I've been to Doraku Kakaʻako many times, and the food and service are always pretty solid. My favorite thing to order is the spicy tuna crispy rice. The sushi and rolls are good too, the portions are decent, and the drinks are good. The only downside is the price. Even some of the simpler items are a little expensive. On our recent visit, a cockroach ran out from under our table before our food came, which was pretty gross. I know roaches are kind of everywhere in Hawaiʻi, but it still wasn't something you want to see at a restaurant. Overall, the place is pretty clean, but I think it could be a little cleaner. read more

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My go to sushi spot whenever I want specialty rolls and/or someone comes into town. The food is consistent and always delish! They offer soy paper as an alternative to seaweed for your rolls, which is a nice option that not many places have. The atmosphere is a vibe. Parking is pretty easy...you can usually find street parking right out front. During the day, there are a handful of spots available in the garage, and I've typically been able to snag one. read more

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I genuinely love Doraku and have been coming here consistently for a decade. I have only had positive experiences here, which is why I hope they'll consider bringing back the original lamb dish. The lamb is my favorite thing on the menu, and it used to come with a delicious sizzling sauce and a side of potatoes. It was absolutely perfect. Recently, it's changed a few times. First, the sizzling sauce was replaced with a red sauce and the potatoes became greens. Now it's served without the original sauce and still comes with greens. There needs to be a sauce for the lamb otherwise I'm forced to use shoyu. I know menus evolve, but this was one of those dishes that didn't need fixing. If possible, please consider bringing back the original lamb dish. I will order every time! read more

Doraku has been in this spot for many years and they survived the crazy Covid Era. I've been visiting this location more often recently its convenient. They have parking in Pacifica and they still have a pretty good happy hour. They can accommodate larger groups and have outside seating that is dog friendly. Happy hour is Mon-Fri 4-6p and 9pm till closing. My favorites are Miso eggplant,shishido peppers, jumping shrimp and the steak and shishido yakitori and ofcourse the spicy ahi and shrimp tempura rolls. LOl they also have sake bombs (5 for 35$). Service is great and if are sitting at the bar Sharon is awesome! read more

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Came here with my ma before a comedy show at Blaisdell. Convenient location. There was a little hiccup with the reservation that the hosts requested I show them the confirmation... if they had just put two and two together they would have realized the reservation at 5 for which I provided the last name was simply under a different first name... idk. So we relocated from the bar to the table once they figured it out. I ordered an espresso martini which is pretty straightforward but it was all cream and mostly foam??? Yikes. I sent it back and kept it safe with wine. Kim however was an excellent waitress, she was prompt, attentive, friendly and just "on it!" She brought the good energy. The food itself was incredible. My ma said that there wasn't one dish that wasn't special. The wagyu steak was tender and incredible, the calamari top notch! The shishito peppers delicious and unique, the sushi fresh and delightful and my favorite was the hamachi carpaccio. It all kinda came at once but hey, we enjoyed the food! read more

Food was amazing, also recommend the Brussels sprouts + honey toast!! Service was good, server came back often to check if we needed anything. Wasn't too busy on Mother's Day. Ambiance brings back many memories of japan: the cherry blooms, signs, kazaridaru: decorative barrels read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Calamari - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Been to both the Kaka'ako and Waikiki locations and both are good! Kaka'ako is a little more chill, if you're trying to avoid the crowds in Waikiki, and the restaurant has both nice indoor seating and cozy outdoor seating. One of my favorite items to order is always the Steak & Lobster roll. I wanted to try something new this time so I ordered the Toro Taku & Ikura donburi, which I will definitely be ordering again. I feel like you can't go wrong with the items here. Though keep in mind that most of the menu items are shareable sizes (izakaya) so they are on the smaller side if you're not sharing plates. read more

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Another great meal! God of Fire roll is good. Not spicy at all if you like spicy food. The Salmon Kama is also delicious. Portion size is very big. Wish there were more half roll options on the menu. read more

