Okaru — Restaurant in Town of North Hempstead

We arrived with high expectations, but our experience was disappointing from the start. Upon arrival, we found the doors locked until 5 PM, leaving guests standing in a crowded line. When the doors were finally unlocked, the hostess failed to inform anyone, and it was only after some guests took the initiative that we were able to enter. The hostesses lacked warmth and attentiveness, setting an unwelcoming tone.

Our reservation was at 5 PM, yet it took exactly 37 minutes to receive our drinks, and that was only after we had to follow up. Our server, John S., was not only unprofessional but also rude and dismissive. He attempted to justify the delay by claiming that multiple tables (about 10 or more) had all ordered non-alcoholic drinks, which he suggested was the reason for our wait. However, he never offered an apology, displayed a condescending attitude, and provided service that fell far below industry standards.

Due to this poor experience, we lost our appetite and ultimately decided not to stay for the food. While we may consider giving the restaurant another chance in the future, there are many other establishments that offer superior service and potentially even better cuisine.

To Mr Kim's Reply:

Mr. Kim,

It’s hard to reconcile your claim of “doing the best they can” when simple service expectations were clearly not met. If your front-of-house team isn't prepared for the demands of a new opening, it speaks to a lack of planning and leadership. The reality is, they were on the front lines and failed to deliver an experience consistent with what any paying guest should expect, especially when opening a restaurant that’s being marketed as a high-end experience.

You mention the Resy system indicating we arrived at 5:03 pm, but that ignores the fact that we arrived at 4:38 pm and were told to wait in our car until 5 pm. At 4:55 pm, we were standing right by the door with other guests, and the door didn’t open until we asked. This isn’t a matter of misunderstanding the system—it’s a failure of communication and preparedness.

As for the cocktails, the 37-minute wait was not an exaggeration—it’s a fact. I don’t need to lie about that. I timed it from the moment we sat down, and I also asked for an update, which wasn’t delivered in a timely manner. The fact that I had to even ask for the drinks to be checked on is a red flag.

Additionally, I find it telling that John, described as one of your “star servers,” failed to acknowledge our clear dissatisfaction during the first 40 minutes of dining. He had ample time to address the situation, yet he didn’t. It’s also curious that despite your vast experience in luxury dining, you never came to check in with us, nor did you seem to notice when the issue began and continued to travel further. This lack of attention to detail and failure to address customer concerns is inexcusable, especially for someone claiming decades of industry experience.

Lastly, while you may have 30 years in the industry, the truth is your actions—or lack thereof—spoke volumes. The apology you left on Google felt empty and insincere. If you're truly committed to luxury dining, there should be more than just surface-level acknowledgments. As someone who has traveled the world and dined at some of the best restaurants, I have high expectations—expectations that, unfortunately, Okaru did not meet.

It’s not just about “falling below expectations”; it’s about the complete disregard for the standards you...

Alert - new restaurant review!!!

The experience at Okaru really started as I turned off Main Street in Roslyn into the Okaru parking lot. As we approached the valet, I could not help but appreciate the historic beauty of the cottage like structure I was about to enter that was erected over 130 years ago. This was my first step out of typical Long Island suburbia, but the big one was when I entered this gem of a restaurant. The decor and style of every part of Okaru was everything from beautiful to interesting.

Most people arrive at a restaurant just in time for their reservation, but with Okaru, I highly recommend arriving prior to your seating time to spend some time at the bar. Not only is the bar area a phenomenal atmosphere that sets the mood, but the cocktails are so creative and tasty, they warrant being enjoyed in this pre-dinner setting. And if you are not a cocktail person, the Japanese whiskey selection was top notch. Sitting at the bar, I could see glimpses of the main dining area through a separation wall made of beautiful vertical wooden beams which allowed me to see enough of the dishes being brought to other peoples tables, triggering my senses anticipate what's next......

After a cocktail, I was taken my table in the beautiful main dining area, that is adorned with a great piece of art on the back wall.

And the menu...what a selection. Most of the time when I go to a place that has such a diverse selection of both prepared appetizers and entrees, and also such a great selection of sushi, I think there is no way both can be great. The crazy thing about Okaru is that they both are great. And I'm not the kind of person that likes to mix my sushi with prepared hot food, but it just worked here. Not only did the food look phenomenal, the quality and taste did not disappoint! Everything blended together so well no mater what I ordered.

And the dessert, wow. When was the last time you went to a Japanese restaurant and said, "I cant wait to have dessert here?" (umm....never). Well, guess what, even though you don't know it yet, at Okaru, you cant wait. Simply put...yum!

Beginning to end, Okaru did it right. I cant wait to come back and try the things on the menu I didn't have room in my stomach to try. And then go back again to have what I had the first time again. Just when you thought Roslyn couldn't step up its restaurant game....enter Okaru.

As you can tell, I stayed away from telling you about specifics of any of the items that I consumed....and I know, thats what you wanted to hear...well in this situation, it was on purpose. Imagine if I saw the best movie ever and I came home and told you the entire plot before you went?!? That wouldn't be nice - right? On that...

What a great experience we had in Okaru, located in the heart of Roslyn Village. From the impeccable service to the food to the ambience, Okaru has made a leaping progression since opening.

Food: We ordered four appetizers, love them all. Spicy yellowtail sashimi, steamed lobster gyoza, spicy crispy seabass is crispy yet melt-in-your-mouth tender (our fav!) and seared Hokkaido scallops were all perfectly cooked. For entrees we had mushroom rice gohan, red miso lamb chop, salmon aburi handroll, snow crab handroll, bluefin Toro Roll, spicy king crab roll, seared salmon aburi roll. Beside the lamb chops was a little to the bland side, everything was really great! Dessert didn’t disappoint either. We ordered four and love all four! Japanese whiskey bread pudding was the star!!!!

Services: Compared to our last experience with Okaru six months ago, this time both the services and food have elevated a lot! The restaurant was packed as usual but we got seated in the main dining room in less than five minutes. Staffs are friendly, attentive and professional. The hostess, Flora, greet us with warmth. The manager, Natalia, came by our table making sure everything is good and that we have a good time. It was a surprise birthday celebration for my husband, who coincidentally also had an impromptu conference call an hour into the dinner. So timing was a little tight. Although the service was quick and our food came out pretty fast, my husband still needed to leave the seat and stepped out for a conference call towards the end of the dinner. I told our hostess Flora about this situation and she helped me coordinating with my waitress Ally, who’s very attentive and pleasant, as well as the kitchen staffs, making sure dessert and cake with candle will be brought out as soon as my husband came back to our table. This attentive service on a busy night def made Okaru stand out in this wildly competitive restaurant district.

Will...