Okku

Pretty people, a DJ and expensive Japanese food, but it's ever-so-popular 43 Reviews

Meal Deal

Okku

95 minute Balinese massage, followed by a three-course lunch, for Dhs299 per person (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2009

Okku is packed with skinny girls in short skirts and ugly men in business suits. Bartenders donned in black prepare Dhs50 cocktails near an expansive aquarium sporting iridescent jellyfish imported from Japan.

In other words, the space is achingly, self-consciously cool. And, oddly familiar. Given the restaurant claims to be ‘innovative’ and ‘unique’, the menu’s offerings of miso black cod, rock shrimp tempura and yellowtail carpaccio, ring Nobu-shaped bells.

More imitative rather than innovative, it seems. The food is excellent overall: outstanding in some parts (sashimi that dissolves in a puff on the tongue), less so in others (namely desserts); but, like any carbon copy, it isn’t as good as the original.

Service is irritatingly pushy, which is particularly grating when you see the bill and know you would have spent less if left to your own devices. However, although Okku may not be the most original dining concept in town, the chefs are definitely a talented bunch (with over 134 years of combined experience, apparently), and most of its offerings are without a doubt fantastic. It just needs to have enough confidence to be itself.

By Time Out Dubai staff
Time Out Dubai, 22 March 2009

• Previous reviews
  • 09 March,2009- reviewed by Daisy Carrington

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Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

Posted by: Dania on 16 Nov ' 09 at 09:16

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I was very happy to hear that Okku now has lunch! The lunch set menu is great value (under 99aed) and it's very filling. I only wish that Okku would open for Friday brunch!

Posted by: Bharti Soni on 09 Nov ' 09 at 17:14

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Loved the food , the ambience infact everything. Service is excellent

Posted by: Vren on 09 Nov ' 09 at 15:19

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Really liked my first visit - good food good cocktails but after visiting a few times found the service bad, cocktails mediocre and the staff basically down right rude and arrogant - unfortunately in Dubai people believe in their own hype and this is a perfect case of hype and no substance - give me Zuma any day and Sho Cho is a perfect example of
longevity through good service and reputation.

Posted by: Ella Khalil on 15 Oct ' 09 at 12:43

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

the spicy tuna crispy rice, seaweed salad and waqgu beef/foi gras skewers are to die for. i literally crave them. good crowd, fun scene and yummy food.

Posted by: Sebastian S on 07 Oct ' 09 at 12:49

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I have been to Okku several times at night- it has a great party vibe and excellent- but expensive- food and drink. when a colleague suggested we head there for lunch i was a bit hesitant as it seemed extravagant for a quick lunchtime bite but was happy to see they offer a really good set lunch menu with tons of choice. we ate tons for 80aed each. at night the same meal would have probably cost twice as much if not more! so my tip for people who lvoe the food rather than the scene is to go for lunch rather than dinner. it is also much quieter so good for catching up (at night there is music and much more chatter!) adn having a proper chat; the service is much better too.

Posted by: Monique on 28 Sep ' 09 at 08:52

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I would just like to say there is no place better then OKKU ahhhhh went there last night and for one thing i had too many cocktails... they are just sooo yummy , strongly advise sake kiss ....every time i go there i have an amazing time!!!! great food, great music, great atmosphere.... cant wait to go next time :)

Posted by: Luke on 28 Sep ' 09 at 08:25

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I went to Okku last night (Sunday) and it was a really great vibe. I had dinner in the restaurant which was superb! Hats off to the sushi chefs. Our waiter was very busy but still managed to give us recommendations. After dinner we took drinks at the bar. The bar area was packed (which we didn't expect on a Sunday) but we still had a blast. You should try the Passionate Japanese cocktail.

Posted by: Nadine on 28 Sep ' 09 at 08:18

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I had a wonderful expeirence when i had brought clients from out of town to Okku for lunch. The service was superb and its great value for money. I definately recommend Okku and will be back soon!

Posted by: Alex S on 29 Jun ' 09 at 06:21

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Was invited for dinner last night and went with low expectations of yet another trendy Japanese fusion restaurant in Dubai but was blown away by the excellent food (their signature sushi roll was fantasic as was a skewer with beef rolled around fois gras and the the tuna carpaccio). Not sure why the review says the staff were pushy; they actually suggested we stop ordered when we went on a roll! I was surprised at how busy it was for a Sunday but its apparantly one of their big nights as they have a party there every week. The DJ was amazing too and everyone started dancing in the lounge/bar area which created a great atmosphere. What a find...but beware, parents might find the music too loud- although everyone else loved it!

Posted by: Brett on 14 Jun ' 09 at 00:55

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Fantastic personalised service,decor and the way everything comes together as the vibe hots up.Go there to see and be seen!!

Posted by: Tasha on 18 May ' 09 at 09:06

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

The wagyu beef and foie gras yakitori, Alaskan crab, crispy rice with spicy tuna, tuna tacos and chocolate fondant are particular highlights! The music is fantastic too- well worth popping into the bar for a drink even if you have eaten elsewhere...one of my favourite haunts in Dubai.

Posted by: Saadia on 10 May ' 09 at 12:33

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Julia on 02 Apr ' 09 at 06:43

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I didn't find something new there!!!

