Dorinku Osaka — Restaurant in Edmonton

On Tuesday evening, we decided to stop by Dorinku Osaka for a quick dinner. We had previously only visited the Tokyo location, which had good food and quick, friendly service. Upon entering, the restaurant was about 50% full, and we were seated in a corner next to two ladies who were sharing a single seat on the couch. It was awkward to squeeze in without disturbing them, but we managed.

We waited 10-15 minutes without anyone checking on us for drinks or taking our order. The staff at the bar were chatting with other guests, and the waitresses seemed occupied at the back of the restaurant. It felt like they hadn’t noticed we were a new table.

When a server finally arrived, there was a bit of a miscommunication because my partner and the server started speaking at the same time. I became flustered and raised my voice to clarify our order, not intending to offend anyone. To note, we were both facing the server, and he could see that they were talking simultaneously.

Then the following exchange happened between the server and me:

Me: “Do you guys always have slow service?” Server: “If you don’t like the service, you don’t have to eat here.” Me: “I’m just asking because at the Tokyo location, service is quick and—” Server: “Many of us are students, and we’re busy. I won’t tolerate the way you’re speaking to me.” Me: “I’m just asking because it’s Tuesday evening, and we waited 15 minutes.” Server: “We either get on the same page or not.”

After some back and forth, the server apologized, but immediately followed with, “But you have no right to treat me like that.” Throughout the conversation, he interrupted me and spoke over me, all while accusing me of using an inappropriate tone. My intention was simply to understand how busy the kitchen was since we were short on time. If I’d been allowed to finish my sentences, I would have explained our time constraints. I understand that working in the service industry is stressful, but I was genuinely surprised by the stark contrast between the service in Tokyo and Osaka.

Eventually, I asked for a manager, but the server claimed he was the acting manager. I had no way to verify this, but regardless, I don’t believe his approach was appropriate for any staff member.

We left shortly after without ordering any food. The reason we chose Dorinku over other downtown restaurants was the expectation of quick service and good food. If we visit Dorinku again, it will likely be the Tokyo location, where the staff are always kind and attentive, and the experience is far...

Osaka has a chill vibe going in compared to Tokyo. It's more modern izakaya atmosphere. The takoyaki was piping hot and the texture was crunchy. The Shaka Shaka fries was okay as it was fries shaked in a bag with seasoning, but still good. The carbonera udon was hot and creamy. The oyster was fresh and cleaned thoroughly. The ponzu sauce that came with it was slightly sweet, and compliments the oyster.

Overall, good atmosphere, good pricing. Only disappointing thing was I over hyped myself for the Shaka shaka fries.

NEW UPDATE: went to Osaka again on a Friday night. I was a little disappointed this time as I had a good time from my previous review. This time we ordered:

Chicken Truffle Shoyu Ramen (16.80) It was just average. The ramen came with half cooked egg, chicken chasu, some yu choy. The broth was just okay as it had little flavor and didn't taste the chicken -flam-soy broth. The chicken and the egg was just okay.

Cream Truffle Udon (16.80): The udon was pretty good, the cream was rich ( a bit too rich if you aren't used to the creaminess). It can be a bit over powering sometimes.

iSHIYAKI BEEF BIBIMBAP (15.80) The bibimbap was good as it was really colorful and the texture of the rice was spot on. It was a little salty to taste and we ended up not finish it.

Appetizer platter (17.80) Comes with 7 daily specials, but I only tried 3. The ebi shrimp was good, but eat it right away as the crispiness disappears. The beef tataki was pretty good, the presentation could be better, but the taste was spot on. Taco Wasabi: the chopped octopus with wasabi dressing was my favorite. The spice was not too strong and sandwiching it with seaweed and a slight dip in soy sauce was good.

Clams ( forgot the price, was around 18.00) The clams was a disappointment. There were lots of empty shells, the broth that it was bathing in was really salty. The salty was too much, so we didn't finish it. It could've been paired with something plain like rice or bread to balance the saltiness.

Bluefin tuna sashimi 5 pc (22.80) The bluefin came in a delicate design, highlighting the main attraction. It came with ginger, shiso leaf, mejiso ( shiso sprouts), and REAL wasabi. The bluefin texture was soft and had a bounce to it. Eating it by itself it didn't taste anything special, but the combination of the shiso and the tuna made...

I have NOTHING but good things to say about Dorinku Osaka. If you're looking to host a party, this is the place.

We had a surprise 30th birthday party for our friend that moved to Spain who came back to see everyone. The party consisted of 30 people, which Dorinku made fit in their private room.

When first sending emails, they were eager to host, responded promptly, and offered to go above and beyond to make this surprise party not only a success but exceptional. No other business in the city was as kind and happy to host. Other places gave me the "Let me refer you to __" and would take days to respond, but not Dorinku. To the contrary, we had a phone call right away and set everything up.

They offered for us to view the private room ahead of time and even allowed us to bring our own cake and decorations, which they gave us the opportunity to set up ahead of time that afternoon to ensure the surprise went according to plan. When delivering our supplies ahead of time, the staff was going above and beyond to ensure the space was clean and assisted in ensuring we had everything we needed.

To our surprise, they went above and beyond in making sure everyone had what they needed at all times, that we were having a great experience, kept all 30 bills straight, and not only that but had the BEST sushi I've had in the city. The gyoza, pressed sushi, TNT rolls, and sashimi was SO fresh and 12/10.

When bringing a cake, we didn't think to bring forks and people usually use chopsticks there, but they gathered as many forks as they could as fast as they could. I was eager to cut the cake since there's a technique to getting the most out of it, and they brought me a cutting board and quality knife to do so.

They made "sake bombs" a fun experience with their chant and drums, and everyone at the party said they'd be back in a heartbeat. They even offered for us to play our own music, although it would play throughout the whole restaurant, which we didn't do but was a very kind offer.

We even got a well-written follow-up email requesting any feedback and thanking us for choosing them. I could go on and on about the staff there and how Dorinku knows what they're doing.

We'll be recommending Dorinku Osaka to everyone we know for their get-togethers -...