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Okura Robata Grill and Sushi Bar
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
78370 Hwy 111Ste 150
La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 564-5820
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 4:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 4:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
65 reviews for Okura Robata Grill and Sushi Bar
Review Highlights
"and the miso soup--to die for."
(in 5 reviews)
"it was $39.00 per person for this amazing menu."
(in 3 reviews)
"The rock shrimp tempura app was delicious."
(in 2 reviews)
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65 reviews in English
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Review from Richard N.
San Jose, CA
1/8/2012
First Choice For Sushi...
Pros: Overall excellent food. Very reasonable prices. Nice vibe.
Cons: I'll need another visit to find some
Suggestion: I don't share my food, but that's the way to go here
Ratings:
- Overall: 5
- Food Quality: 4
- Food Quantity: 5
- Menu Selections: 5
- Cost: 5
- Value: 5
- Service: 4
- Atmosphere: 4
- Parking: 5
My wife and I...plus another couple from the San Jose area...traveled to see friends who recently relocated to the Sun City development on the east side of Interstate 10. Of course, the main question - weeks before we left home for the visit - was "where should we eat for lunch and dinner?" Since we planned to arrive in Palm Desert one day ahead of New Year's Eve, our hosts said "you've got to start off with a meal at Okura Sushi". And so began a feeding frenzy which lasted into 2012.
Our group of 8 was composed of people who've either spent their adult years around the Los Angeles or San Francisco metro areas...or both. Thus, good sushi is something we've come to expect. As we approached the building with Okura Sushi in one of the many attractive shopping areas of La Quinta, we were only armed with generally positive reviews on Yelp and excellent word-of-mouth from our friends.
At 7 PM, the place was bustling with enough energy and excitement to power a city block. It was as if New Year's Eve started a day early ( maybe the customers were in a different time zone? ). Anyway, we had reservations and got seated promptly near the sushi bar. Since everything on the huge menu looked attractive, we decided to go with the flow and simply share dishes that sampled the seafood and vegetables offered at Okura. It was a smart decision.
Things started slowly, but as plate after plate arrived, the food began to pile up. In fact, it became a blur of sushi and sashimi. Looking back, I'd say "who knows what we ate?" But whatever it was, it tasted mighty fine ( wasn't that a pudding from the 1950's and 1960s? ) As I recall, not everything was "the best I've ever had".....but the cumulative effect put an exhausted smile on our faces which said "that was good. I think I'm going to burst". We didn't dare try for dessert. That was scheduled for later at the friend's house, but we needed the travel time ( and more ) just to recuperate.
A quick note - Just like "time delay" medication, I was reminded of a few special dishes at Okura. My wife said the "seaweed salad"..."cucumber salad" and "soft shell crab rolls" were outstanding. It's always important to have good back-up!
Looking at this experience in the rear-view mirror, service was attentive and friendly, though empty dishes were left on the table a tad too long for my taste. But some slack makes sense. Dinner seemed like a catered affair for an army, so the sheer number of plates might be overwhelming.
I'm sensitive to noise, especially in restaurants where such audio garbage is sometimes encouraged to make the place seem more lively. However, in my book, that's like canned laughter on a TV comedy show. If it's not funny or people just want to hear each other talk, leave things alone! Despite wall-to-wall patrons at Okura...and our position adjacent to the sushi bar...background noise did not put a damper on conversation. A high five for the acoustics and to management for not cramming the tables and booths too closely!
One other important consideration. Price. When we got the bill, I was pleasantly surprised to see the bottom line. Although it seemed like we ate half the menu, the cost was only $70 per couple ( plus a tip of $12 ). How we escaped for less than $100 is better left for a detective to resolve.
I'm sure there are similar places with great food in the Palm Springs - Palm Desert - La Quinta area, but when we pay a return visit, the first choice for a restaurant will be Okura Sushi.Listed in: Away From San Jose -…
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Review from V K.
Hayward, CA
1/2/2012
We were suppose to go in a larger group so that we could try a variety of dishes mentioned here...didn't quite work out that way and I was a bit disappointed with the quality that I received.