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Food here tastes great! Everything came out perfectly and not too long of a wait considering how much me and my friends ordered! Service tonight was spectacular! Big recommendation to the jumbo shrimp tempura, me and my friends fought over the last piece! But my favorite was the brownie tempura! Please try this!!!! Me and my friends demolished it before I remembered to snap a photo. You will understand once you try! read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Brownie tempura ice Cream - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Another review overdue. Been here a handful of times already. This location is across from McKinley High School. I think it's easier to access the parking eastbound on Kapiolani Boulevard. Not sure if it's valet only, or self park too, but this last time we went the attendant said valet only for Doraku, self park wasn't an option, however, I think one of the last past times we went, I remember we self parked, drove in, and parked a couple stalls in, on ground level. I don't know, may be only certain hours. Anyway, they have outdoor and indoor seating. I know they have a really great happy hour menu. We ordered the hamachi garlic roll, and I got 2 otoro nigiri's and 2 hamachi nigiri's (one seared [never again, from here at least lol] was seared a little too much). The nigiri's was alright, and hamachi garlic roll was good. The wife got rack of lamb and soft shell crab. She said was alright. She smashed all. Food did its job. Make the opu full. Would she get it again? She said naw. Unfortunately, not. Only because she loves the lamb from Texas De Brazil lol Customer service was great. Didn't get his name, but he was very nice and polite. Ambiance is a little dark inside, but good place to gather, mingle, and have some drinks as they do have a bar. They did have some jams playing. We ordered desserts and we got 2. I wanted to try the deep fried tempura ice cream, and of course, we got the tempura brownies. So this place, was actually introduced to us by my sister, and she loves the brownie tempura. She'll come here just for that. I remember we ordered that to go one time, just the deep fried brownies lol yeah, she always be telling me bout new places to eat. And just as she loves the brownie tempura, I do too lol. Would we come here again? Yes. 10/10 recommend. read more

Best sushi in town hands down. It can gets pretty busy but if you choose an easy late lunch even on the weekend you can find the restaurant quiet and pleasant. read more

I have been here quite a few times and always had an ok (nothing bad but not spectacular) experience but last night everything tasted so bomb and the table we had upstairs was so cozy. The food also came out pretty fast and surprisingly we had great service even though we were upstairs and there was only one other table occupied. I was happy with the miso soup, it was hot and salty! The sweet and spicy edamame was good and not spicy! The spicy tuna rolls were delicious, we got both the Ultimate Spicy Tuna Roll and the Wafu Spicy Tuna. I've also enjoyed the hamachi garlic roll before! My boyfriend always orders the chicken kaarage- he loves it! We all shared the brownie tempura ice cream, tempura ice cream and honey toast and they were all super delicious but I think everyone's favorite was the honey toast! read more

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Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Made a reservation via Google for 8:30. Parked at the valet for $7 and was told to pay after dinner. Our parking attendant stopped by our table during dinner to give us our keys and collect payment. Ultimately came for the late night happy hour (9pm-closing). My party and I started with the crispy rice with spicy ahi and were recommended lychee martinis, which were both expensive at regular price. At exactly 9pm, our server came to drop off the HH menus and asked to take our orders right away. She was awesome and I wish I remembered her name. My party ordered 2 rounds of sushi and 1 more drink each. The food and drinks were all less than $10 each, what a steal! Everything was so good as well. I definitely recommend this place for its ambience. It definitely gave "Friday Night Vibes." I would definitely come back for the HH since the drinks and food is good. Regular menu is on the pricier side but I would definitely come back to try their food on that menu one day too. read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Happy Hour Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We went on a Wednesday night so it was quiet and we didn't have to wait long to be seated. The menu is overwhelming because there are so many options and the dishes are different than other Japanese restaurants. It was a hard decision but we decided to try the Double Happiness and the Ultimate Spicy Tuna rolls. They were delicious!! read more

