Doraku Sushi Kapolei

our reservation was at 9pm and we were seated right away. it was valentine's day so i was expecting much slower service and less attentive servers. but as we were sitting there everyone seemed to be well taken care of. the inside of restaurant is beautiful and they were playing the best songs lol. my husband and i couldn't stop singing. we basically knew every single song they were playing. so we were already having a great time!it was my first time there and his second. but i think he ordered things he didn't try before. so it was a new experience for the both of us. we ordered the doraku salmon, jumbo shrimp tempura, wagyu beef fried rice, misoyaki butterfish and there was a special for prime rib for valentine's day. oh and the honey toast for dessert! everything was delicious. and i mean everything. i'm not a big spicy person so i only ate two pieces of the salmon. but it was so yummy i wish i could've ate more! it wasn't crazy spicy but my taste buds are weak. sue me.secondly, they made the fried rice in front of us and that was some of the best fried rice we've ever had! prime rib was spot on. my husband inhaled his butterfish. everything was amazing from start to finish. our server was busy of course. but he still made sure to check on us regularly and top off our drinks. kudos to him on a busy night!lastly, the fucking honey toast!!!!! i've tried honey toast at shokudo before and i was so disappointed and underwhelmed. everyone spoke so highly of the honey toast but when i tried it, it wasn't that good. but doraku's honey toast was truly amazing! my second time trying it and it was soooo much better than the first time! if i wasn't so full from our dinner i would've finished the rest! it was a 10/10 experience and we will definitely be back!

I must admit, I did not have high hopes for Doraku Sushi Kapolei, simply based off their most recent reviews. With that said, I have dined at their town locations multiple times (and loved it), so I figured it would be just as good, or at least 3 stars. Hahaha!! And the verdict? --- YAY! 5 STARS!! :DAt 3:30pm, my wife and I decided to try Doraku for an early Valentine's dinner. I was very pleased to have been able to make a 5:15pm reservation, so we could take advantage of Happy Hour (4-6pm). At 5:15, we arrived and the table was ready for us; there were only a few tables seated inside. It did take some time for a server to come over and greet us, but we were enjoying all the Asian decor in the meantime, and the beautiful ambiance which set the mood. Our server was great - very friendly and informative. We ordered our food somewhat family style, and we were happy to have them all hit the table fairly quickly. What we got:Otoro Shooter $6 & Oyster Shooter $6 - both served in the perfect ponzu sauce. I don't eat this, but I did take a sip to capture the flavor of their ponzu, and I must say, I wish I had one! The flavor was crisp, citrusy, and clean. Each of the wife's gulps ended with an eye roll and long exhaled "mmmmm!" HahahaAgedashi Tofu $7 - Simple dish, can't go wrong! I loved the large blocks of tofu and the garnish of bonito. The tempura sauce was a traditional tasting dashi base, slightly salty, but pretty much exactly what you'd expect if you've had this at a Japanese restaurant. Jumpin' Shrimp $10 - Crispy, lightly battered savory shrimp. Really great value for happy hour. The tempura fried shrimp was served with a spicy mayo dipping sauce which I loved.. this was so simple, but in my opinion, it was perfectly executed & I love when seafood is served with a lemon wedge! Ultimate Spicy Tuna Roll $19 - DELICIOUS!! This roll had been on my radar for quite some time. I'm so happy it was better than I expected! I'm even surprised that my wife had a couple pieces and said it was yummy. Shrimp tempura, unagi, spicy tuna, tobiko & avocado... how can you go wrong? Shishito Peppers $7 - Another simple dish with minimal ingredients. Freshly charred shishito with shichimi & salt. Really good for those who like a spicy side dish - although these really don't pack much heat. This has been my wife's new favorite appetizer, so anywhere we see it, we must try it. Omakase 8 $68 - When I say this is an awesome value, I mean it. My wife is all about the adventurous sushi, and this "omakase" did not disappoint! We were impressed with the gorgeous preparation - it made it hard to devour... but she sure did! From the amaebi served with atama, to the negitoro and hotate with uni butter.... This meal had her melting in her seat! Haiiiyaaaah... lol! Overall, we had a great night out! We dined in fairly early, so while I can imagine the experience might vary during peak hours, our visit was definitely a hit. Having grown up in the restaurant industry, I understand that service and quality can sometimes be inconsistent, but fortunately for us, everything was spot on. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we're already thinking about our next visit! Thanks Doraku Sushi Kapolei! :)

I ate there on Thanksgiving Day 2024. Service was perfect and my two rainbows rolls and soup was perfect. Was seated right away at the bar | the place is clean, is decorated to create a good vibe / ambiance | watched some Thanksgiving Day sports near the sushi bar as I was alone | waitress with the many cool tattoos was not overly friendly but that was no issue to me | parking is plenty.Cons | price including a 20% tip was around $51.00 for two rainbows rolls and soup (I drank water). I will be back.