Did the Happy Hour thing and ordered the garlic edamame, which were good, but messy - perhaps either garlic infuse the edamame or quickly stir fry the garlic. I thought we received the latter, but after some thought it was sauteed garlic that was tossed with boiled edamame.
Opted to try the Mixed Tempura, to gage, and I received 2 of the smallest shrimp tempura that I've ever received. Not kidding, the stuff in the mall is more fluffy and more in general. There was 1 small sliced tempura eggplant , 1 red bell pepper slice and something that I thought I'd never get in a Japanese restaurant...an onion sliced that it was still "rooted" at the base - totally looked like an awesome blossom from some of the steak restaurants.
I ordered something from the nigiri that was suppose to be albacore tuna, but it look cooked on the exterior, I would say "seared" if I meant "seared" this, was just cooked quickly and I was so disappointed - thinly sliced that it was barely discerningly as tuna and there was no description on the menu about being cooked in anyway.
Hubby didn't take my suggestion to get the ribs and ordered the rotisserie chicken - which ended up being a panko and spices crusted fried chicken breast - nothing to dip it in and yes, it was dry; accompanied with some sort of fried rice, which he said was almost tasteless.
My Lychee Martini didn't taste right - toooooo sweet, barely a lychee flavor.
It would take a lot to come back, sorry. -
Review from alex b.
Palm Desert, CA
Updated - 10/12/2011
So, I tried this place for the first time back when they had just opened. And I kind of contributed the loooong wait times to being open for just a month. You know, working out the mechanics between staff and such.
I recently went back because I had heard they serve great sushi and wanted to give them a second chance. I guess being open a whole year hasn't improved the amount of time you have to wait...for everything!
First of all, we were seated and our table had no napkins or silverware. We had to ask for that. Secondly, we waited 15 minutes for water. We had to ask for that too. Thirdly, our sushi order took 30 minutes! We had to tell the waiter that we were on a time crunch because we were starving! Mind you, this was on a Tuesday night, not a weekend! The wait staff literally looks like they don't know where they are going...
I am extremely disappointed with this place. They do have good sushi and this restaurant could be something amazing, but it just disappoints time and time again. Their indifference to this problem will be their downfall if its not corrected.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/3/2011
When is the right time to walk out of a restaurant? After waiting 15 minutes for a waiter and some… Read more »
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Review from Susan D.
Huntington Beach, CA
1/29/2012
I live in Orange County, and this is my fourth time here. The sushi is always fresh and beautiful and delicious. This place is always packed on the weekend. Made a reservation (Saturday night) for two on open table, but realized we would be about 1/2 hour late. I called the restaurant directly and they were able to move my reservation back 1/2 hour. When we got there there were no tables available, so were asked if we minded the sushi bar. "No, we didn't mind" We were so hungry. The service was fast, attentive and pleasant. When we left, there was a crowd waiting for tables. There is a small area outside to wait, otherwise there are people waiting inside around tables; no defined "bar" area so people are standing around.
This is our go-to place for sushi in the desert. -
Review from Michelle C.
La Quinta, CA
1/19/2012
This is the Best Japanese Restaurant in the desert by far!
The fish is so fresh!! The ambiance and service is great too.
The Hamachi Carpaccio is amazing!
We absolutely love Okura!! -
Review from Amber P.
Palm Desert, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came in at 9:40 to get (all you can eat) sushi, and was told no because they close at 10. Full restaurant and all...
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Review from Arlene G.
Palm Springs, CA
1/16/2012
Asian food in the desert is limited so I took that into consideration when doing this review. If your idea of Japanese food is generic rolls then you'll be happy with Okura. If you like authentic Japanese cuisine, be prepared to be disappointed. The miso soup taste the same as what I make at home from the instant packet. A lot of reviews mention price; Japanese food in general is not cheap. I think it's reasonable compared to a lot of other sushi places. I would go back if I'm dying to eat rolls but not anything else on the menu.
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Review from Valerie S.
