Ko-Doraku

I love the new digs on Breton Street (or where I found the entrance), nice open area, quiet, oh my I love that.
Their deals are great, food tasty, tho my rolls seemed rushed, not visual appealing (but again I stress, it is very tasty). good portions to cost, quick lunch, great value.

I feel as though I never truly tasted sushi until I started coming here at the recommendation of my corworkers.
They’re really reasonably priced, have a great, low-​key location that’s beautifully decorated, delicious food, and lovely staff.

I tried this place almost a dozen times now for their sushi and I’m yet to be disappointed. This is the best sushi I’ve tried yet in the HRM hands down.

i tried the sushi here because of the reviews I read. I had sweet potato tempura and veggie roll. The lunch specials didn’t appease me so I ordered one of each. It was good but the roll was a bit loose. Prefer Wasabi house over these guys but may try them again.

Heads up! They’ve moved! I don’t know how long ago they moved… it’s been quite a while since I’ve been there. They’re no longer the first place you see when you hit the bottom of the stairs. In fact, I was meeting friends there and when I went down to the bottom floor I turned around and I had to text my friends to ask where they were. Just hang a right and keep walking… you’ll eventually make it there.
On that note, the new location is much better! It’s actually a place all to itself now with cute decorations and lots of space to sit. The food still tastes the same and everything is very tasty and fast. Also, some of the rolls are huge!
Still not a fan of this place being cash only. Who actually carries around cash nowadays anyways? But that’s really the only drawback.

Just the best maki-​sushi in HRM. Wow.
What a hidden gem. The specials are excellent. The price is moderate. The quality is the highest. I go to different Japanese restaurants for different items depending on what I’m craving and I go here when I’m craving sushi rolls.
To me, there are 2 things that distinguish good from amazing sushi rolls.
1) The rice and,
2) The rice
We could talk about fish quality all day, but to me, great maki sushi is all about achieving perfectly seasoned, temperature controlled, expertly steamed rice and the chef at Ko-​Doraku takes so much pride and care with rice preparation that the bags of rice are even featured as part of the restaurant’s décor. As the Japanese government forbids rice exportation, expat Japanese chefs must have a hard time deciding on which (Californian) rice to use in place of their beloved Japanese grain. The chef at Ko-​Doraku has found some magic formula to creating the best sushi rice in Halifax.
Ko-​Doraku does rice perfectly. If you think that’s a silly thing to base a sushi review on, because «well, isn’t all rice the same» then head over to Ko-​Doraku (go early because they often sell out of stock early), order your favourite rolls and eat them right away when they are served. Notice the warmish temperature of the rice and how it affects the fragrance of the rice seasoning. Notice how the sweetness is lifted by the rice’s temperature (if you don’t believe me, save one piece and take it home to eat from the fridge later to note the differences). Notice how the individual grains lightly stick together that seem to melt away from each other when you have a bite in your mouth. If you order a traditional roll containing just fish (plus possibly sauce), notice how the rice seasoning compliments the fish differently when it is served warm. The subtleties of the maki coming out of Ko-Doraku’s kitchen may go unnoticed by some sushi goers, but for those who are on a quest for the divine sushi experience, Ko-​Doraku should be a mandatory stop over.
I’ve had a few blissful moments in my life, and experiencing Ko-​Doraku makisushi for the first time had me in a state of awe, pleased at life.

Absolutely prime if you want some delicious sushi and you want it quickly. Walked in, ordered my combo (salad and two rolls– yoga roll and sweet potato) for 9 bucks. I had a plate with two ginormous rolls, warm and fresh in my hands in less then two minutes! Thank god I found a place I don’t have to order ahead. The girl at the counter was so friendly and sweet, this place was so worth the hunt! New go-​to! Mmmm yummmm

Cheap for sushi, decent quality and quantity. A little heavy on the rice to fish ratio.

If you want cheap delicious sushi come here! For $ 20 you get at least 3 rolls, highly recommend the Ko-​doraku roll, huge, but delicious!

Thank goodness for Unilocal or I wouldn’t have ever found this place. Even then it took a bit to figure out where it was. In the basement of the Mills Mall on Spring Garden Road. Quick, affordable sushi in an unlikely location.
I had a combo with a cucumber/​avocado roll, a sweet potato tempura roll and a piece of nigiri. The sushi was rather large (had to eat some with my hands straight up) and the rice was slightly overdone but all in all for $ 9 it was pretty great.
My main quibble however has to do with how much waste is involved in their operation. The plates the sushi come on are Styrofoam. The salad comes in a plastic container and the dressing is also in a little plastic container inside the salad container. Just too much waste. I would like to go back to get some sushi sometime but the waste involved is excessive. They have what looks like a good amount of space as well so reusable plates and bowls should be an option for dine in methinks.
Might have to come back with my own container sometime.

This was a good find and one of the reasons that Unilocal and sharing information via internet is such a great improvement to our lives. I would have never have found this place on my own.
I had the famous Yoga roll (pretty good), a barbequed eel roll and a salmon roll. Very nice. Same quality as Sushi Nami Royale for half the price.
The catch? Well– not much of a catch, really– but it was hard to find– tucked in the basement of a non-​descript office building/​small mall. Oh– and it’s cash or debit only.
Still– I don’t give 5 stars readily and this place deserved all of ‘em today.

