Roka Hula — Restaurant in Dr. Phillips

We had been wanting to check this place out for a little while but it’s usually a bit far from our home to make the random drive over. We were going to be in the area, so made a reservation and finally checked it out. The dining room and bar areas are super cool and interesting. Unfortunately, the hostess sat us at literally the very first table in the dining room, directly next to the kitchen and hallway to enter/exit the restaurant, as well as directly next to another 2-top. If the dining room was packed, this wouldn’t be a problem and we’d completely understand. In this circumstance, the dining room was almost completely empty other than about 4 other tables. So, multiple intimate, more personal booths were available along both sides of the restaurant. The table next to us requested to be moved to one of them and we followed their lead to do the same. There was a Hispanic server that was training another newer server (didn’t get her name) that was clearly annoyed with the situation and moved us begrudgingly. We ordered a couple of cocktails that were pretty good. For food, we ordered the soup dumplings and short rib bao as apps, then all 5 options for nigiri as well as the riceless roll and smoked spicy tuna roll for our main course. We live in Winter Park and may be spoiled by the amazing sushi options around us, but this was the worst food we’ve had from anywhere in a really, really long time. The soup dumplings were super thick, with zero soup, and the meat was extremely bland. The baos were mediocre and bland with nothing great or special about them. The nigiri was the best quality fish but looked like it was cut by a blind person or maybe someone who hasn’t ever actually worked with knives before. One piece of fish on the nigiri was small, the other was 6” long and cut in a bizarre shape. The rice on both the nigiri and sushi rolls was undercooked to the point that some grains were actually still hard and none of it stuck together as you’d expect with sushi. The second you try to pick a piece up with chopsticks, the rice fell apart. The tuna from the spicy tuna roll was super chewy, had no spice, and tasted like it hadn’t been fresh for a few days at best. The riceless roll was the worst part. The roll came out with each piece shaped oblong, like an egg, but larger than an egg. It was so loose and humongous there was literally no way to pick it up as a single piece. We finally agreed we needed to say something so we explained to the manager that our experience so far had been pretty miserable and bizarre, but ultimately we’d just like the riceless roll to be made so that it looks at least somewhat like it does in the picture from their instagram. Our hope was that we’d then be able to pick it up and eat it like a normal piece of a sushi roll. He apologized and explained he typically only works at Voodooo Bayou and not on this side of the restaurant but will ask the chef to try again and prepare another. He brought it back to us and it was edible this time, although still humongous in comparison to a typical piece of sushi from a roll. We both agreed it was the worst sushi experience we’ve ever had and decided to get the check to head out. The server brought the check (with absolutely nothing comped off and an 18% gratuity already included) which totaled $229 and then proceeded to run it through one of those cheesy tableside Toast machines. She handed it to me to offer me the option to add additional gratuity while she stood over my shoulder, which I completed and handed back to her. No further correspondence with the manager or staff and we left. We ended up walking next door to Ruth’s Chris for a dessert and a couple more cocktails to reset the vibe for the night.

If you want great sushi, look into Sakari Sushi in Winter Park. It’s hands down, the best sushi in the Central Florida area other than a full Omikase experience at Kadence, Soseki, or Sorekara. If you just want to eat some bad sushi, stop off at Publix or go...

Awesome! It’s a word I don’t think I’ve used in more than 1000 reviews, but Roka Hula exceeds all expectations. Visiting on their second night of business we encountered near perfection.

I had assumed this would be an experience aimed at the tourist and convention business, like its associated restaurant Voodo Bayou (you check in at their reception desk), which is good, but not earthshaking. But Roka Hula is not just an experience, but also an amazing cocktail/tiki bar and a superb sushi restaurant.

The first thing you notice, as with any Tiki bar, is the ambiance. From the creative entry (I won’t spoil the experience) to the overall decor and vibe, this is a great space–calming, mysterious, and exciting all at once.

The cocktail menu is expansive, and the three drinks I tried were all home runs. The gin and ginger Psycho Starlett and the complex and tart Saigon Suzy both went well with the sushi. And the Banana Old Fashioned (a complex mix of rums and a brulee’d banana syrup) is possibly my favorite cocktail of all time, a great way to end the meal.

As expected with a Tiki bar, the wine list is very limited, but contains four interesting selections.

The other star here is the sushi. I wasn’t expecting much, because food at a tiki bar is usually an afterthought, or cliched. But this place is serving some of the best quality fish in town, and some of the most creative sushi.

The Hamachi Tiradito and Salmon Sashimi were both excellent starters. While not inexpensive, the portions and quality justified the cost.

Smoky Spicy Tuna Roll was one of the most creative sushi dishes I’ve had. Sure, we’ve all had dishes served under a smoked dome, but the hickory and apple smoke here was a whole other level.

The Buffalo Beef on Weck Roll was also really creative, with tenderloin wrapped in carpaccio and coated in caraway seeds.

Service provided by Thyas and the accompanying staff was perfect.

I am not often this surprised by a restaurant, especially in a tourist area, but Roak Hula...

Our 5:15 PM reservation at Roku Hula started on a sour note. Despite arriving a mere ten minutes early at 5:05 PM, we weren't seated until a full fifteen minutes past our scheduled time, at 5:30 PM. For a bill that topped $100 for just four drinks and one appetizer, the expectation of being seated promptly at the reservation time isn't unreasonable – it's practically a given. This initial disappointment definitely set a negative tone for the evening.

Unfortunately, the issues didn't stop there. My wife's visit to the women's restroom painted a truly unpleasant picture: toilet paper strewn across the floor, grimy sinks, a sticky floor that made you think twice about where you stepped, and to top it all off, no toilet paper in the stalls. Seriously? This level of neglect is unacceptable for any establishment, let alone one commanding these prices. My wife actually had to seek out a manager just to get toilet paper – a situation that felt more like a scene from a sitcom gone wrong than a relaxing night out.

While the drinks themselves were admittedly fun and well-crafted, and our bartender and waitress provided excellent service, the significant shortcomings in the front-of-house management and the appalling state of the restroom completely overshadowed any positives.

Honestly, with the plethora of other tiki-themed bars in the Orlando area, I can't recommend Roku Hula. The lack of respect for reservation times and the shockingly unhygienic restroom conditions are major red flags. Save your money and your evening for a place that values both your time and basic cleanliness. There are definitely better tiki escapes to be...