La Quinta, CA
12/31/2011
Where to begin? Okura is some of the best Sushi I have ever had - and being from Seattle, I have had some great Sushi. But let's not forget that the true Japanese restaurant experience is not all about Sushi. Okura has great EVERYTHING!
The ambiance, staff, cleanliness, service are all top notch.
There are too many great dishes to name here, but the Hamachi Carpaccio is to die for! It is my all-time favorite sushi dish ever.
Forget the fact that Okura is in the desert - the fresh fish comes from Japan, not off the coast anywhere in the US.
The Happy Hour is great fun and a great deal. The All You Can Eat is a steal - not your assembly line low quality - this is right off the regular menu.
So, we stop in for a Happy Hour with great deals on drinks and bites, or the All You Can Eat Menu, or we order off the menu when we MUST have certain dishes.
Okura is not a once in a while place, it is a weekly event!
Thank you Jay for bringing the best of the best to the desert. -
Review from Cassie P.
Updated - 11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Even on a SUPER packed weekend, we had great food and great service. When it is busy, always call ahead.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/11/2011
Back again....okay this is def of our fave spot in the whole desert. The sushi was awesome but here… Read more »
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Review from Trieu T.
Sacramento, CA
1/7/2012
Way overrated. Not all that and over priced. Taste in the sushi was too plain for me. I didn't eat the "All you can eat" and it's for 30.00, but your whole table needs to order it and eat in an hour.
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Review from ciara c.
Temecula, CA
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
What can I say? When you're hot, you're hot! Okura is definitely hot. Just like the weather out in the Palm Springs area.
Came here with a few friends and one ordered for all of us. The server brought us selections of nigiri on a big wooden plank that spanned the length of our long table. Hey! They've done that before!
Salmon, yellowtail and dragon crunch roll were so fresh with tremendous flavor. We also shared something called the Firecracker roll, but it wasn't a roll at all. More like a tuna tartare with avocado and cucumber on the bottom.
Service was extremely prompt and the place was hopping for kind of early (6pm) on a Monday. -
Review from Lt P.
Pasadena, CA
1/14/2012
Best sushi in SoCal! We know sushi is not what you think of when you think of Palm Springs but think again. We have been here six times in the last year and it is consistently great. Service wonderful and the sushi chefs fun and talented. We love the sashimi salad and hamachi carpaccio. All the sushi is fantastic. Other than sushi the mussels and rock shrimp & ribs apps to die for. Lots of special rolls like baked Alaska & lobster tempura are fab. A friend who doesnt eat sushi swears by the skirt steak. Can't go wrong here. We travel from L.A. just to get sushi here and dream about it for weeks afterwards!
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Review from Jerry W.
La Quinta, CA
1/6/2012
This is by far and away the finest sushi bar in the Palm Springs area. I would even go as far as saying its in the top 5 in all of Southern California. The chefs are creative and fresh, they are always searching for something better. If you find yourself in the Coachella Valley and you want great, fresh sushi Okura will NEVER disappoint. Cheers!!
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Review from David Z.
Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I brought my wife here for our New Year's Eve dinner, as our traditional dinner is sushi when we go away for New Year's. We were greeted by an obese tattooed woman in a revealing dress, very strange for a maitre d' of an upscale sushi restaurant. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. The sake was served piping hot, and the house sake was decent, not great. The fried tempura lobster roll was not great. It was difficult to taste the lobster, and the roll was over-cooked and greasy. The other roll we had with the spicy tuna on top and the tempura shrimp inside was much better. The salmon sushi was fresh. All in all, a decent sushi place, just not great and not for special occasions.
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Review from Danny N.
Encino, CA
9/7/2011
Don't judge a book by it's cover. When I tried to go to this restaurant months back, it was very packed and noisy, and the Hostess couldn't care less to accommodate my simple questions about the menu so I decided not to eat there. Recently I found out they offer AYCE certain times of the year, so decided to give the restaurant a 2nd chance. The appetizers are better than most AYCE sushi places, get the spare ribs! The rolls were good, and despite other reviews didn't have too much rice at all. My favorite was the Madonna roll.