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Tried this place on one first week on the island for my birthday. We made a reservation but probably didn't need to. We went early at 5pm and it was a 1/4 full. We asked to be seated outside and we had to wait 10 mins to get the table ready. We then sat outside for almost 15 mins. When the waitress finally came she immediately apologized so all was right. She ended up giving us a free order of nigiri and sushi roll which was nice. We ordered ton of tuna. The nigiri was good but wish the fish was colder. It was slightly chilled but I love when the tuna was cold. The sushi rolls were good but nothing special. The teriyaki edamame was SO good! The outdoor patio was also nice! read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Chu Toro Nigiri, Otoro Nigiri, Ahi Poke, Garlic Teriyaki Edamame - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Wanted to grab a night cap this past Wednesday and very glad I came in. They have October Chef Specials. Custom drinks for the Holidays. Still wasn't a cheap night, but had some good grinds and great drinks. It wasn't too busy, so service was right on . It was me and my bradda. They sat us in this intimate booth in the corner which was funny, I just hope we weren't too loud laughing. read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Tokyo Midnight Special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My boyfriend has been meaning to take me here ever since we touched down on island and I'm seriously glad we made it happen. We ordered : Crispy Eel Roll - Fried to perfection with the perfect bite and toppings for a graceful dance along your tastebuds in every bite. Sashimi 8 - All cuts were absolutely delicious, but my only complaint would be that the salmon did not taste as fresh as I'd appreciate. Oyster Shooter - 10s across the board. Grilled Oyster Mushrooms - Charred with perfection and accompanied by the perfect sauce to add that zing. read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Had a very nice evening sitting outside, had the salmon ikura don! Service was very prompt. read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Salmon & Ikura Don - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The drinks and food were excellent. We went quite late and there was a happy hour. Our Server, Edward, was patient and came back all the time to make sure we had everything. We were upstairs and it was so cozy. Order lots of Pupus and drinks read more

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What a great evening of food, company, and service. We love going here when we want to splurge and treat our tummies to the tasty Japanese food and sushi. Some of our favorites are the eggplant, miso butterfish and the sushi rolls. It's a great place to gather with friends or family. Ordering family stule or a bunch of plates is always the best, so you can taste all the different food they have. They have large menu and wish we could order it all, but that would break the bank. Haha. A crowd please is getting the fried rice that is prepared table side. If you love dessert.....you have to try the brownie tempura. A huge heaping brown dipped in tempura,, fried, and a scoop of ice cream on top. Decadence on a plate :-). The service is always top notch. read more

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Love, love, love this place! Great vibe and service. We were looking for late dining and found this restaurant which also had Happy Hour! The Menu options are great. We went on a Thursday night. Happy Hour times are Monday- Friday 4pm to 6pm & 9pm to close (excluding holidays). Sushi and other food on the regular menu was also delish! No complaints and is a definite recommend when in Honolulu. Must try! read more

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Our drinks were great, sushi was tasty. I would say what made our experience questionable was the energy of the host and management, the restaurant was not full and they acted as if it would've been difficult to seat a party of two with no line. We were sat at the sushi bar and when we were given our rolls, a fly landed right on them. The sushi chef immediately offered to remake the roll which we appreciated them doing so. The ambiance is a chill sushi restaurant. read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Made our way to doraku for happy hour on a Friday (7/3). Lucky us we get to the door to a lovely sign saying no happy hour due to July 4. Very unhappy, very much not coming back. read more

My family really enjoys this location the most. We went on a Friday evening and got several small fishes to share. All very good and we had a nice evening out on the lanai. read more

Doraku is a MUST TRY! I always make it one of my stops every time I am in Waikiki. Great flavors, great service and very upscale decor. Give the Ahi Poke a try! It was the best Poke on my trip. The sweet onion and their special poke sauce makes all the difference in the world! read more

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First time at the Doraku OG location today and we were sat upstairs in the loft which was beautifully set up. We were helped by Austin, who was polite and checked in often. Brussel sprouts were delicious, table side made fried rice in the skillet was tasty with the burnt sides, oysters which can be ordered by 1/2 or full dozen, we opted for oyster shooters as well with ponzu, which went down nicely. Awesome selection of libations, mixed drink and beer galore, lychee martini with the burnt lime for decoration was a nice touch, Don Julio margarita was tasty and had the right amount of punch. Moderately priced, with plenty of food options, nigiri or Sashimi was packed with fresh seafood options. They had an old school throwback playlist that was cool as well. Parking: At first I was kind of annoyed by the lack of parking. But ultimately changed my mind. 7 dollars for valet parking was reasonable, braddah was kind and a great extension of the restaurant as well. read more

Service was so good. Our server said "thank you" after every item we ordered. A little excessive, but appreciated! She was so on it! Came here for happy hour with a friend. We used to go pretty regularly but hadn't been in awhile. Prices are fair I guess, but portions are small. They did away with a lot of the happy hour rolls they used to have for like $4 for a half roll. That miso eggplant is still amazing though. But portion control seemed off? The first plate we had 6 pieces and the 2nd order of the exact same thing we had 8? Not sure what happened. Agedashi was really tasty too. Drinks were pretty potent, so you get your money's worth there. Valet parking in the lot is a flat rate $7 WITH VALIDATION. So don't forget that! Pretty steep but I guess there are Blaisdell offenders when there's a show or something. read more

