I was craving sashimi and Donzoko popped up on my online search. The pictures and the reviews looked credible, so we decided to check it our and were not disappointed! Donzoko serves a rather eclectic mix of Japanese fare but I am not holding that against them.

Donzoko, calle de Echegaray, 3, 28014

The entrance looked a little bit kitschy but who am I to blame them for attempting to look the part. I had booked us a table at the tatami area just in case it was not available when we reached the restaurant. We were seated upon arrival without a hitch, even though we were half and hour late for the reservation. I would not necessarily call their “tatami” area legit but the tables were low, there were floor chairs with backrests, it was quiet and I was hungry, so I did not mind.

We ordered a bottle of their own sake (€20) and I thought that it was good enough for the price. Nothing to write home about but also not undrinkable. We received a very nice preserved courgette snack that was soft with a flavourful bite to it.

I really really wanted to have decent sashimi and this platter (€20) actually surpassed my expectations. I am not sure if I remember all of the fish but there definitely was some tuna, salmon, mackerel and scallop. I really liked all of the sashimi but scallop and one of the mystery fishes were so good, I legitimately wanted to order another platter just to have them again. The scallop was soft and creamy with a little hint of a lemon, none of the fishiness in the bite. And the mystery fish was so meaty yet it just melted in the mouth without any need for chewing. It was rich and juicy, again no fishiness to it at all.

Mixed tempura (€18) was another highlight. And while the tiger prawn and vegetable mix proved to be quite eclectic with unequal number of things inside, we made it work without too much fighting between who gets what. There was a little bit of an oily taste but the batter was incredibly thin and crispy and everything was deep fried to perfection, so it did not detract much from our enjoyment. I would honestly order it again in a heartbeat.

Spider crab roll (€14) was quite good too. The sushi rice were very decent. The roll was neither too dry or crumbly nor too wet or bland tasting. It was not my favourite sushi roll I have ever had but I honestly could order this again and be happy with it.

Donzoko roll (€11) was made with flambéed salmon, avocado, roe and spicy mayo. And if you think you saw a hair softly balancing on the top, then you would be correct. By the time I took pictures and we shuffled around finishing the other stuff, we were not sure whether it belonged to one of us, so we just shrugged it off. Although I later checked and it was visible in the pictures I took before. If you think we had a problem eating the said roll, well, then you would be incorrect. We had removed the aforementioned hair and I could not be bothered to send it back so we ate everything as the true champs we are. Honestly, the roll minus the hair was quite tasty, so no harm no foul.

Donzoko has quite a bit of space inside, at least two big rooms with proper tables but I liked the tatami area the most as it felt quite private and secluded even though two other tables were occupied.

The service was a little bit slow, a sort of mix between Spanish, English and an attempted Japanese but that did not put me off. The food was actually decent and the price was reasonable too. That sashimi platter and mixed tempura were excellent and they had other dishes that I would like to try next time (soba, udon, donburi).

Despite the incidental hair, this place gets Ieva’s seal of approval. Yes, I truly do not have standards besides my all time favourite adage that good food trumps questionable hygiene. Go figure!