I'd recommend this place only at an off hour, because the sushi chefs definitely get overwhelmed by the AYCE, and the service can be very slow.
We'll see if the third time is a charm. -
Review from Kevin M.
La Quinta, CA
10/25/2011
I never thought I could get real upscale Japanese food in the desert, I was wrong. I live both in the desert and LA. In LA I eat at Katsuya and other high end sushi restaurants. Okura is comparable.
I like that it is fairly busy, so the fish is fresh. We eat there often and like it. -
Review from Jay B.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
This was a wonderful surprise. The concept bridges the gap between hard core sushi and first class restaurant (trendy). Extraordinary food, both sushi and cooked and wonderfully attentive service (thanks Jason!) in a sophisticated but comfortable atmosphere.
The all you can eat dinner menu (2 hour limit) is well worth the $22 asking price. -
Review from Wyndham R.
Waikiki, HI
8/30/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Who new some of the best sushi I have every had is in LA QUINTA at of all places!
Great selection on the menu as well as there all you can eat menu.
The all you can eat is super fresh made to order. Nice pieces of fish.
Come hungry and come with a group it is a real great vibe and atmosphere! You can wear you short s or dress up!
Must do when in the dessert area.
They also have a Palm springs location , have not been but heard its not as good! -
Review from Bob H.
San Diego, CA
8/8/2011
Great place. The spare ribs were awesome, one order comes with 6 or 7 meaty ribs. Service was great. The all-u-can-eat deal (29.95) is probably worth it, but just barely. I could have eaten 2 plates of ribs, been miserably full, and spent $32! Basic sushi rolls (California)
@ $7?? It'd be hard to put down 4 of these. Dude passed out behind me on the bar .....staff handled it pretty smoothly. -
Review from gretchen c.
Fallbrook, CA
4/25/2011
Had dinner here last weekend because we were staying at the Esmerelda Resort & Spa and their sushi bar was not serving sushi :(
Turned into a good night. It looks like its in a shopping center, and going to be a hole in the wall joint (not necessarily a bad thing!), but it wasn't at all. This place is dark and modern inside - the decor is very well thought out and kind of trendy. We loved it. Our server was a girl who looked kind of like J-Lo and she was very nice.
We had hot plain edamame, a Kirin Light, and some tall Sapporos. We had a crunch roll, a yellowtail roll and a spicy sushi roll. The special yellowtail roll was AMAZING. We also had mushroom miso soup, which came out super hot, but was really good. We wished they had the small salads with the yummy miso dressing that some places have, but it was fine. We were full.
I wish this place was closer to home, I would definitely go here again, and would definitely recommend it! -
Review from Katie S.
Palm Desert, CA
4/6/2011
Yes. I know you're already full of sushi but for the love of God, order dessert!
Then, come back and give me the thank you compliment because I just rocked your world. -
Review from Randy D.
San Francisco, CA
Excellent sushi, wonderful setting, great service...it doesn't get much better than Okura around these parts!
I have been here perhaps 4-5 times in the past two years and have never been disappointed. If you're looking for some really good sushi, this is a great place to go.
Aim for happy hour to save some $$$. Thinking you might miss a game on TV? Don't worry, TVs on the walls can keep you updated on the score - while you score some terrific sushi yourself. -
Review from Rick M.
Palm Desert, CA
11/7/2011
the closest place to a LA of SF sushi bar. good food and decent prices and if you go to happy hour the prices are better!
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Review from Elaine K.
1/25/2011
It was pretty delicious.
Came here with family for a New Years celebration dinner.
We waited in line for a lil while because we didn't make reservations...
4 stars for feeling slightly rushed and for the price being a little more than what the taste is.
But no doubt, it was a nice modern feel sushi joint with fresh food.
Try it out if you're in the area or want to go on a date ;] ! -
Review from Nancy C.
Queen Creek, AZ
12/20/2010
My husband and I went there this weekend and tried their all-you-can-eat option priced at $30 per person. You are allowed to pick liberally from the menu and try all sorts of things.
The food was excellent with one exception: I didn't like the lobster roll since it was fishy. Good sushi should not smell fishy, right?
