Coast to Coast

Miami's Doraku Sushi lands in Waikiki and gives sushi a Caribbean kick

SEEING DOUBLE: Doraku's Double Happiness is a sushi topped with scallops, sweet shrimp, salmon, Maine lobster and tuna.

When my doctor told me that I was allergic to rice (along with just about every grain known to human kind), I laughed.

“I’m not saying that you can’t eat rice. Obviously, you have and you’re fine,” she said. “I just want you to be careful.”

The next day, I went to eat sushi.

DORAKU SUSHI Lunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner: Sunday- Thursday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Royal Hawaiian Center 2233 Kalakaua Ave. (808) 922-3323

Doraku Sushi opened last January on the third floor of the newly renovated Royal Hawaiian Center. The space, more than 4,400 square feet, with seating for 160, features a spacious dining room, a generous bar area and an outdoor deck. The restaurant is dressed in woods of different colors, textures and finishes, which results in a hip, contemporary feel with echoes of old Japan.

But Doraku’s roots go back west, not east. The restaurant, once part of the Benihana Inc. empire, first opened in Miami’s fashionable South Beach in 2001. Today, Doraku is owned by Kevin Aoki, the son of Benihana founder Rocky Aoki.

To get started with a taste of Doraku’s Caribbean influences, I ordered the ceviche. I wanted to sample the Conch ($12.50), but they were out of the shellfish, so I settled for the Red Snapper Ceviche ($9.75). We also ordered one of Doraku’s signature cold appetizers, Double Happiness ($12.95), a maki sushi topped with Maine lobster, sweet shrimp, scallops, tuna and salmon.

The ceviche was surprisingly mellow and substantial. The generous slices of fish were tossed with a fistful of sliced red onions and celery root, topped with Chinese parsley and bathed in a citrusy yuzu sauce. Sliced grape tomatoes and an orchid petal added a little color and drama to the dish. The yuzu took the edge off the root vegetables and added a gentle sourness to the fish. It also contributed a little heat, thanks to some grated ginger or garlic.

The Double Happiness featured five maki roll slices, each topped with a different fish or shellfish and garnished with tobiko. Multicolored and textured, it was visually pleasing, but it had about half the flavor I had expected.

Next up, we sampled the Caribbean again with a Cuban Beef Roll ($8.75), a maki sushi that featured seasoned skirt steak topped with Doraku’s creamy chimichirru sauce, a combination of oil, lemon juice, garlic and leafy herbs. A slice of toasted garlic completed the dish. The result was a bright morsel with layers of flavor — an inner core of savory beef, which worked well with the slightly sweet rice, and was contrasted by the rich, herby sauce. The caramelized garlic pro-vided crunch and pop. Different and exciting.

The Doraku Roll ($12.95), another of the restaurant’s signature dishes, was hard to resist with lobster, kanikama, cream cheese and shrimp tempura. The roll was lightly battered and deep fried, creating a sushi that was crunchy on the outside and on the inside. Fun.

We rounded out the meal with an order of Soft-Shell Crab ($13.95) and a Robata Grill Chef Sampler ($26.50), a platter of barbecued shrimp, calamari, beef tongue, chicken, salmon kama (collar), as well as asparagus and mushrooms. Both the crab and the grilled items were good but not great.

All in all, we had a pleasant lunch. I’ve had better fish and more exciting combination rolls at other restaurants, but Doraku’s Caribbean-inspired dishes were worth the visit, allergy or not.  

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