Doraku
1104 Lincoln Road, South Beach, Fl 33139
(305) 695 8383
www.dorakusushi.com
I just can’t get enough of this little place on the Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. I love it so much that I have the pdf of the menu saved in Evernote, and I’m systematically working my way through it, meal by meal.
The service is brilliant – good-looking without being intimidating, friendly without putting your teeth on edge, super-efficient and quick. The decor is what I’d call boho pan-asian diner – square paper lampshades, hippy fabric to divide seating areas, very low lighting. The sushi bar is hidden at the back, great for book-reading lone diners I’ve noticed. Whether you get a comfy booth (which they’re happy to give to couples on less hectic nights) or the smaller tables, the waiters are adept at jigsawing dishes together.
I love the fact that we can turn up in post-kiteboarding flipflops and mad salty hair and be sat next to a table done up to the Friday-night-nines, and all feel right at home. No reservations, but they’re happy to take your name and call you when the table is ready while you do a bit of shopping on the Road. The music is a bit louder at the weekends, but it’s my kind of drum and bass lounge and not at shouty volumes. I’ve tried the cocktails, and I remember the first half of the first one was lovely. After that it’s a bit of a blur, which I take as a good recommendation.
So – the food. It’s nearly all great, and I only say nearly because I can’t vouch for the relatively small bit of the menu that I haven’t tried yet. Everything else has been awesome to varying degrees (apart from the Peking Duck Roll, but seriously, what was I thinking?). The default is that each dish arrives when it’s ready, although you can ask for things in a specific order if you want. It comes quickly, even on slower nights when they clearly have less rolls ready to go. The portions are medium in size which is great for two people to taste a few dishes and not feel stuffed or (Nobu, I’m giving you a hard stare) ripped off. Mr. R&R and I normally get two starters, two mains and an order of rolls between us, plus pud and the bill is inevitably less than $100, generous tip, no alcohol.
Starters
Lots of the starters are variations of carpaccio with motley dressings, or rolls without rice wrapped in cucumber or nori. Favourites so far are the Hamachi carpaccio, the Double Happiness rolls and the Seared Tuna with Asian Salsa. The Ahi Poke is also excellent if you like spicy.
Hot dishes
Grilled Fish Cheeks are super, the best part of the fish, crispy and charred outside, tender inside. The Misoyaki Seabass is a less sweet version of the now ubiquitous black cod, and is much better for it. The Asian Steak is absolutely fantastic, tender and bloody. Of the fried stuff, the seabass Nanbanzuke is an asian version of fish and chips and is light and delicious. The Rock Shrimp Tempura are well done and the creamy sauce is dangerously addictive – these disappear in about 30 seconds flat.
Sashimi and rolls
Sashimi is very good, not quite at the extraordinary level of Toni’s where the fish seems to be have been just hacked in half and plated there and then, but very good. The rolls are literally to die for – there’s a serious danger of auto-gastronomic asphyxiation here. Rainbow, New Style Doraku, Coconut Shrimp, Emperor, Red Dragon and Kamikaze rolls are excellent. The Volcano, Caterpillar and Doraku rolls I would kill a puppy for.
Pudding
Green tea ice-cream with two spoons is our usual. The Chocolate Lava Cake is a surprisingly exceptional version of fondant.
Doraku – one girl’s obsession, soon to be continued one evening next week. And the next week, and the next week…
7 Comments on "Restaurant review: Doraku, Miami Beach"
Ok, ok, ok … shall we change our flights from Nassau to Miami?
Hmmm… yes but in Nassau you get home-baked bread, cake *and* get to see your daughter wipe out in various hilarious ways while kiteboarding. Sustenance and hilarity, in short.
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