But their tuna roll was outstanding, the miso soup, the gyozo dumplings, carpaccio, and so many more. My husband does not like fish, but he has been turned to the other side now!
We had a small table for two and the waiter complained that it was going to be too small for the food we'd chosen. I did feel a bit rushed as he tried to clear things and make room.
There's no way I could eat that much though, so we called it quits sooner than we thought. The location is easy to find at Point Happy and you can park in the parking garage and walk right in.
I will go back, but I won't get the all-you-can-eat. -
Review from Paisley P.
Newport Beach, CA
6/16/2011
Great sushi. Great owners. Great service even if you are at a table. Great waiters, even though one said that our Mackerel was Ahi...weird. However, i am never disappointed here! I reccommend the Madonna Roll and things that are not on the menu. We were asked to be filmed for a Yelp ad while we were there and they brought us special plates that werent on the menu yet. Everything was outstanding! Even the dessert, I think it was a green tea pannacotta, was fab! Favorite restaurant in the desert!
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Review from Lee J.
San Diego, CA
3/7/2011
"Ultimate all you can eat sushi??" You have to be kidding me. I just went there to take my significant other out to celebrate and dropped $160 on:
- A 15 minute wait to get noticed by our server and offered a drink
- A 10 minute wait after that for our server to say "your drinks will be right up"
- A 59 minute wait for our first order in the "ultimate all you can eat sushi experience" to completely arrive. We got almost everything but were told we had to wait for everything to get to the table before we could order anything else. Mind you, they put a 60 minute time limit on the all you can eat sushi.
I will never dine at this place again. the service is HORRIBLE! You would think if there was an issue of time like this that the server would ask a manager to address the situation......don't expect that here!
I left hungry and sad that I took a loved one here to celebrate and not only left hungry, but we also couldn't finish the $23 sake we ordered....mind you that was for only 8 ounces (a half pint) because there was brown stuff floating in it, we were pretty much ignored by our server, the little food we did get took forever....we got to pay more than we would have at Morton's and left feeling like fools.
There are too many other sushi options in the desert to justify wasting your money here. -
Review from Jamie C.
Desert Hot Springs, CA
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
YUM-O! For $29.95 all you can eat sushi and all kinds of other yummy stuff like ribs,shrimp,tempura and other goodies...you cant beat it. Now they do say 1 hour limit but I have never had a issue with this even when we have stayed longer. I do have to say I like the roll selections better at the Palm Springs location but quality and taste and service is great at both. Ohhh and there deserts...delectable.
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Review from John R.
La Quinta, CA
Updated - 2/24/2011 15 Check-ins Here
I have been here before, but two of my chef friends have always paid the bill. I will tell you why I mention this later. Okura is seemingly always busy and the food is pretty fresh and tasty. The main attraction is the $29 all-you-can-eat deal. You have one hour to gorge yourself with everything from spareribs to fish and everything in-between.
On this night I take the GF for a night of sushi and Sake. I start off by ordering the cheap rot-gut hot sake sold in every Asian place in the U.S. I like it, in fact I love that stuff. I know it's the bottom of the food chain when it comes to sake, but I have a soft spot for the hot stuff. A few years ago I remember standing on top of table at a bad Chinese restaurant proclaiming myself sakeman! I hopped down and begin pouring sake for all those who put out their greedy little sake thimbles. My ex-father in law was paying the bill, so I ordered more sake continued my rounds. Anyway, you get my point...
The server comes over and says they are busy, so we should order as much as we think we will eat because he may not get a chance to order anything else (I presumed in the hour we had to complete the all-you-can-eat deal.) I can't remember how much we ordered, but a lot; a whole stinkin lot. My hot sake is gone now. My GF is drinking champagne. I head over to the bar and point to a cool oil can looking thing of cold sake. I can't pronounce it (Japanese symbols all over it) and grunt," that one." The server brings it back to the table and pours the sake from the oil can into a glass decanter thing with ice in the middle of it. I have had this sake before. I have never PAID for this sake before. The meal starts arriving in phases. We polish off two items and then a big board of sushi arrives. I am thinking holy shit, how can we eat all of this? We are half way through and spareribs arrive; then something else and then something else. There is no friggin way we can eat this. I ask the busboy to carry away what is left of the sushi (half of it remained.) He says, "I can't approve that, only your waiter." Approve? WTF? He points to the menu where it says, "Unused portions will be billed back to customer." I am thinking, "oh great, I'm getting screwed." The server comes over and removes a plate that I had been trying to condense the unwanted portions. He says nothing.
