Service: Food:

South Florida in November, but unfortunately the thoughts of cool Florida weather have not come to fruition just yet. I step from the unseasonable humidity into Doraku restaurant on famous Lincoln Road in Miami, hoping for big time air-conditioning. I felt hotter than usual…temperature-wise that is…or maybe it was just a slight case of nerves. You see, this night I was meeting Celebrity Guest Kate Wentzel, one of the classy and beautiful Meteorologists from the WSVN, Channel 7 News Team. WSVN of course has men Meteorologists too, but I didn't invite any of them to dinner. I took a seat at the bar and Adrian made me a tall Stoli Vanilla and soda to cool me off.

Doraku's décor is relaxing, with lightly colored wood booths, large paper mache hanging Chinese Lanterns, and a glass enclosed conveyor belt that constantly moves past each table, slowly transporting trinkets and assorted Asian pottery to nowhere. Several times Kate and I commented that the movement might make some suffer from motion sickness. Now this conveyor belt in some Japanese style restaurants is actually utilized by the customer to retrieve the sushi choices they want to eat while dining. But here it was entirely for decoration and entertainment (?), making me think that perhaps Doraku has changed from their original concept, and kept the conveyor belt anyway…you think?

Our server Erin was quickly by our table, and we ordered a nice bottle of Blackstone Merlot and some appetizers of Ahi Tuna Poki and Shrimp Tempura to keep her busy. Erin arrived with the red wine and began opening it tableside. Soon I noticed that the bottle was not cooperating, so I asked Erin to hand it over to me. I showed her how to insert the corkscrew, and remove the cork without looking like she was inexperienced. It may be because Doraku just doesn't sell many full bottles of wine, but servers should be briefed on these kinds of every-shift procedures just in case! The Ahi Poki appetizer was spicy and so fresh, while the Shrimp Tempura did not disappoint either, featuring large meaty shrimp, classically battered then quick fried to retain that snap that food critics and everyday diners just love.

Kate Wentzel is a very interesting woman, and I was enjoying her company. She schooled at Mississippi State and in Palm Beach, and has degrees in professional Broadcasting and Meteorology. I have always enjoyed her weather segments on Channel 7 News, as Kate seems to really love her job on television. Kate was kind enough to take time from her busy work schedule to join me for this Dinnerreviews.com review and Celebrity Guest Feature…well; it is not like dining out with Tom House is a punishment! As I looked up from our appetizers, I noticed Kate tasting a Doraku Cocktail Specialty called Chocolate Cake Saketini. An imaginative combination of Frangelico, Ketel One Citroen and house sake, all served in a sugar-rimmed glass…according to my Celebrity Food Critic…it was pretty good! There is also Asian Pear Saketini, Fiji Sour Apple Martini, and the Doraku Diva…decisions, decisions, decisions. Oh, and by the way...it was too hot in Doraku's dining room...I mentioned it to a server, but the AC never really materialized.

Good food comes from Doraku's small kitchen in the back of the building, as we enjoyed main entrees of Grilled Cornish Hen, served with wasabi red mashed potatoes, and a delicious root vegetable called Yama Go Bo. We also tried an assortment of sushi as well. Overall, service was pretty good, and even the busboy Bernard was quite personable. Dessert would have to be real light, as we were getting to the point of no more room! Erin had already proved to be good at sales, so we listened as she suggested Mochi Ice Cream, which is Red Bean, Mango, and green Tea ice cream wrapped in sweet Mochi cakes, all resting on raspberry coulis and chocolate sauce. We nodded yes once again, and found this dessert to be tasty and different!

Food presentation is second to none here at Doraku, which is to be expected at an Asian restaurant these days. What makes Doraku different is a large variety of Yakimono (grilled Entrees) offered, such as Scottish Salmon, Chilean Sea Bass, and even steaks. In keeping with the traditions of Japan, Doraku serves meals family style from a menu filled with generous helpings of sushi as well as the extensive grilled selection. Plenty of cooked food can be found here to go along with all the best sushi and sashimi you could imagine.

"Created by pioneers of Asian cuisine in America, and designed by a renowned New York architect, Doraku is intimate in scale but high energy in atmosphere. Doraku - in Japanese it means "Joy of" - ...at Doraku it means an experience flourishing with sushi, sake and a musical style all its own. As one of the hottest spots on South Beach, located on the internationally famous Lincoln Road, a night at Doraku begins with sushi and continues with sake and music until closing. Doraku serves more than 20 kinds of hand-selected sake from various regions of Japan." As a student of Japanese Language and Culture for over 6 years now, I have a special appreciation for Doraku's attention to detail in food and decor...hopefully they will continue to work on improving the technical aspects of service just a little bit more too.

-- Judge not by the eye but by the heart -- Cheyenne Indian Tribe Proverb

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