 on their menu, you have the option to make it a combo ($2 extra) which gives you a small plate of salad and a small bowl of miso soup. The menu suggests that it's "VALUE MEAL" and I think that's BS. Charging people $1 for TINY amount of salad and another $1 for THAT amount of soup is ridiculous. Maybe that's called "VALUE MEAL" cuz it helps the owner make a fortune out of those customers who don't think twice when they spend their money.
p.s. the star yer getting is for the friendly waitresses there -
Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
6/27/2010
Sniff sniff, the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed so we stopped here before collapsing from hunger in the street.
I think this place means business... or at least it's a fast lunch place, not for long lunches with all your pals. The restaurant has two tables in the back (that seat two or three) and mostly seating along the bar (no, they don't serve alcohol, but I don't know what else to call it) and the windows. We had to wait because we needed seating for three and this place was packed. Finally, we got a table in the corner before I tried to bite my fiance's finger for sustenance.
I ordered the beef bowl combo: it came with a miso soup and japanese pickles (you can get other salads--- edamame or kimchee). The japanese pickles were okay. They tasted even better when I mixed it with the kimchee side my friend ordered. She had the beef curry. My bowl had a ton of beef on it, hers, not so much. I think the focus for her bowl was the curry with beef accents. My fiance had the curry with chicken accents. The meat was really tasty, just not a lot of it.
If I worked downtown, I would come here for a quick lunch. I would even come back to buy the sides of kimchee to take home with me. -
Review from Rod S.
Vancouver, BC
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great service, very friendly and efficient. Food is nutritious and wholesome and very affordable. Short rib and veggie bowl are my favourites. :)
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Review from Tania Y.
Vancouver, BC
6/3/2010 3 photos
There's nothing to rave about here. But, like Slan D. says, it does the job.
It's good if you want a quick lunch and something with some substance in it (ie. rice).
The Beef Bowl is O K A Y. Rice, with slices of beef on top - add soy sauce, chilli powder or whatever as you please. it kind of reminded me of a home cooked meal.... which I kind of like!
The friend I was with had the short rib bowl which looked more flavorful and saucy than the beef bowl.
It's a good place to go when you're craving the type of food. One thing though, they have a minimum purchase of 1 bowl per person. -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
4/7/2010
* Tough lukewarm meat *
"Tough" and "lukewarm" are two words I normally don't like when associated with beef.
Sadly those are the only words that can adequately describe the short rib donburi I had here today.
When a place specializes in just a few dishes, they should really be a star at making them. Not here.
The signage outside definitely reminds me of Yoshinoya (of which I am not a terrible fan). Sadly Yoshinoya, with its fast food bowls, is gourmet compared to what I had here.Listed in: Vancouver Japanese Food
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Review from Nick G.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2010
I am a big Japanese food consumer, it's hard not to be in Vancouver. I stopped into Gyudonya after watching their extremely slow renovation of the former Si Vous Plait, during the Olympics. I went in with very little expectations, and was let down even at that.
I ordered the "signature" beef bowl. I would describe it as a semi-warm bowl of rice, topped with "beef" that is reminiscent of the fatty gristle that is discarded from a roast beef dinner...
The food aside, the service was the worst i have experienced in a restaurant in a long time. I would go as far as to say rude. The female servers were quite good, however the older gentleman was the Asian equivalent to the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld (Trust me, it's not worth going there to experience the incompetency). He was more concerned with arguing and scolding the servers, than dealing with the line of people out the door waiting to pay for their meals and get back to work from their lunch break, even after we began commenting and trying to forcefully hand him payment.
This place has my vote... "Worst new Japanese food restaurant in Vancouver 2010" I will never set foot again. -
Review from Ross E.
5/9/2011
Really cheap, pretty good, good service, no complaints.
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Review from Scarlet L.
8/18/2011
We came across this place while walking through Downtown Vancouver. We decided to give it a shot because there was actually a decent handful of customers in there, and the restaurant itself looked so cute. They were advertising their small beef bowl for $4.99. My friend and I however, got the large to share. This was priced at about a dollar or so more.
I would say it was rather disappointing. We were presented a simple looking bowl, where the top was covered in thinly sliced beef. While the beef was tender, it was a bit bland when going along with white rice. With that being said, the majority of the bowl was rice only. Not much more could be critiqued beyond this point. Simple, bland, and boring.
One could argue that it's considered cheap as a lunch overall (~ 8 dollars, tip included), but I would say that with places like Richmond Public Market a mere 15 min drive away, this is very pricey and not worth it to me.
