Soya Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Doral

3/21/24 Updated (10 months after first review):

Most of the time, I am deeply empathetic when it comes to testimonials about places. I appreciate the human element and consciously avoid spreading negativity, always emphasizing the positive aspects.

To begin on a positive note, I must acknowledge that this restaurant excels in its digital marketing efforts. I’ve visited it three times because people who don’t reside in the city have been enticed by their social media campaigns. A perfect score of 100 points for their marketing prowess.

Now, let’s talk about the food: It’s a fusion of Japanese and Latin American (specifically Venezuelan) cuisine. The dishes draw inspiration from Japan but incorporate ingredients and combinations you’d never imagine in Asia. The flavors are good, resonating with the Latin palate. However, there are no standout elements compared to other Japanese restaurants of similar Latin American origin. A score of 70 points.

Now, onto the service: I regret to say that it’s quite poor. They put on an elaborate show, aiming to sell an apparent premium experience, but it lacks substance in practice. The staff uniforms are attractive, they communicate via intercoms, and there are switches on the tables. However, the reality is that dishes arrive days after they’re ordered, taking an eternity. Regular beverage service to diners is neglected, and there’s no genuine effort to seek feedback from customers. To add insult to injury, the tip is included in the bill, leaving diners unable to express dissatisfaction in this regard. Then, during payment, they suggest a second tip via the point-of-sale system, leaving the customer with no privacy to decide whether to leave an additional amount. In all three visits, both I and my companions have been profoundly disappointed. Personally, I’ve wanted reasons to change my opinion, but unfortunately, they haven’t materialized. A dismal score of 10 points. Now, let’s discuss the presentation of the dishes: It’s simple. There are no standout or thematic elements. They don’t provide tableware for pouring soy sauce (which is completely disconnected from their dishes or presentation). Additionally, they don’t offer wasabi or ginger, even though even the most modest fast-food places include them. A score of 40 points.

I understand that everyone values certain elements differently when choosing a restaurant. Some people go to an establishment that faithfully represents the cuisine of a specific region (like Italy or Vietnam). Others choose trendy places they’ve seen on Instagram. Some prioritize excellent service, while others focus on the ambiance. And then there are those who consider pricing. Personally, I visit restaurants primarily for the quality of the dishes and the service. With that in mind, I’ll share four random elements along with their scores, encouraging or discouraging those who weigh these aspects more or less rigorously.

7/10/23

Overrated Japanese food offering. The menu looks forward to represent a chick alternative to Modern Sushi Classics, in the name of the truth, normal flavours, nothing remarkable to mention about though. The rice in some of the rolls we ordered was in fact partly uncooked.

The place's atmosphere is simple, nice and pretty.

The attention of the personnel is not good, no empathy at all, sometimes even kind of rude or nonchalant.

The prices... Expensive relation between quality and value.

I won't say this is a bad place but it isn't one I would recommend. Anyway, everyone might have a...

A friend of ours came here last week for his wife’s b-day and was beyond happy with the food, price (happy hour) and service, so we decided to give it a try and our friends even joined us. I made reservations for 5:30pm on Wednesday, 04/30/25 and were seated promptly when we arrived. I had previously looked at the menu online so we already knew what we wanted. We ordered the pork friend gyozas, the coquitos crunch and the sushi pizza plus my husband had two glasses of wine at $2 each. Our friends had the same thing plus the doral roll (nice big roll) and she had 2 prosecco’s (someone on another review said that the $2 prosecco’s were half glasses for $2 but she had completely full glasses at $2 each) and two beers. The food was fresh and amazing. My husband is a newby sushi eater and he almost licked his plate.

Yes, I will admit that it did take them a minute to get our stuff to us and get our second round of drinks but nothing too disastrous to really warrant removing a star. I also hate the low sodium soy sauce (I mean why bother with the soy sauce if it isn't for the salty taste it adds) and although they don’t keep it in stock, the hostess was near us when she heard me ask for it and she said she would take care of it for me. They apparently had gotten some of the full sodium soy sauce in packets for another customer and she squeezed the last of them out and brought them to me in a soy sauce dish much to my great joy as the low sodium one sucks. Now that to me is great service!

Now the best part, the gyozas, coquitos crunch, sushi pizza (all of which were amazing), 2 glasses of wine, tax and tip (18% tip is already included and to those that complain about the service and are unhappy to pay this, please note that you CAN ask to have it removed or adjusted, here or anywhere you go, if you are not satisfied) came to a whopping $39!!! My hubby is one of the biggest cheap skates on the planet and he almost fell out of his chair with excitement. He was ranting all the way home about how we have to come back again. I also looked at the non-happy hour prices and although the place is really nice and the portions and taste are above average, the regular prices are on par with what most average sushi places charge. We will definitely be coming back and I’ve already recommended it to several people...

I have to say this has been the WORST experience I’ve ever had at Soya. And this is not coming from someone who visited once—I’ve been a loyal customer since the days when the restaurant was in its smaller location. Back then, both the service and food were consistently excellent. Sadly, it seems that as they’ve grown bigger, they’ve completely lost control over the quality of their service.

When I arrived, the restaurant was packed, which I understand—it was the tail end of happy hour. However, the first person I encountered, the man at the door, was extremely rude and unprofessional. That’s the first face guests see when they arrive, and his behavior set a terrible tone. He told me with a bad attitude that the wait would be 40–45 minutes and that he couldn’t guarantee I’d even make it for happy hour. Not only was I not there for happy hour, but the assumption and the tone were completely unnecessary.

After waiting outside for about 45 minutes, my husband went in to check on the status since people who had arrived after us were already being seated. Instead of simply checking, the same host made a disrespectful remark, asking him, “Are you with the lady outside?” and repeated that I had to wait, in a very dismissive way. This was completely uncalled for.

An hour into waiting, I decided to speak with the other hostess because I didn’t want to deal with him anymore. Unfortunately, the experience was no better. He continued his rude behavior, telling me he didn’t know when we could get a table. By then, with a hungry baby, it was impossible to wait any longer, and we had to leave without dining.

It is incredibly disappointing because I know Soya has good food—or at least used to. But no matter how great the food is, service is what makes or breaks a restaurant. Reading other reviews, I can see I’m not the only one noticing that the service is not what it used to be. That says a lot.

If Soya wants to continue being “the #1 spot in Doral” with over 30,000 reviews, management needs to take this seriously. Many high-end restaurants manage to stay consistent for years—excellent food, excellent service—because they value their customers. Soya should learn from that.

I truly hope the management pays attention to this feedback, because at this point, I don’t think I’ll be returning. Very, very...