We had a dinner there, the tables are so close to each other , you can hear all the conversation form other table.

Food is OK but didn't make big difference if you are comparing whit zuma.

So I am still for Zuma!!

Posted by: Belinda on 30 Mar ' 09 at 05:29

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Best food in town!! Okku beats all japanese restaurants in Dubai. I could have 10 portions of wagyu beef with foie gras and I'll still want more!

Posted by: Rachel on 25 Mar ' 09 at 21:22

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Great atmosphere, food and cocktails - what more do you need?!

Posted by: Marc Fisher on 18 Mar ' 09 at 19:37

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

place is great, atmosphere is fantastic but the service is still way to far from avarage, its very pushy and the food is just to poor.
not reccomended

Posted by: naoise on 18 Mar ' 09 at 18:08

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Posted by: Fawaz H on 12 Mar ' 09 at 11:47

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Great atmosphere, London buzz, great crowd. The sushi is great, and the hot menu spectacular.. and, great value for money.. Highly recommended. I will definately go back there again!!!

Posted by: amir thacker on 12 Mar ' 09 at 02:32

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Posted by: Daoud Assad on 11 Mar ' 09 at 07:47

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I only have one criticism - which is the fact that you are not allowed to smoke there. Other than that - the restaurant is fabulous!

Posted by: mike phelps on 10 Mar ' 09 at 21:18

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

excellent restaurant. Hope it opens in London

Posted by: KHOUDJA YASMINA on 10 Mar ' 09 at 12:13

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Excellent !

Posted by: rayan raad on 10 Mar ' 09 at 10:20

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

finally a great restaurant!

Posted by: Sarah K on 10 Mar ' 09 at 07:28

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

This restaurant has a London style buzz that is often missing from Dubai hotspots. The crowd was very sceney- with lots of eye candy- which made for a very sexy atmosphere. Coupled with the excellent music and delicious (but not cheap) cocktails, this seems like a nightclub/restaurant hybrid, perfect for a big group. Post dinner lots of people were milling around the bar and lounge area which seemed like a nice way to end the night. But the best thing about this place is the food- the sushi, wasabi prawns and beef and fois gras skewers were real highlights. We also thought it worked out much cheaper than Zuma or Nobu which are its most obvious comparisons...

Posted by: Grace on 09 Mar ' 09 at 10:26

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

It's a restaurant that I would definitely recommend to my friends and other people.

Posted by: Kim D on 09 Mar ' 09 at 08:16

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Excellent food, amazing atmosphere and DJ. Best japanese food I've ever eaten. Must try the black cod. Highly recommend eating at Okku.

Posted by: Rania on 05 Mar ' 09 at 08:33

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Nothing else like it in Dubai! From the yummiest food ever to great and very personal service, to amazing music! And on top of it its such a friendly and comfortable atmosphere...you feel like you're at home!
Definitely Dubai's hot spot!

Posted by: Jaafar Shawwa on 05 Mar ' 09 at 08:16

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: lupe puerta on 04 Mar ' 09 at 21:24

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: lupe puerta on 04 Mar ' 09 at 21:15

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Phippsy on 04 Mar ' 09 at 20:31

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: on 04 Mar ' 09 at 16:10

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Ayesha Depala on 04 Mar ' 09 at 12:38

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I absolutely loved this restaurant. Very chic, and the food is exquisite. I highly recommend it. Must try the black cod, the spicy tuna roll and the sweet potato taco. Okku is at the top of my list of favourites

Posted by: Namir F Hourani on 04 Mar ' 09 at 12:22

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Haven't tried the food at Okku yet, but the place is beautiful! Great atmosphere, very stylishly decorated, and ver creatively layed out. The music is also excellent, probably the best I've heard in Dubai.

Well done to the boys at Okku, will definitely be there agian and again!

Posted by: Amine F. on 04 Mar ' 09 at 11:50

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Great Decor, and one of the best japanese in Dubai, easily competes with the best over the world. Zuma byebye... Okku is the newstar of Dubai...

Posted by: Tamara on 04 Mar ' 09 at 11:11

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• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Best Japanese in Dubai

Posted by: TK on 04 Mar ' 09 at 08:51

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

excellent food, great service, very friendly staff. Try the crispy rice tuna!

Posted by: Fransien on 04 Mar ' 09 at 08:48

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Khaldoun Shindi on 04 Mar ' 09 at 08:37

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

These days everyone is being so carefull where He/She spends any Dirham, Okku is one place where you for sure get a great Value for money, a great ambience, and very friendly service..

I did find the place a bit dark, but i think it is part of the Decor.
Please do not miss the Rock Shrimps and the Fois Gras I JUST LOVE IT..
and the cocktails the guys make there are just outsitanding..

Posted by: Amani Qassim on 04 Mar ' 09 at 07:36

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

It is a great place

Posted by: Alex Mirzabeigi on 04 Mar ' 09 at 07:31

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Excellent food, great music, fantastic ambiance. Okku brings to Dubai a flavour of London and New York style.

Posted by: Dania on 04 Mar ' 09 at 07:18

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Great concept and location. Very sophisticated and chic. I will definitely be a regular.

Posted by: LOUKAS MERHI on 04 Mar ' 09 at 06:56

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

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