There’s a lot to be said about presentation being the key difference behind a good dish and a great one. Typically, presentation is something reserved for fine-dining kitchens and haute cuisine, not something as humble as donburi. But Uncle Don seems to have missed that particular memo. The casual eatery brand, founded in Paddington in 2021, has made beautifully presented rice bowls its calling card.
“We are making art in a bowl, something that makes the customers say ‘Wow, that’s amazing’,” says Uncle Don’s owner, Brian Lee. He’s not wrong. Uncle Don’s bowls of pillowy rice topped with the likes of salmon sashimi, grilled duck breast and sweet soy-marinated beef – as well as entrees like crispy eggplant chip towers – are Instagram-worthy morsels. But, perhaps most importantly, it all tastes great.
These two qualities are the driving force behind’s Uncle Don’s recent expansion efforts. Earlier this year the team opened a location in South Brisbane, following up by opening another site (its third) in South City Square earlier this month. Citing a wave of interest from foodies, Brian has targeted areas of Brisbane that are more easily accessible to foodies from far-flung corners of the city.
“When we opened the first Paddington shop, we noticed that many customers travelled from the inner city and the south side,” says Brian. “From our data and conversations with customers, we realised we needed more locations.”
Conversations with South City Square’s developer Pellicano first started two years ago, with the thriving lifestyle hub an ideal spot to open its biggest location to date. Coming in at 100 seats (including room for 32 outside), Uncle Don at South City Square (located next door to Sue’s Burgers & Shakes) is not only spacious, but chic. Boasting a crisply minimal aesthetic courtesy of a concrete and timber, the eatery is furnished with cushioned banquettes, curved booths and tiled high-top tables. Now with a fit-out that matches the menu in terms of looks, Uncle Don feels more like an elevated nosh spot than the approachable and casual eatery it is in reality.
“I want customers to enjoy the food, of course, but also the atmosphere and the vibe,” says Brian of the venue’s polished look. “They don’t need to spend a hundred dollars per head, but every time they come they feel it’s worth it.”
The menu is similar to that of Uncle Don’s Paddington and South Brisbane outposts, with only the sashimi moriawase (a medley of sashimi, tuna, kingfish and scallops) and kaisen don (a rice bowl topped with the same ingredients) exclusive to Woolloongabba. Starters like crispy pork katsu sandos, parmesan-coated karaage chicken, pork gyoza and lotus chips with miso pumpkin dip lead into Uncle Don’s extensive selection of bowls.
Highlights include scrambled egg curry dons, fried teriyaki tofu dons, unagi (grilled eel dons), miso pork donburi and a range of keto-friendly bowls, which swap rice for cauliflower. Of special mention is the wagyu steak don, which layers succulent slices of teritaki-glazed wagyu (with a marble score of eight) alongside egg, nori and shallots. Uncle Don’s bar offering has also been improved, with a greater selection of wines and cocktails on offer.
Uncle Don at South City Square is now open to the public. You can find menu details and operating hours over in the Stumble Guide.