I am seriously stuffed and quite certain the oil can sake has rendered me impotent for at least three days. As I write this, I am still hung over. The bill arrives. I am opening it slowly to make sure I wasn't screwed on the food. Dinner for two, $159! Not the illegal unwanted food, the friggin oil can! That son-of-a-bitch was $59. I'll go back, but I'll go back as "sakeman !"1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/27/2009
I met some friends here who were going to have the $30 all you can eat special. I was planning on… Read more »
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Review from Ryan P.
Cathedral City, CA
10/22/2011
This upscale restaurant was upbeat and wonderful. The food was to die for. Everyone needs to try the Tuna Tataki (that is my personal favorite). The rolls and fish were very fresh. If you're a sushi fan like me, you need to come here and eat. Try the Okura Roll! And if you haven't been here, you're missing out. The service is great; very polite and courteous. From what I have read in the paper, this restaurant has won Best Sushi the past 6 years. That should say a lot about this place. I would definitely come back here again. Thank you Okura!
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Review from scott p.
San Diego, CA
2/18/2008
Found this place by typing "sushi" in "la qunita" into my yelp mobile link via by blackberry. Saw the average of four stars and figured, what the hey. Um no.
Don't get me wrong- the food was fine but the prices- holy sweet jebus. Wife and I aren't exactly cheapskates- we're "dinks", both work as attorney's, dine in sf, la, nyc, paris, london, but man oh man was this place expensive. And for what? For sushi? Is it because it was in the desert? We went to Roy's the next night which was, amazingly enough, cheaper.
I literally can't remember the last time I raised my eyebrows at the prices on the menu. I wish I'd taken a picture of the menu just so you could see how expensive the individual menu items were. Wow. Just. Wow. Our dinner which was:
1. two cucumber salads.
2. one bowl of edamame.
3. two of the cheapest rolls on the menu.
4. chicken skewers (3).
5. hamachi sashimi appetizer.
6. one small house sake.
Ran us MORE THEN $100!!! Yikes. I just can't imagine who eats here or why. -
Review from Amanda W.
La Quinta, CA
8/16/2011
I love the food here so we go sometimes. We used to go all the time but the owner has always left us wishing someone else owned this place. I remember bringing my family from LA last year and telling them what an awesome place this was... We waited 2 hours for the first order of sushi.... then when I kindly asked to talk to the manager (owner standing two feet away) she actually told her staff that didn't want to talk to me. Okaaaayy. You are not allowed to deviate from all you can eat in any way shape or form. I don't like fish eggs that they sprinkle on the top and I am not allowed to request they leave these off. The waiter told me once that if I don't like it exactly as it reads on the menu that owner says not to order it. I kind of get the feeling every time I go there that the staff doesn't like that owner woman either. Cant imagine why.... JOKING. She is always rude and to good to talk to us. We don't drink so we are not spending a fortune at the bar. Maybe that's why is the way she is with us. All I got to say is you never get to big for your britches. And this lady surely has. So, beware everyone. The food is great, the service is very iffy.
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Review from Kate G.
Riverside, CA
2/14/2008
YUM!
almost speechless...
...but not quite.
I came here late one night while I was down in Palm Springs, and was not the least bit disappointed. We waited about ten minutes for the outdoor seating. The table had a very cool centerpiece...it gave the illusion of ice being on fire. However, Okura is wrapped around another establishment, so the attendees of the neighboring starbucks had a front row view to your dinner, which made me a bit uncomfortable at first.
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. She was able to give advice and answer any questions we had.