Overall, I'd pass on this place. -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
9/8/2010
I thought Gyudonya was sweet, even if the food wasn't all that great. I mean, if you're going to name your restaurant after something, that dish ought to be stellar. I ordered the gyu-don out of pure nostalgia for the Yoshinoyas I used to frequent in Tokyo when I was on the run, perhaps dining alone, and just wanted to sit at a counter and eat a quick, filling and uncomplicated meal.
Sad to say, the gyu-don wasn't very tasty, and the rice got all soggy in the sauce. I like mixing sauce and rice, but it's nice if the rice can still be a little sticky so I can pick it up with my chopsticks. Pretty bowl, though.
But I will probably go back to Gyudonya because it's cheap, the staff is friendly, and it's got a chill atmosphere if you go outside of the lunch rush. Plus, the girl next to me ordered a veggie bowl that looked really deelish - big chunks of grilled veggies on rice. This short rib bowl others have mentioned also sounds good.
And I like places where you can be comfortable eating alone, without having to eat plastic food off of plastic and paper dishes. -
Review from Kim L.
Vancouver, BC
3/26/2010
After a long day of packing in preparation for moving to a new place, I was was excited and relieved that my fiance suggested ordering take out here since I was too tired to cook. Unfortunately, I should have taken the time to boil water and eat a bowl of my favorite instant ramen instead.
I did appreciate that the restaurant was clean, bright and inviting--I especially admired their entrance doors. Once inside, I was greeted by a very friendly waitress/hostess who did not speak English well, but tried her very best in assisting with any questions we had about the menu. Basically, you pick a rice bowl with your choice of protein and then have an option of adding a choice of a side dish plus miso soup for an additional $2 (beware, if ordering take out, you automatically forgo the miso soup--what's up with that?!).
We got an order of the regular beef bowl combo and an order of the short rib bowl. Firstly, the regular beef bowl came with very thin slices of fatty beef of very little flavor, a few slices of sauteed onions and rice. Nothing special--I could have gone to the Asian mart and slapped on a few slices of beef onto the pan myself with some onions. The short rib meat was thicker and a lot less fatty than the regular beef. For some reason, the consistency of the meat we had tasted nothing like short rib...such a disappointment. Even the rice was just--meeeh. As for our "combo", my fiance ordered the kimchi side dish since we both love kimchi, but this too, was a sad disappointment. What a waste of $2--and we never even had the opportunity to taste the miso soup since we ordered take out.
Other than the pleasant service by the smiley waitress/hostess, our experience with the food was very unpleasant. I recommend that you take your hard earned money and head elsewhere. -
Review from Barry C.
Vancouver, BC
3/30/2010
Small, pleasant space. Typical counter, window bar. Small menu. Standard downtown lunch time flood of hungry stomachs.. Had the Short Rib Bowl to go. Errh..Short on ingredients. Short ribs OK but
too few vegtables NO sauce. Sauce? Didnt the Japanese invent the savoury rice bowl with various protein as the headliner? Missing in action here. 1st visit the food failed to even match food court fare found in malls. Too many places for your buck and stomach in downtown to not have your A game in place. -
Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
1/28/2011
Since I've never been to a Yoshinoya before, I don't really have anything to compare my experience to. Came here for a quick dinner before heading to the library on a chilly winter evening with a friend and it was decent. The food was good and alright for its price, and it was fast. I have no complaints, but there wasn't anything that really stuck out about the experience.
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Review from Minna V.
Vancouver, BC
6/23/2010
One of the most basic menu I have seen, they have 5 different bowls and a few side-dishes you can add on as part of a combo. Again, very affordable. Under $6 for an individual bowl and under $9 dollars for each individual combo.
The short rib bowl was surprisingly good, I would have preferred for the ribs to be sizzling hot when it arrives at the table but it was more warm than hot. -
Review from Alice A.
1/8/2011
Looks spanking new and promising on the outside, food prices are affordable from 5 bucks onwards, but the food is really meh. I kinda like my Japanese rice a little stickier so it's easy to eat with chopsticks. The beef bowl I got was ok, not great, salty for flavour. If they want to improve and do well, all regular bowls should have at least some kind of vegetables to balance the meal. If something else is available around the area, I doubt I'll return for more.
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Review from Kelvin L.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2011
Been here twice pros: fast attentive waitresses, cheap and fast food. Food is good portion but yes a bit stingy on meat and flavor. But acceptable! Cons: menu selection very easy to eat your way through. Have only tried beef bowl and wasn't blown away but tasty. Grilled chicken bowl is tasteless, must add soya sauce
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Review from Harry Y.
Richmond, BC
9/6/2010 10 Check-ins Here
Just like yoshinoya of japan! I'll be eating here regularly the beef bowl here is the best, better than the Yoshinoya of the States and as good as the one from Hong Kong and Japan. Take it from me, I am a Yoshinoya expert, I know a good f**ken beef bowl when I have one!