We came on Christmas Day, hoping to find some amazing sushi, but yelpers failed us on this one. This is average sushi at best. We tried a few things, so I'll break each one down. Started with garlic edamame and sweet and spicy edamame, hard pass. The garlic teriyaki was so overpowering, only one of my sons like the teriyaki edamame. The sweet and spicy edamame no one liked! It's so off-putting with the thick paste it's covered in, and the flavor is not good, waste of money. Spicy tuna crispy rice - it was not crispy, rather mushy and greasy - pass King oyster mushrooms lack flavor, so bland, again I would not order this. Crispy brussels sprouts- these were good, I like the addition of the peppers and pickled onions. Shoyu scallop and pork belly, scallops were decent, but the pork belly was soft and mushy, not a good preparation. Didn't love this dish. We got three rolls, and all of them were just okay, nothing special, small, very little fish, and way too much aioli. The only thing we all loved was the Butterfish, perfectly cooked and seasoned, it was so good. I was so disappointed eating here, we wasted a meal while in Oahu, and on Christmas!

Went here for a large birthday party. The food was excellent! And the service was awesome for such a large group. Great job guys!

Good vibes but mid food. The hamachi carpaccio and the rolls were very good, but the rest of the dishes were just okay. I wouldn't recommend the wagyu fried rice. Although they prepare it right in front of you and it's a cool concept, the flavor and quality just isn't there. There isn't much meat or flavor present in my opinion.The tempura fried rice is where I was extremely disappointed. It was probably 75% batter and 25% ice cream. I ended up eating the ice cream and wasting the batter because of how much there was.

As a self-proclaimed sushi connoisseur, I must say Doraku meets my high expectations. The sushi is fresh, delicate, and full of flavor, with just the right touch of artistry in the presentation. The Wagyu? Absolutely divine--no wonder it sells out every night. For those not in the mood for sushi, I highly recommend the steak dish; it's cooked to perfection. And let's not forget the cocktails--each one is a masterpiece, and honestly, the presentation alone is worth the price. A must-visit for any true sushi lover.BTW...It's amazing what they did with the former Chinese buffet restaurant; the conversion to a magnificent sushi locale is complete.

We decided to come back and try this place again a year later. Still very good sushi here. Not quite as good as I remember, but still delicious flavors and quality fish. Also something to note, there seems to be less of a locals crowd, and more tourists than the previous year. The rolls are pretty small, so if ordering I would recommend getting two or add some appetizer to them. They also have traditional rolls not listed on the menu like California Rolls, so make sure to ask your server. This restaurant can also get kind of crowded so I would also recommend making a reservation. Are there probably better sushi restaurants in the area? Maybe, but this restaurant provides amazing tasting sushi (with I'll be it smaller portions), and a good looking menu with something for everyone. Overall not bad food, but not as amazing as an amazing experience as I remember.

Given the amount and quality of the food / drinks I had here for a total of ~$60 (including the items my mom ordered), I'd say Doraku Sushi is worth it. Here's the food/drinks breakdown:Inaka Yakisoba: The pork belly was super tender and just the right amount of fat within it. I think the eggs had a little too much seasoning on it for my liking so I just mixed it in with the rest of the yakisoba. The yakisoba tasted more like garlic flavored noodles with pork belly on the side. I really liked how it tasted but I'm not sure how authentic this is. It's very filling and can be shared between two people along with another dish.Strawberry Sherbert Martini:One of my favorite drinks ever from any establishment. This drink was like alcoholic strawberry shortcake in a glass. It is on the stronger end (at least, to me it was) but I loved how fruity it and refreshing it tasted.The fried brownie:Has a nice crunch to softness ratio woth the brownie. I think this is something to try just once but I'd personally go for the fried ice cream next time. I can't imagine eating this one by myself after a full meal so definitely share this with someone.Even though my mom and I didn't have a reservation, we were easily seated at a table on a Saturday night. There were a good number of other customers inside but it didn't feel too packed. The ambience reminded me of how Shirokiya once was. It's really cute inside and it feels like you're not in Kapolei anymore!

We made a reservation and got seated early. Yay. Note: check in with Yelp and get a free order of edamame. I ordered two rolls- spicy tuna and crunchy eel. Both were delish. Side orders of edamame and shrimp tempura were yummy. Two bottles of hot sake. Mmm. Only thing I suggest is that it gets served hotter. It was kinda warm, not hot enough to my liking. Nice restaurant. Great service. Our server tended to us well and the manager on duty also made his presence known and introduced himself to let us know that he's also there to serve. Great sushi spot. Friends night. Date night. Will I return? Sure.