Amakara — Restaurant in Dublin

Was really excited to get back to this place after its relocation, but I can say now, I will probably never go back.

I arrived with a friend and checked in at the hostess stand where the hostess informed us it would be about a 30-45 minute wait. Chill. My friend and I pass the time by going to PetSmart, hobby lobby, gamestop, and Target. We return to the restaurant about 30 minutes later....

After rearriving, we them wait another 40 minutes before our name is called. At this point, the math shows that the hostess pretty drastically underestimated the amount of time we would have to wait before being seated, but hey, things happen, no worries.... Chill. However, what occurred after we were seated is why this place gets two stars.

We are seated, and my friend and I waited 25 minutes before our server came to us. We ordered right then and there because we weren't sure when we'd get the chance again. For drinks, I ordered hot tea and a glass of water. After being seated for 40 minutes, I still didn't have a glass of water. I asked the server again if I could please just have a glass of water. Another 15 minutes went by before out food was brought out, and HEY a glass of water!!!! If my math is correct, we waited 55 minutes for our food (after being seated) and my glass of water.

The cherry on top of this cake is towards the end of the eating period (after 55 minutes sitting at the table waiting), 3 guests arrive and sit next to us. At the time I was unaware, but soon found out, that these three guests know one of the servers. Now, you might ask, "J, how could you know that these guests know one of the servers?" And, I'd respond by saying, "well it's because the server they knew came up to their table and sat down on the booth directly next to me, encroaching on my personal space to the point where she was touching me and preventing me from using my chopsticks to eat." So yeah, this place seems to need some brushing up on their servers' etiquette.

The only reason this place got more than a star was because your hostess was incredibly professional.... I watched her graciously handle this dude who was being a complete twerp and trying to blame her for the long wait time. Side note to that hostess... I tried to find you after dinner to give you a tip personally (based on the way the servers treated us, I knew they wouldn't tip you out well, and quite frankly, they earned a minimal tip from me anyways), but you were no longer at the stand :(. The food was also decent, but not at all worth the terrible service you have to sit...

I found the sushi and seaweed salad too salty for my taste. And the chicken teriyaki dish with white rice was too plain. My husband and i wear sitting at the sushi bar and i observed a few things.

The customers were not social distancing. We were actually seated very closely to each other. -- im not sure if the restaurant is even attempting this but we just saw that the seating was functioning as if it was before Covid. We didnt mind it so much because we kept to ourselves and wore our masks and are vaccinated. we did notice this because we were comparing this with other restaurants around the same price range that are still practicing the covid regulations.

The sushi chefs did not wear gloves. -- some of the chefs did wear gloves but many others did not wear gloves. We didnt get sick or anything but considering that its covid, i think they should protect the food better.

One of the sushi chef was drinking corona on the job. -- ok like this one i know was not supposed to happen. I litterally saw the bottle being handled by one of the sushi chef.

By the time we left we were not feeling like this place is trustworthy. I think the only decent part of the experience was the server. The server was nice and timely even though it was very busy.

So i gave it 3 star because its average. The food is ok, more on the salty side. The protection against covid is almost nonexistent. The restaurant is functioning like normal as if before covid. And the staff is alright. Could be better. So 3 for it being average. So i dont think it was worth the price that they charge for the food.

I think the thing that is going for this place is the location. It is attached to a huge complex and many people just walk there. Its within a nice location and easy to get to.

There is a parking lot for people going to the restaurant or going to other retailers attached to the building. Otherwise there is street parking, but we didnt see a lot of spots on the streets around...

Honestly there isn’t enough I could say about this restaurant. I went this week and it exceeded all expectations. It was very busy but the staff was still very welcoming. The atmosphere hit me immediately. The great music, dim lighting, amazing bar set up, the huge sushi bar as well, and aesthetic. I knew even though I had almost an hour wait, it was going to be worth it! Happy to report I was right! I didn’t get a table and ended up seated at the sushi bar. I got skeptical just for a moment. Once I sat down I was immediately impressed with not only the seat comfort itself but the amount of counter space at the sushi bar. It was fantastic! I had enough room to sit a full table’s worth of food and even extend my arms across there was so much room. This was with someone directly next to me and I didn’t mind it at all. There was still plenty of space! This is unlike any experience I’ve had at other sushi restaurants where I avoid the sushi bar seating. The food was amazing! Signature rolls are out of this world. They will give you an experience that will even test your willingness to explore sushi like you’ve never had it before. I had rolls with influences from various cultures. For example the Hawaiian with pineapple and smoked bacon with onions thinly sliced on top. I don’t want to make too long a review but the Italian dragon was a risk I took for flavor. I was greeted with a sushi roll sitting on pesto sauce, tomato on top, with just enough balsamic added. I didn’t expect the combo of flavor to work and I was shocked! It was my favorite roll out of the 4 I had. Quick mention to the full bar stacked with options. Seasonal drinks and very unique cocktails were all very good and high quality. The “holiday mule” I can recommend for both festive and taste purposes! Thank you for a great experience! I live(at times due to traffic) an hour away but will...