Okura Japanese Cuisine, Douglas

Okura sits in the middle of Douglas Village, directly across from KCs, which was out the door. This is a large Japanese restaurant with a tepanyaki bar, a casual smart crowd, and a fair bit of buzz around it.

Cork Xtra Video Review

The Wait

We waited a while for the table and then another 15 minutes for someone to come and take the order. There was a clear lack of staff and chefs on the night and the knock-on effect showed in the pace of service. No water was delivered to the table either.

I get it. You do not want to back up the kitchen. And to their credit, this is proper food cooked well rather than microwaved out, so you forgive a bit of the wait. The place was about 70% full when we sat down.

The Staff

One staff member was a tiny bit rude but the rest were sound. The Asian lady in the waiting staff in particular was great. A lot of the staff are actually Japanese, including the chefs, which adds to the authenticity.

The Food

I got the Chicken Yakitori to start. Decent but not much chicken on it and not that flavourful.

For the main course I had the Beef Ramen with Miso soup. Decent and enjoyable. The other orders at the table were the Fried Gyoza, the BBQ Pork Ribs, the Chicken Tepanyaki, and the Chicken Yaki Soba Udon.

The Chicken Tepanyaki was the star of the show. The Chicken Yaki Soba Udon was ok. Across the table the food was good rather than great, with the tepanyaki the clear standout.

The Drinks

The pint of Asahi was pretty nice and paired well with the food. The menu has a decent variation overall.

The Atmosphere

This is a large restaurant with a ton of tables. It was busy and a tad noisy. You can also sit at the bar for tepanyaki and at one point we saw huge flames shooting into the air, though this is not like a tepanyaki where everyone sits around and can feel the flames. The Japanese is not on that level.

The decorations were pretty good. The crowd was casual smart, with a bit of noise from the other tables, which comes with the turf. The big talking point was the robot delivering some of the meals to the tables. It is a bit of a gimmick but it still adds to the overall experience.

Pricing

Prices are mid to high. The tepanyaki costs €30 and mains land in the same bracket.

Cork Xtra Scorecard

• Location: 8/10
• Atmosphere: 7/10
• Staff: 7/10
• Food: 7/10
• Value: 7/10
• Overall: 7.2/10

The Verdict

This was an enjoyable experience. Okura is not trying to be a Michelin star and it does not need to be. It is a proper casual Japanese in Douglas with real chefs in the kitchen, a tepanyaki bar with the occasional flame show, a robot adding a bit of fun, and food that is good rather than great. Sort out the wait times and this is comfortably above a 7.2.

How to Find Okura

• Address: East Douglas Street, Douglas, Cork, T12 VP98
• Phone: 021 245 5750
• Website: okura-cork.com
• Sunday: 3:00 PM - 10:00 PM
• Monday to Saturday: 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM