Address: | 3155 Empire Ln N, Plymouth, MN 55447, USA |
Phone: | +1 763-400-8888 |
Site: | okinawamn.com |
Rating: | 4.2 |
Working: | 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 12–11PM 12–10PM |
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Chris Nielsen
[This review was updated on 4/14/17] We have eaten at Okinawa 5 times now. The location used to have a Asian buffet which we missed when it closed. But the new restaurant is even better for us. To start with, we eat at Japanese restaurants all the time including some in Japan! Okinawas food is equal to or better than most we have tried. The All-You-Can-Eat option is a little expensive for us. The price is about twice what you will find at most Asian buffets in the metro area, but I would say the quality of the food warrants it. Its not fair to compare the two buffet styles. We just cant eat enough to make it worth it to us so we normally just order what we want here. Kyoto also has the same setup with "all you can order" sushi and Japanese food and currently the price is the same as Okinawa. Now, the main reason I wanted to post about Okinawa is to let Ramen Lovers know that there IS a place in the North Metro that has superior ramen that you know and love from Uptown Origami and the United Noodle cafe. This is NOT your $0.24 supermarket package ramen variety. No, this is something from another dimension. My wife loves ramen made with a pork broth. This has been difficult to find in past years, but it seems the secret is out and now we have found a third source. Okinawa calls it their, "Char Sui Ramen". I can also recommend their Crispy Chicken Ramen as well that seems to have the same broth. At some point I may try others, but the thought of going there and ordering something new and untried makes me think that I will just stay with my first love for the foreseeable future. The Vegetable Ramen is good, but dont let your vegetarian friends sample your pork broth or it might turn them to the dark side. Some of the other comments mention issues with service. I can attest that on all three visits that when you visit it may still be a problem. Please keep in mind that the place has not been open that long and when we went last Friday the restaurant was VERY busy. I dont think they have figured out that they need to have a higher level of service unlike what we see at most buffet restaurants. At a buffet I dont expect the wait person to check back shortly after the food is served and ask me if everything is ok, but DO expect that. And getting someones attention for more tea or to get the check can be a challenge. Take heart that its not a personal slight towards you - they are still learning and with patience and respect for the food we must teach them. [Update 04/14/2017 - We have eaten here again twice since I wrote this review. On both visits we noticed right away that the staff is paying more attention and its was no longer a problem for us. Because of this I have increased my rating from 4 starts to 5. I dont give out many 5 star ratings but they deserve it in my opinion. This is NOT a paid review and I have not received and incentive or discount for writing this.]
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Mitxi Khang
Went for the all you can eat sushi lunch on a Friday. Sevices was good and above average for an Asian restaurant. Ordering from a menu sheet is a good idea and accurate. Which is the same as a traditional Dim Sum menu. Other reviews complain about lack of English speaking servers but that should never ever impact what goes into your mouth. Arrogance is very typical for single speaking English consumers who have very little education and common sense to comprehend that. Anyways, the servers had the up most respect and hospitality. They are polite and very attentive which is beyond what normal Asian restaurants would offer. However, the food selection was less then desired. Portions are on the small side, rice was under cook and still grainy, all the fish protein was not well prepared and had a very tacky texture. Theres also a lack of desert which is not on the lunch menu at all. Furthermore, the variety of dishes online differs from what the restaurant carries and should also separate the list for lunch and whats available for dinner. The ramen was better then expected and probably should be considered. It had a unique sesame and grilled taste for ramen which reminds me of more authentic traditional food overseas. I will try the dinner menu to see the variety of dishes and determine the quality of their sushi chefs as this is usually the best way to judge the quality of the restaurant without any impartial bias based off my 1st visit. Long story short, the food is less then desired and not even close in comparison to KFC. However the hospitality and accuracy of their services offers a unique opportunity to build off.
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Virginia Tiah
When I walked in the door I was greeted very friendly. The place was empty and I was asked if I had a reservation and it seemed an odd question. The paper that you fill in for all you can eat immediately yells at you for "not sharing" and "ordering more food than you can eat." The ordering process for the all you can eat was very confusing as to quanties. Perhaps an improved system could be considered for ordering. Water and drinks were refilled nicely. I felt policed by the server that doubled down about this "not sharing" your food thing each time I put in an order and frankly will not return as I was made to feel like a child in front of my immediate family who all attended. Im an obese 40 plus woman and it was embarrassing. The quality of sushi for the price paid was matched. There is no consistency between how the sushi rolls are made. We ordered the Okinawa rolls, I assume the House special, 3 times and they looked different every time. Okinawa rolls are amazing and the flavor from all three orders were the same, however the yellowtail was not, the second one was disappointing. The bathrooms were not as expected, as it seems this place wants to be a little fancy. The non working soap dispensers and bad grout job really threw me off as Ive heard this a new place. I would return if the ordering system for all you can eat didnt bark at you and was more streamlined.
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Samuel Ryan
I really hope this place succeeds where others have failed (seems like that location is a revolving door). However, wife and I tried it last night and were not impressed. We are huge sushi lovers and the food was just below average (Kobe down the road is way better). The people were very nice but the service was poor. First, we never received utensils. Second, there is a language barrier, some are better at English than others but it wasnt that big of a deal, just worth mentioning. Thirdly, and this was the most bothersome, was the constant asking if we were okay and needed anything, by every employee! Got a little old after the 30th interuption. Lastly, even though every employee asked if we needed anything, our actual waitress was running around frantically forgetting things and did everything from host to server...Too much. While I really hope this place succeeds and turns around, in its current state I dont think it will last. Especially considering Kobe is their competition and has better food and more organize system of service. For us, well be spending our money at Kobe. Just my two cents, sounds like others here really liked it.