Amakara | The Best of Dublin, CA Series
Located where Pasta Primavera used to be in the historic Almond Center, Amakara is a new restaurant that brings the best of contemporary Japanese cuisine to the Tri-Valley. Amakara opened in March 2008. It is locally owned and operated by Tae Oh, Jamie Oh, and Sushi Chef Hideki (Eddie) Imano.
Attracted by Dublin’s idyllic and growing neighborhoods, Tae and Jamie Oh moved to Dublin three years ago. When looking for the ideal location for Amakara, Tae and Jamie did not have to look too far from their new home, which is only 1.5 miles away from the Almond Center. Living close to the restaurant means that Tae and Jamie can arrive early Monday through Saturday to ensure that only the freshest ingredients are accepted. Tae was quick to point out that City Staff were extremely easy to work with, and the streamlined permitting process made it possible for Amakara to open on schedule.
At the core of Amakara’s success is their fierce commitment to quality. An example of Amakara’s focus on quality is Hideki’s insistence on the rice the restaurant serves. This particular brand’s aroma, tenderness, and taste form the foundation of Hideki’s many wondrous sushi creations. Although Hideki’s choice of rice is twice as expensive as those found in most other sushi restaurants, any compromise to the customer’s overall experience is not up for negotiation when you are one of Hideki’s guests.
In addition to a commitment to high quality, Amakara is also known for being incredibly generous with its portions. The Tuna Ceviche Salad is a popular entrée-sized appetizer that is perfect for someone looking for a light dinner. The Salmon Teriyaki includes two large sushi-grade salmon steaks, along with healthy servings of white rice and salad. This delicious seafood entrée can easily satisfy two hungry adults. For the health conscious, brown rice is available upon request. As for dessert, the Around Dublin Team recommends the Strawberry Monaka. The Monaka looks like a vanilla ice cream waffle sandwich with crisp chocolate wafers embedded in the ice cream. Decorated with fresh strawberry slices and strawberry syrup drizzle, the Monaka sits on a smear of red bean paste that is not overly sweet.
Centrally located in the heart of Downtown Dublin, Amakara serves lunch Monday through Friday and dinner every night of the week. Happy Hour is also available Wednesday through Friday. The next time you are in the mood for sushi, please consider Amakara. We promise you will not be disappointed.
Amakara
7222 Regional Street
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 803-8485
2:49 PM on December 11th, 2008
The owners live in Dublin as well? That’s my idea of suporting Dublin commercially and residentially–these guys are full-fledged Dubliners! I’m going to have to check it out with my buddies.
12:16 AM on December 12th, 2008
Same, we’ll check it out. Thanks for the post.
11:52 PM on December 12th, 2008
We’ve been there and it was horrible. Tuna was frozen and the customer service was bad. I’m a mom with 2 kids and we won’t be going back. Next to us another family was there and they also agreed that they wouldn’t go back either for similar reasons as us. If they changed their service and food since 7 months ago we’ll see.
1:30 PM on February 27th, 2010
Whoever posted this is very mistaken. I have been there at least 100 times and I have never once had bad service or bad fish. Frozen?
Are you kidding me? Of all the sushi places I have been over the last 12 years this place is by far the very best quality and freshest fish I have had.
***** 5 Stars!
1:23 AM on December 13th, 2008
Hi Anonymous,
I am sorry to hear your experience at Amakara was not as positive as ours had been. My mother and I have been dining at Amakara almost every Saturday for the past eight weeks, and we absolutely love their Teriyaki Salmon. In addition, I have never had issues with the freshness of their tuna and yellow-tail sashimi. As for their service, our favorite waiter, Chris, is always attentive. I highly recommend your giving Amakara another chance. If you see opportunities for improvement, please share them with Tae, Jamie, and Hideki. I know they are deeply committed to customer satisfaction and will appreciate any constructive feedback you may have for Amakara. Thank you.
10:13 AM on December 13th, 2008
I have only been to Amakara once but it was enjoyable. My server at lunch time was young so I cut her some slack. My neighbors go there quite regularly and enjoy it so much that they stop driving to their old favorite in Danville. But, I do believe the mother of 3 as that I have had meals of questionable freshness at different places.
5:05 PM on December 13th, 2008
First impression is sometimes the last impression. My family had a bad experience there too when it first opened. Trying to give it some slack as it was brand new, only opened for a week or so. But like the saying goes unfortunately, you may not get a second chance at impressing someone.
The dollar is scarce for most families now, including our’s . Thus whether or not I give it another try or go to another local establishment remains to be seen.
11:53 PM on February 12th, 2009
I was really excited to try Amakara since it’s a new restaurant. I came for dinner on a Monday night, which was not busy. The service was slow. My grilled edamame NEVER came, and it took forever to get refill of hot tea. The ikura and my other rolls were NOT fresh. Fancy environment but definitely NOT worth the price. The owner, Jamie, was pretty snobby when I told her about my experience.
10:31 AM on February 13th, 2009
We had a similiar experience when the place first opened. At the time we gave them some slack as hey with any openings there will be aches and pain. We have not gone back since but were thinking about it. To hear that today they are still having quality and service issues is dissappointing. Yes the space is first class looking, but in the Tri Valley we’ve come to expect not only an inviting environment, but quality food and service. They all go hand in hand and is a must for a successful restaurant, especially in this current economy. Our families in Dublin have made it a point to support the local businesses that can provide quality of product, quality of Service and know how to show appreciation for their patrons.
Here are a few where we’ve had great experience and feel appreciated.
A List: (consistent quality and friendly service)
Abba Italian Gourmet, Thai Express, Pho Bistro, Nothing Bundt Cake, House of Sake, Elephant Bar.
B List: (consistent quality and good service, hit and miss depending which server you get)
Pho Saigon, Madfish, Macau Bistro, Woks Up, Tomatina, Rigatoni’s, Bangkok 101, Yu Yu’s.
Flunk List: (snobby and arrogant)
Number One is Koi Garden, The head/lead Hostess thinks she works at the trendiest spot in Beverly Hills or something. Our family walked in at 4:00PM on a Saturday and the place was 90% empty. She looked at us without a smile and asked if we had a reservation. We said no and her body language was like wow, who do we think we are coming in with no reservation?!! She took 5 minutes to finally seat us as if the place was hopping our something and that we’d be lucky to get a table. Finally squeezed us into a corner table that is cramp. We finished at 5:15 and the place was only 50% full. Don’t know really what she was saving all those tables for, the Tour Bus coming or something? We’ve heard similiar comments from friends and family.
hey I just yelped!!
3:52 AM on February 14th, 2009
Amakara is too fancy for comfort, too expensive for the wallet, and not too fresh for the pallet. I expect exceptional service at a restaurant of fancy and pricey caliber; service is slow and food is not authentic. I love fresh fish and a good traditional roll…difficult to get authentic food when the owners are not Japanese.
11:16 AM on February 15th, 2009
There are a few Japanese restaurants in the area that are not Japanese owned but are decent. Now I am not Japanese myself thus I can’t voucher for these places as being authentic or not. Such as UME and Sozo in Pleasanton or House of Sake in Dublin.
I agree on your assessment of Amakara though, the service and quality of food does not match the upscale prices.
11:05 AM on August 26th, 2009
I am surprised at some of the negative comments in these reviews. My family has gone there several times and had only positive experiences. The fish has always been fresh and flavorful. I agree with sitting at the sushi bar as the sushi chefs are willing to interact and offer suggestions to customers. Prices are on the high side but this place is a notch above most in the area.
9:57 AM on February 17th, 2010
We love this place. Service is okay – food is amazing!