I ordered Miso Soup with tofu, sake sashimi, crunch roll, steamed rice, and a Marilyn Monroe Roll--all of which were fantastic. The rice was perfectly sticky and soft, while the fish couldn't have been fresher if I caught it myself.
...and the miso soup--to die for.
However, it is rather expensive...the cheaper rolls are around $17, while the most expensive reach the $30s. -
Review from Blondie P.
Palm Springs, CA
5/19/2011
Best sushi in the coachella valley...garlic edamame is amazing :)
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Review from Gabi M.
6/27/2008
Irashaimase!
This is what the Okura employees shout out upon the arrival of customers! I meet my future yelper friend, Natasha, in the La Quinta area once a year, and this has become our official place for sushi dinner. We look forward to that "Irashaimase" welcome every year!
I think this was our 4th visit in the past 3 years, and it is still going strong. Like the other yelpers wrote, it's fairly expensive, but you're going for sushi in the middle of the desert - what do you expect?!
Natasha and I love their miso soup - the one that comes with mushrooms. It's delicious! Other standout menu items include the crispy spicy tuna (crispy rice cakes covered with spicy tuna topped with caramelized ginger); hamachi carpaccio, the New Kyu house special roll (cucumber, hamachi, salmon ,tuna, ponzu, and yuzu sauce), and assorted nigiri too.
One of the rolls we had tasted a little off tonight, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. We opted to pick up fro-yo up the street instead of getting dessert at the restaurant. Total this evening was just under $50 each with no alcohol and no dessert - a bit pricey, but I'm sure that won't stop us from returning next year for our annual visit! -
Review from Alexis R.
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
5/15/2011
Big fan of this place!! I took my boyfriend here for his birthday for the all you can eat sushi menu...it was $39.00 per person for this amazing menu!! It's not just sushi but also appetizers, entrees including short ribs, mussels and so much more! The food was delish!!! The ambiance and service was very nice too. I highly recommend Okura!
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Review from Ryan E.
Sacramento, CA
10/11/2011
Second trip to La Quinta and second trip to Okura! It was nice to see that our first trip wasn't a fluke. The atmosphere and food are great. My wife really enjoyed the variety of sushi rolls and the garlic sauce edamame. I love the beef robata skewers as a nice alternative to the fish! The staff is very nice and the restaurant is clean. I would definitely recommend to someone looking for a solid sushi place in the La Quinta area.
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Review from Vanesa H.
Indio, CA
6/11/2011
Love love love okura! Definitely recommend the all u can eat. Its $40 per person so come hungry! They have an awesome menu.
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Review from Tanya F.
Palm Desert, CA
I absolutely love this place! Always a crowd pleaser for our family. The food and people there have never let me down. And if you feel like a night in, you can call in your order an hour before (on a super busy night) and take it to go. We did that recently with some out of town guests who had a young baby and they were blown away with the sushi. It really saved the night for me too because it was a last minute thing.
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Review from Lance A.
Irvine, CA
3/7/2011
Went here this weekend before a triathlon on Sunday. Didn't feel like pasta so figured sushi would be good and heard this place had an all you can eat option.
My wife and I were told that if one of us was doing the all you can eat, the otehr person did too. Fair enough. So we both went that route. Put in our first order and the food came out relatively quick. The food doesn't all come out at once, but it was spread out enough where we didn't wait very long.
Put in our second order, got one thing and waited a good 40 minutes. Nothing came. Asked the server what was going on and he said "to be honest, your food hasn't even been started." he said there was a new sushi chef so everyone's order was taking a while. 40 minutes?? was the dude new as in he was just learning to cook rice that same day?? We were there for 2 hours--I would say a good 75% of that time was spent waiting for our food.
The food was typically sushi--not great, not bad. So the low marks are for the service--and let me be clear. The waiter was perfectly fine-it's the people in the kitchen that ruined the meal.
My wife, who usually gets full after eating a few edamame beans and miso soup, left hungry. That never happens...and it should never happen at a place that has an all you can eat option. Really should be called "all we are capable of serving".