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Always always great food! Great service and there is a table eat in the way back for bigger parties. Love this place as it is well known for Happy Hour 4pm-6pm and gets busy, so book in and advance! Valet parking only or street parking after working hours. read more

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Doraku is my favorite sushi place in Waikiki. The spicy tuna crispy rice is amazing and the sushi is so fresh. It's always a fun experience, their lychee martinis are great as well. There are two locations and the service at both is wonderful. Everyone is super attentive and there's always tables available. read more

I know everyone reviews the food first ... but I'm going to first give a shout-out to the fantastic staff at Doraku Kakaako. We had the best service all the way from the bartender Reace, the wait staff Bailey and Austin, to the restaurant manager Micah. So efficient, attentive, and FRIENDLY! My Happy Hour gang had a blast there - thank you Micah and team for a super FUN evening! As I mentioned, we were there for Happy Hour which is from 4:00-6:00 pm and 9 pm-closing M-F. My favorite HH items were: King Oyster Mushrooms (yum!), Agedashi Tofu, and Edamame. I would have also listed the Salmon Kama but unfortunately they were out that evening (boo). The sushi dishes are good too. You might have noticed that I didn't mention any meat dishes, it's only because I'm pescatarian. My friends ordered a bunch of meat dishes and they enjoyed them as well. I love the sake and Lychee Martini HH drinks. BUT the most awesome dish of the evening was the BROWNIE TEMPURA ... OMG so DELISH!! (So sorry I don't have a pic to share since we devoured it immediately LOL) Ok this dessert isn't on HH but it's worth it to top off your evening on a sweet note. We had it with Green Tea ice cream this time, but will try it with the Ube ice cream on my next visit. Can't wait to return for this dessert :-) Thank you Doraku ... my HH gang will be be back soon! read more

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Their sushi rolls are so good and I love coming here for Happy Hour! Happy Hour is Monday - Friday from 4pm - 6pm and 9pm to close. They don't do it on holidays so keep that in mind! We got garlic chili wings (not that spicy), jumpin' shrimp, Inaka Ochazuke, shrimp tempura roll, and we got the emperor roll on the regular menu. My favorites were the jumpin' shrimp because that spicy sauce they gave was so good! The emperor roll was so good because it had tuna, salmon, shrimp, avocado, like everything but no rice. We haven't had the Inaka Ochazuke before so that was a cool experience, I liked it! Atmosphere - Live and good lighting. There's different levels of seating and different kinds of seating so it's cool! I've sat on the "upper" level before and this time I sat on the lower level near the sushi bar. Service - They are great, so nice and friendly and looks out for you! They give good recommendations on what to eat as well. Cost - It was happy hour so they have a cold and hot menu and drinks for happy hour. I love when they do happy hour prizes for food. The food ones range from $4 - $11. Parking - You can do street parking or park in Whole Foods and walk (5 minute walk ish). They do have parking but only valet and I think it cost $7 from what I remember (cash). It's right after the restaurant if you're coming from the west. Location - It has Blue Tree Cafe next to it and it's on Kapi'olani between Ward and Kamake'e. I would definitely come here again for happy hour because their food is just good! read more

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Doraku Kakaako was a phenomenal experience. The atmosphere is nice, with service being prompt and calm. Chef Jigo prepared two house specialty rolls for us, where were amazing. We also enjoyed the eggplant, sashimi, and ribeye! Highly recommend coming to Doraku, we will certainly be back ! read more

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Treated my daughter for doing so well in school. She absolutely loves this place. Especially the jumbo tempura shrimp and the regular tempura smaller with smaller shrimp. The sauces they have really make everything POP. We got those and there wafu steak and the ultimate tuna roll. All our favs. Our server was kind and quick so we ate in no time. It was a nice day so we sat by the door to get a nice breeze now and than. It's was all relaxing while eating. My one issue was the steak sear was a little bit hard. My steak was cooked to medium rare like I asked but there was a slight bitterness to the crust. Coming here is good for any occasion in my opinion ~ I'll be back ^.^ read more