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Review from Rajan S.
Vancouver, BC
12/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
Very disappointing, considering the time and effort that went into building a nicely appointed environment for fast food fare. Very bland, sparse dishes that don't stand up in this city of high quality, tasty Asian food varieties.
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Review from TERRA S.
7/8/2011
It brings back memories of Japan :) but aside from that, these guys are fast and efficient. Food is decent too. Typical Asian fast food, but special cuz it's gyuudon outside of Japan!
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Review from Nandan F.
Ottawa, ON
10/18/2010
Went here for lunch on a weekday. We arrived around noon and it wasnt too busy. I ordered the signature beef bowl. The food was good. I saw someone eat the Short rib bowl which looked better than mine. For a quick lunch, this place is good. You can be in and out in under 25 minutes and you are not served in disposable containers. There are about 5 bowls that you can order for under $6. The combos are about $8. I dont know enough about this cuisine to comment on the autenticity of the food although I liked the story behind the name and the food.
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Review from Judy H.
Vancouver, BC
3/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
It was ok. Small portion, quick service, simple flavors -- all good for lunch on a day to read/work at the library. Prices are set too high, though. The "value meal" should be the default, with soup & side of pickles or kimchi offered for free. Also, we got lucky and got seated way on the inside table. It was super crowded and we had to knock around quite a few people on the counter to get through the isle. If we had to sit on the counter or the window, it probably would have been super unpleasant, and we'll probably never go back.
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Review from Janet Y.
Vancouver, BC
6/2/2010
This place is good if you want a quick lunch and lots of rice to fill you up. Their rice is soaked with their sauces (not good for health concious folks). I had the beef don (the beef slices are thin like bacon, and got lots of fat). It's saucy and good for a quickie cheap lunch in downtown (and might require running a couple more miles on the treadmill afterwards to kill off the calories). I will stick with the panini in IGA across the street.This place is not good for groups (their tables are like bar type settings - stools and long bar tables).
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Review from Bill T.
BC
4/30/2010
Good. People agree with me that for such a large place with a menu that darn looks appetizing, what you get aint what you see. The beef and rice and chicken and rice are woeful. The beef and rice was just that, no veggies, no soy sauce, no nothing. Just... that. For the Chicken and rice on my next visit (Hey, I'm a nice guy, I give second chances) I asked for soy sauce to go and I got it, and this turned my chicken and rice into a pretty good meal, but by no means spectacular. Go next door, to Kushi Box for much better food.
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Review from Ryan W.
Vancouver, BC
5/13/2010
As a devout follower of the Japanese donburi tradition, I was pretty excited when Gyuodonya popped up on Robson. A little less excited due to the similarity in their logo to that of mega popular (And mega cheap) Japanese donburi chain Yoshinoya. Yoshinoya was probably my least favorite place to eat in Japan when I lived there, but nostalgia dictated I at least try it.
Not a great idea.
First off, for a place trying to ape Yoshinoya's style, it's decor is trying too hard to be upscale, it's portions are way too small (Ordered a large chicken bowl and was NOT satisfied, nor am I a particularly big eater) and the prices are too high. Same thing in Japan is roughly $3-$4 and the only reason anyone really ever eats and Yoshinoya is because it's so damned CHEAP.
Well, as I mentioned I had a large "Grilled chicken bowl" which was notably on the small side and cost $6.77 with tax. Not a bad price for lunch, but I was thoroughly underwhelmed with the experience.
It wasn't awful my any means, it just lacked much flavor, the meat was a meat tough and luke-warm and the "Vegetables" mostly consisted of semi-wilted lettuce.
Panned.
Binned.
Not going back.
I'm not giving up on the donburi though, Ebi-Ten down the road does a MUCH better take on it, so I guess I'll justs have to walk the extra 3 blocks next time my nostalgia cravings kick in :) -
Review from Howard J.
North Vancouver, BC
4/26/2010
Dropped by here after a couple of recommendations raving about how good it was. So expectations were high, and that unfortunately sets you up for a big fall sometimes. Beef on rice. Not sure what the big deal is all about. Thought maybe it was a cultural thing as the customer mix seemed to be disproportionately high in foreign asians, as were the staff who seemed to be all imported from a Japanese school or something. I'm local asian and the food seemed to be pretty average to me.
Ordered the small curry bowl, and added chicken which is extra. Friend had the signature beef on rice. We ended up at Tim's across the street for a coffee and donut to flesh out the lunch. Price was neither high nor low, a non-factor.
I know Koreans and a lot of other asians love those gristly short ribs that i find to be shoe leather, so I'm tempted to give these guys the benefit of the doubt with a third star since they must be doing something right packing the place as they are. But for me, it's a 2.
