Fodor's Expert Review Doraku Sushi
From entrepreneur Kevin Aoki, son of Benihana founder Rocky Aoki, comes this low-lit, bells-and-whistles, sushi-roll chain (with two additional locations in Hawaii and another in Miami) featuring indoor-outdoor seating, as well as happy hours and a late-night bar scene that keeps the place packed. Newer dishes, such as the sake bomb or stuffed jalepeño rolls, are offered alongside favorites like the tuna tataki or the Emperor Roll, a seafood extravaganza of tuna, crab, shrimp, and scallop crusted in panko and flash-fried. And there is tempura everything—from lobster to brownies. The Waikiki location, upstairs in the Royal Hawaiian Center, caters to visitors, and locals favor the Kakaako location on Kapiolani Boulevard, near the Ala Moana Center.
Quick Facts
- A buzzing bar scene, with both early and late happy hours
- Tempura everything, including brownies
- Creative rolls