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I ordered takeout two nights in a row, same exact items. On the second night, the containers were smaller and they charged me the same amount! When I called their manager to bring this to his attention, he asked ME to call Door Dash to resolve the issue. Door Dash only gave me a partial refund. Not great on customer service! read more

Had dinner at Doraku tonight and we had such a great experience! The manager Micah, and our server Steffen were both so accommodating and made sure we were taken care of the entire time. My partner and I have been to Doraku a few times now, and the reason we keep coming back is because of the consistently great service and delicious food!! We ordered calamari, oysters, grilled squid (so tender!) , hamachi, and garlic steak everything tasted amazing! What really stood out was how attentive both the manager and our server were, constantly checking in to make sure we had everything we needed. Customer service matters more to me than anything else! And doraku always goes above and beyond. You can really tell they care about their guests and take pride in what they do. It's rare these days to find a restaurant that delivers both great food and genuinely warm service but this place does it every time. We'll definitely be back! I highly recommend this spot!!!! read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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What a fantastic restaurant! Everything feels relaxed and comfortable, and the atmosphere is genuinely enjoyable. The food is excellent, the pricing is fair, and the staffs are always friendly. I also love that they offer a happy hour. I'll definitely be back--my friends and I really love this place. read more

Wow, I didn't think Hawaii could serve such terrible fish until I came to this place. Not only was the food prepared terribly but the service was even worse! When I first came to this place, I was waiting at the hostess stand for a solid 5 minutes and no one was approaching me. I decided to go sit down at the bar where there were sushi chefs behind the counter. When I tried to ask them questions and explain that no one was seating me one of them snapped and said, "I'm not a server that's not my problem." Just as I was about to leave a server came out to tell me I can sit anywhere. Since I was famished I decided to give this place a try. Their happy hour menu does have a variety of dishes and great prices but the quality of the food is complete ASSSSSSSS! I ended up ordering cold tofu poke, spicy tuna roll, and jumping shrimp. The cold tofu poke came with brown, smushed avocado that did NOT look appealing at all. The spicy tuna roll was actually pathetic. There was hardly any filling inside and whatever was in there tasted like rotten garbage. The only decent thing was the jumping shrimp, not because the shrimp was juicy or meaty or fried well but because of a tiny tin of chili mayo. The shrimp itself was a 5/10, the tempura was offf and the actual shrimp felt chewy. On top of that, the server did not come to do the classic 5 minute check after bringing the food. That was pretty shocking considering the restaurant was practically empty.... In the future, I would not come back to this place and I recommend you don't either. From the tasteless food quality to the shitty wait staff, I think you'd have better luck eating anywhere but here! read more

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Doraku was the perfect spot for an early dinner. We enjoyed some of the freshest sushi we've ever had, with a lively and casual atmosphere that made our experience even better. My hubby and I ordered the God of Fire roll, spicy tuna roll, Hamachi carpaccio, sushi sashimi, spicy edamame, chirashi donburi, and also the squid.l that was super tender. Every single dish was outstanding, our meal came to about $160 and it was easily one of the best sushi experiences we've had in Honolulu. If I could I'd move here just for Doraku. read more

Doraku Sushi Kakaako - God of Fire roll, spicy tuna roll, Hamachi carpaccio, sushi sashimi, spicy edamame, chirashi donburi, and a squid - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm so glad I saw the sign for the lunch special on the door, because I had to ask the hostess for that menu, and it is a great deal. There are two possible combos, one that has a hot-food selection and one that is all fish. My husband and I ordered different cut rolls for the last selection, and yet we got the same one. Those are the two reasons that I am docking one star. That being said, fish was solid, nothing mouth-watering or melt-in-the-mouth, but good for the price. The cut roll was better than the nigiri or sashimi. My husband got the Tokyo sour cocktail which was also good, and I got the sake sampler, which is a good idea. They have a full bar. We sat inside at the bar, which was a nice vibe. They also have some outdoor seating, but it does face a pretty busy street. I have seen some critiques about the service- beyond the lunch special menu, the service was solid. The bartender in particular was doing a lot and did a great job. read more

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Service was horrible as the server was also the Bartender on staff at the time we were there. It was obvious to me that she was not happy serving our table and prioritized the bar. Her untimeliness was the worst I have ever experienced. We left feeling disappointed, and frankly, she did not deserve a tip in our opinion I would not go back to this establishment. read more