Dopa by Devon is a cafe in Darlinghurst, Sydney, serving savoury don bowls and creative desserts. The same owners are the magicians behind the delicious Devon Cafe in Surry Hills.
We visited in mid-2019 when the cafe had recently opened up for a few weeks. It was a 45-minute wait during our visit but it was well worth it. Since then we’ve walked past during peak eating hour and have noticed no signup sheet or queue so if you’re interested in going, now is a great time 😊
We visited in mid-2019 when the cafe had recently opened up for a few weeks. It was a 45-minute wait during our visit but it was well worth it. Since then we’ve walked past during peak eating hour and have noticed no signup sheet or queue so if you’re interested in going, now is a great time 😊
food
This beast of a bowl was the ultimate don v2 for $35. It had wagyu steak, beef tongue, foie gras and an onsen egg, mixed with furikake, seaweed and scallions.
The wagyu was tender and savoury, with that beautiful pink glow in the centre. The onsen egg held its shape until we cracked it for some yummy egg porn. The rice was rich and fat, with a mildly sweet aroma – maybe they cooked it with something? 🤔 The green onions added a lovely pop of freshness.
Overall, we loved the serving size of this don and found the price reasonable.
The wagyu was tender and savoury, with that beautiful pink glow in the centre. The onsen egg held its shape until we cracked it for some yummy egg porn. The rice was rich and fat, with a mildly sweet aroma – maybe they cooked it with something? 🤔 The green onions added a lovely pop of freshness.
Overall, we loved the serving size of this don and found the price reasonable.
This was a Hokkaido don for $45 with Hokkaido scallops, scampi, caviar and scampi miso soup. It was so friggin delicious! 😍.
It had the freshest and sweetest seafood packed on in a beautiful bowl, served with rice and furikake. The size, quality and serving of the creamy scallops exceeded our expectation. Dopa was not saving any for leftovers.
The scampi was creamy and flavourful too, with such a nice rich orange colour on the flesh. We enjoyed sucking on the heads of our crustaceans – no wastage here. The roe and scallion brought the freshness to the next level. This was such a delectable and alluring bowl and it was so worth it! YUM!
It had the freshest and sweetest seafood packed on in a beautiful bowl, served with rice and furikake. The size, quality and serving of the creamy scallops exceeded our expectation. Dopa was not saving any for leftovers.
The scampi was creamy and flavourful too, with such a nice rich orange colour on the flesh. We enjoyed sucking on the heads of our crustaceans – no wastage here. The roe and scallion brought the freshness to the next level. This was such a delectable and alluring bowl and it was so worth it! YUM!
This was the uni don for $49, containing Tasmanian sea urchin, aged southern bluefin tuna sashimi. It was a tad pricey but the portion of uni and toro was worth every dollar.
The sea urchin was full, rich and creamy as fuck. There was no foul ocean taste. It had been cleaned and served perfectly 🤤. The tuna was a chu-toro cut (medium fat) and it had that nice mild, clean taste with its tender flesh. The use of watercress was unique, adding a slight bitterness to the sweet bite.
Overall, this was a deliciously high-quality bowl of rice.
The sea urchin was full, rich and creamy as fuck. There was no foul ocean taste. It had been cleaned and served perfectly 🤤. The tuna was a chu-toro cut (medium fat) and it had that nice mild, clean taste with its tender flesh. The use of watercress was unique, adding a slight bitterness to the sweet bite.
Overall, this was a deliciously high-quality bowl of rice.
drink
We were too stuffed to order any of their desserts other than this chocolate milkshake. It was rich and not too sweet.
service
The cafe had a modern take on Japanese culture with sake bottles on the shelves, coat hangers on the walls and hachimaki on each chef. There was a casual ambience with a moderate echo so we were able to hear each other.
The seating was reasonable except for the seats around the bar/kitchen. We were originally seated there but we were elbow to elbow and were a little uncomfortable being so close to strangers so when a seat opened up at a table, we asked to move and the staff kindly helped us.
The seating was reasonable except for the seats around the bar/kitchen. We were originally seated there but we were elbow to elbow and were a little uncomfortable being so close to strangers so when a seat opened up at a table, we asked to move and the staff kindly helped us.
review
If you love raw seafood or you’re into Japanese food, give Dopa a chance! The food was exquisite and the service was great! This was a lovely place for our Sunday lunch.
Thanks for reading! Happy eating! 🍣
Thanks for reading! Happy eating! 🍣
Wow, wonderful blog format! How long have you been blogging for? you make running a blog look easy. The full glance of your site is excellent, as smartly as the content!!
Wow, amazing blog structure! How lengthy have you ever been blogging for? you made running a blog glance easy. The whole glance of your site is wonderful, let alone the content!!