Ko-​Doraku is not the best sushi in Halifax. However, it is the best quick and affordable sushi I have found so far.
To give you an idea, in the last 3 weeks I have gone here 7 times (I know because I have a lunch card that I can’t wait to redeem when I get to 10!)
I usually get vegi sushi because I don’t eat fish and have not had a roll I haven’t liked.
The average price with a drink comes to about 7 or 8 bucks, and really where else can you get a consistent good lunch for 8 bucks… if you know please tell me because I can’t eat sushi EVERY day!
One more thing. If you are paying with debit bring a few bucks in change for a tip because they don’t have an option on the machine :)

Best sushi in town! Affordable, delicious, quick and fresh. The sushi is all rolled to order in an open kitchen, which is always a reassuring sign in the restaurant industry. I am a vegetarian, so I’ve only tried their wonderful veggie sushi, but everything I’ve tried has been absolutely top-​notch. The sushi is a great price, and they even have stamp cards so your 10^th meal is free. I also enjoy that they have free water with lemon and ice next to the counter, which is unusual in a food court. As far as food courts go, the environment at Spring Garden Place is fairly comfortable and on the quieter side, compared to other malls. Highly recommend!

SUPER stoked I FINALLY made it here during its very limited business hours!!! I’ve been reading about this place for over a year and a half but was never able to bask in its sushi glory because they are open for 4 hours a day — and for that reason I am docking a star (and no miso soup with combos).
Unilocalers have got it on point! Rice, always warm. Fish, nice fresh cut. Spicy sauce, spicy. Price, very reasonable. I ordered the Ko-​doraku combo (daily special that day which was a big roll with spicy sauce, shrimp tempura, cucumbers, and celery!!) along with a piece of tuna sushi and salmon sushi. Came up to just under $ 15 and it filled me right to the top. Looking forward to going back to Halifax for this takeout gem!!!
Worth the walk down the stairs (don’t be lazy, guys!) and allllll this time waiting for my shot at KDRK!

Ko-​Doraku! I discovered you quite by accident. I came for the Indian, but instead chose your delicious and cheap veggie rolls.
Service is super-​fast and friendly. Food was filling. The only bad thing is that knowing this exists means that sushi is no longer a night out for dinner affair. I can have it once a week! This is bad for my wallet and for my comparatively sad-​looking leftover pasta from home.

My favorite sushi in Hfx.

Two sushi gluttons were on the prowl tonight.
I still have some trouble typing as I recover from my food coma. What were we thinking ordering over $ 50 worth of sushi? And no, that’s NOT normal for two people. It might be normal for three (hence the food coma)
Everything was excellent.
I highly recommend the Sashimi Salad. I love the mango and avocado and the oil that binds it all together — is it possible that they are using olive oil? maybe not, but it tasted GOOD.
Gomae, Ebi sunomono, salmon nigiri, unagi, hot love roll (yeah baby!), prawn tempura (bit too much batter for us, but hey — it’s tempura what did we expect?), tuna tataki … and a bottle of sake
that was enough to require a crane to transport us out of the restaurant. And between us — shhhh!!! — I’d do it again. It was amazing. Beautifully presented, creative use of raw beets, mango, cilantro — not the usual sushi garnish — refreshing change from plastic lawn decoration on my rolls.
Arigato Sushi Nami!

I love coming here for lunch and have filled up many a yellow card with stamps.
My personal favourite is the rainbow roll which is filled with creamy avocado, silky salmon and tasty tuna. You get 6 yummy pieces for $ 7, and, embellished with soya sauce, wasabi and a piece of pickled ginger, each slice of this roll is a taster’s heaven. The service is fast and friendly too. I really like having sushi which is freshly made, just like they do here. I will be back!

I love Ko-​Doraku. Every time I am in the Spring Garden Place at lunch time, I try making a pit stop here on the lower level.
The sushi is always very fresh tasting. The rice is always warm and the spicy sauce is in fact spicy.
Complementary ice water is also provided, just in case you can’t take the heat.
There are usually two daily specials in addition to an entire board of combo options.
The only drawback that I can think of is that they are cash only.
My personal recommendation is to try the spicy salmon or spicy tuna rolls.

This cheap lower food-​court sushi outlet in Spring Garden Place (the place with the Roots on the corner) otherwise known as ‘Basement Sushi’ is the best sushi deal in town.
Why?
Halifax is expensive whether you live there or are visiting. Ko-​Doraku can satisfy your cheapo lunch-​time hunger for only $ 4 with a delicious sweet potato tempura roll, freshly made and loaded with rice. They have great combos for $ 6 – 8 and daily specials. Try the Zen combo — 8 pieces of avocado-​cucumber roll, 2 inari rolls, and a side salad. Bonus: they have a huge tank of filtered water on the counter so don’t forget your bottle for a free fill up.
There’s an atrium area with skylights, a tv tuned to CNN and nice couches to lounge and eat. Prime for meeting a friend for a quick, cheap, and healthy mid-​day bite.
Closes at 4pm and not open Sunday. They cater as well and are prone to randomly closing if they are doing a big event. They are the sister restaurant of Doraku on Dresden Row selling basically the same food for much, much less.