DINING FEATURE
BY ZARA FLORES
THREE DISHES TO CHECK OUT
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The Don Pork entree ($8.50) comes with Panko-coated chicken fried in katsu sauce, and served with white rice, cabbage and ginger. The Nan Ban entree ($10) is large popcorn chicken marinated in garlic, sesame and soy sauce topped with a homemade sweet and sour glaze. The Don Fries ($5) is a pound of wa e-cut fries drizzled with a homemade teriyaki sauce and spicy mayo.
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DID YOU KNOW? “Don” is short for “donburi” in Japanese, which translates to rice bowls, the restaurant’s specialty.
PHOTOS BY ZARA FLORES COMMUNITY IMPACT
Don Japanese Kitchen High-quality authentic Asian staples served in San Marcos A s chef and owner of Don Japanese Kitchen in San Marcos, Edward Sumner
Edward Sumner opened Don Japanese Kitchen in Austin in 2015, then in San Marcos in 2019.
lives, but it also passes down his- tory in a very interesting way,” he said. “I fell in love with the whole identity behind the food service industry.” He rose in the ranks from a dish- washer to an apprentice to a chef. “I realized ... that I was looking forward to waking up every day to go hang out with my coworkers and looked forward more to working rather than being a student,” Sumner said. Sumner opened Don Japanese Kitchen in late 2015 as a food truck in Austin and moved into a brick- and-mortar location in 2018. The opportunity to move to San Marcos in 2019 presented itself, and Sumner never looked back.
“We have a more interpersonal connection with our guests as opposed to in Austin [where] it’s very grab-and-go,” Sumner said. In a college town landscape, Sumner and his team still have the opportunity to make connections with customers through their quality food and ingredients. “We specialize in providing rice bowls having your carbs, protein [and] some veggies on the side, making it a complete meal,” Sumner said. “It’s as nutritious as we can get it to be. It’s high quality; … all of our seasonings we get shipped from Japan so it’s as authentic as possible. I think all of those factors combined is what sets us apart.”
developed a deeper appreciation for the food his mother made him as a child. He wasn’t a big fan of it growing up, but it’s become a cornerstone of the restaurant. “She was very conscious about what she was putting on the plate; we hardly ever got fast food,” Sumner said. “Everything that we’re eating leads to our growth and our future.” During college, Sumner began working in restaurants to pay his bills, and it evolved into a lifelong passion that explored the integral nature of food. “It’s necessary for our day-to-day
Don Japanese Kitchen 829 N. LBJ Drive, San Marcos 281-725-3686
https://don-japanese-kitchen.square.site Hours: Mon.-Sat. 4-11 p.m., closed Sun.
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