Okami Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Greater Brisbane

A Disastrous Dining Experience – Unprofessional Service, Chaos, and a Complete Waste of Money

From the moment we arrived, this restaurant proved to be a masterclass in how not to run a hospitality business. Poor service, unprofessional staff, and a complete disregard for customers made this one of the worst dining experiences we’ve had in recent memory.

The evening started off on a bad note when we were seated in an uncomfortable, cramped corner right next to the payment counter. When we politely asked to be moved to a less claustrophobic spot, a young staff member—who clearly lacked basic customer service skills—rolled her eyes and responded with an obvious look of annoyance. It was a clear indication that guests here are seen as an inconvenience rather than valued customers.

Service went from bad to worse when we placed our order immediately, only to be left waiting over 20 minutes while other tables, seated after us, were served multiple rounds ayce plates. Even our drinks were nowhere to be seen. We eventually had to get up and ask where our food was, only to be met with complete indifference. Five minutes later, the so-called manager—a woman who had no interest in taking accountability—casually informed us that while our order had been taken at the front, it had never made it to the kitchen. No apology, no attempt to rectify the situation—just a shrug and an expectation for us to accept their incompetence. By the time our first dish finally arrived, more than 30 minutes had passed.

If that wasn’t bad enough, we were then told to order directly with staff since the ordering system wasn’t working. However, no one had actually informed the staff of this, leading to even more chaos. We were left waving down bar staff just to get any attention, while waitstaff ignored us completely. The level of disorganisation was appalling.

Despite claiming to close at 10:00 PM, staff began stacking chairs at 7:30 PM as soon as people left, making it abundantly clear they wanted to shut down early. By the time we attempted to place a third round of orders, we were abruptly told they were closing early—without warning, explanation, or even the courtesy of a heads-up.

For the privilege of this disgraceful experience, we were charged $100 for just 10 plates of food and half a jug of Coke Zero. An absolute rip-off considering the horrendous service and dismal atmosphere.

This restaurant operates with zero regard for professionalism, customer service, or basic efficiency. Between the rude staff, absurdly long wait times, and blatant lack of organisation, it’s safe to say we will never be returning—and we strongly advise others to avoid wasting their time...

While the food here is nice, the overall price if you choose All-you-can-eat simply does not stack up to buying mulitple dishes from other similar Asian restaurants (Oi Sushi, Bellygod etc).

The main reason for this is that you are not allowed to take any leftovers with you. We spent $120 but when we left the restaurant we had nothing to take home. In comparison to spending the same money at other similar Asian restaurants, we would usually have enough leftovers for lunch or dinner for the next couple of days.

We were also a little put off with the manner in which the serving staff addressed a question when it came to ordering for our 8 year old ASD kiddo - he will only eat 1 thing from the entire menu - when we asked about the price of ala carte Vs all you can eat for him we were told "If he even takes one thing from your all-you-can-eat we will charge him for all-you-can-eat". The way in which this was presented to us was really off-putting, like we were going to smuggle him mountains of food or something (which would never happen since he lives on air most the time).

Also, the ala carte portion size is quite small compared to other similar restaurants.

This was our second visit - the first time the food was much better. My husband thought some of the dishes this time were a little under-cooked.

I think they should also add onto their website that bookings are ESSENTIAL. The first time we visited, we came when the restaurant opened and there was a spare table. We tried to come a week ago for my husband's birthday; again arriving when the restaurant opened but were told the restaurant was 100% booked out (there were two tables currently filled). If there are no free tables for walk-ins I think this should be stated so people don't waste their time.

Overall, the food was nice, the serving staff were mostly good, but the value for money simply was not there for our family. It's an OK place to eat at occasionally, but we will be sticking with our regular restaurant choices simply because there is far less food wastage (which I hate - I know I ate FAR too much, simply because I didn't want to waste food) and being able to take our leftovers home is a big drawcard...

Dakabin: If you don't mind being lied to, treated like cattle or being served by miserable and chaotic waiting staff, this place is for you. If not, any food court can match the atmosphere.

Without question, the most pretentious all-you-can-eat joint I've ever experienced. Despite being assured by phone it was BYO, they tried to charge $10 corkage for a bottle of plonk, and didn't 'allow' beer or soft drinks! The rudeness of the scruffy main waiter was a new low in customer experience - barking his rules and conditions akin to Seinfeld's Soup Ni sketch. Not willing to pay $9 for a small bottles of beer, we plumped for table water; basically a begrudging late delivery of warm tap water. The Sushi Ni (as he was soon christened) continued in his pompous ways all the way to the end, stating that dividing our group's bill into the three was 'not possible'... and his coup de grâce?... a $3 charge for paying $240 on EFTPOS!

It's a shame such arrogance and misinformation detracted from what was actually fine food. The waiters constantly reach across you without warning, seemed miserable and overloaded, and you have to spend much of your time on your phone ordering (clearly not aimed at the 50+ demographic). No courtesy shown throughout, no Japanese vibe so a poor customer experience overall. There will be no subsequent visits for you, Okami.

Summary THE GOOD: all you can eat for $39.90 and food is good (assisted by young people to keep up with the phone app).

THE BAD: Not BYO, $10 CORKAGE, $3 EFTPOS fee, unable to split a bill, rude main waiter, no Japanese feel, warm table water, distinct lack of courtesy throughout.

THE UGLY:...