Rakuen Lounge

The «you have got to be Kidding me!’ factor has me again.
This place was cool, and the guy from NY said it best probably — «The Rent is tooo D@HM high!»
CLOSED!
Now it is re– opened and serves cheeseburger and pupu food.
It appears that places only last 10 to 11 months in this area of Bethel St.
The new placed opened ¹¹⁄₁₅ so on the bright side, I could go to Bethel St. monthly and never go to the same restaurant/​bar twice.
Stay frosty and I’ll see you downtown.

My 2^nd home. LITERALLY.
The place is warm and inviting, and the staff are my favorite people ever. I sometimes go by myself and sit at the bar for some sushi and drinks. Yes, I’ll be that girl… but you know what? I don’t ever feel alone when I’m there. Everyone is friendly and personable. On Wednesdays, there’s DJs spinning a mix of throwbacks, hiphop, & EDM. It also happens to be «the» place to be at in Chinatown. Thursdays, they have live musicians/​singers. Different music on different nights for different crowds. WINNING.
I’ve tried every single sushi roll on the menu… Love them all, but my favorites are Hamachi jalapeño, Mr. Miyagi, & Grand Sumo. OH! Their sashimi sampler is to die for. Something everyone should definitely order. Fresh, thick generous cuts of yumminess! I also love their Uni Nigiri, Tako Mochi Tartar, Chicken Dynamite, Oyster Shooters, Wafu Steak, & (new) Wasabi Popcorn. I could eat here everyday, seriously.
On to the drinks… They know I love my Hennessy Sprite. It’s pretty much automatic when I come in. Sometimes I’ll throw them off and order their Sake Sangria, Blueberry Ginza, or a bottle of Ume Iichiko. They have some new drinks, which I got to sample and really like. Sorry I don’t remember the names of them, but Christine, Miki, & Keani whip up pretty great drinks… can’t go wrong when they’re there.
I recommend this hot spot to every single person I come across that ask «where’s a good place to eat/​drink?» or looking for a place for celebratory outings, get-​togethers, GNO, dates… you name it. LOL. I love it here. My friends always know where to find me. It’s a comfortable, enjoyable place to be. Everyone has a spot they love, well I have Rakuen.

The girlfriends & I dined in for our quarterly GNO & were pretty satisfied with our whole experience…
The wall décor (and red walls/​accents) & menus (Very beautiful & creative) screamed modern Japan to me. The chairs were comfy and the tables were spacious (very important characteristic).
Our waitress was great. She was by every time our water pitcher was getting low & beat us to pouring water into our cups when we were engaged in laughter over random topics throughout the night. She also was very helpful in terms of explaining dishes on the menu & how to drink sake for the first timers.
The hamachi jalapeño & Gojira roll… Delicious! The rice to filling ratio was just right for me. Not too much rice (a second on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. Did I use this correctly?! Lol). Anyway a roll was pretty filling while we shared appetizers such as the chicken Karaage, spicy garlic soybeans, & crispy furikake fries.

Not the 1^st choice for a sushi dinner last nite (every place we wanted to go last nite was sold out). Although it’s not bad at all. Definitely enjoyed their Miso Butterfish; Service is okay too.
This is a very short review coz I don’t see anything good or bad to say about this place. Not sure if we’ll go back though.

I usually eat at JJ Dolan’s right next door, but because we had a large party and JJ Dolan’s was filled to capacity – we ended up at Rakuen. I’ve always wanted to try this place, because I’ve walked by it so many times on my China town adventures. It always looks so swanky and cool, with bar seating and tables.
I ordered two of the Mr. Miyagi rolls. Yes, two. Spicy ahi with avocado and crab inside. So delicious and the fish tasted really fresh. Also got to sample the poke, fries, and dynamite chicken which were all awesome!
Service was good and attentive. I would definitely love to come back and try out more things on the menu.

OhhhlaaaaLaaahhh! I’m going home carrying my huge full belly full of food it’s so good here. I never thought downtown had such a good sushi place. The AHI TATAKI was so absolutely delicious that I didn’t want to share with my husband!
I came here with headache so the bartender made a special non-​alcoholic drink. She didn’t even know the name of it but it’s a lychee fizzy drink… I call it «THE BAR TENDER’s SPECIAL»
Now I know where to go when I crave sushi.

Been a few times to meet up with friends or coworkers, mostly for drinks. Food is alright, not authentic sushi but doable. I haven’t tried everything on the menu though so maybe the next time will be better. Full bar, and you can check out what specials are on for the evening.
It’s a decent spot, convenient for me since it’s in downtown and close to other popular bars or restaurants to check out within just a few blocks.
There are a bunch of tall tables with stools on the sides, and in the back there is a cool larger square table that fits a larger group — this table isn’t the easiest to get but is the most ideal if there’s more than 5 of you. Think I’ve seen tall beer dispenser things at other tables before but I’ve never tried them before. I imagine that’s cost efficient but not sure what kind of beer it is, on tap or not.
It has a pau hana vibe, whether professional or after a school study session. Chill casual vibe, welcoming and staff are friendly and keep the drinks flowing.

Last time I was here was with boss-​lady, getting some training on photo editing apps. It was during pau hana, and the establishment was relatively empty. I just had a glass of water, while my buddy helped herself to some of their sushi. I didn’t try any myself, but I remember it being a pretty long roll.
Prior to that, most of my experiences with Rakuen have been meeting up with people during First Friday and doing a few circuits inside, while fruitlessly trying to find a place to sit or stand. During First Friday, this place is always packed. The music is good, but be prepared to feel like a sardine.
The interior is very hip and trendy, like most other Chinatown establishments. Rakuen has the benefit of being right across from Mark’s Garage, so parking shouldn’t be an issue.

This is a nice spot to relax at in downtown after work. The food here is good but not great. It did exceed my expectations for sushi rolls though. Not a big fan of rolls but they had some tasty rolls. The bartenders here were very good in refilling water while paying close attention to when our drinks were getting low before they politely asked if we wanted another round. It’s busy but not too crowded on the weekdays which is nice but it does get very busy on Friday and First Friday’s. If you work in or live in downtown then it’s not too far of a walk from most office buildings or residential buildings. Parking isn’t too bad because there are a few garages and street parking to choose from.

Rock n’ ROLL.
Though the visit was short, it made a deep impression. This was the 3^rd stop on an impromptu food/​bar progression in Downtown. Rod U and I debated whether or not to call it a night, but the live music and energetic crowd drew us inside. People were gathered around the bar and at the surrounding tables, but thankfully we found an empty table in the back.
SETTING: The bar is at the center of it all, with sushi station located in a corner, and multiple tables set up against the walls. An area in the front was occupied by the live musicians that night.
We shared the furikake french fries and the tako mochi tar tar. The french fries were served hot and crispy, and the sprinkle (s) of furikake was not overpowering. Subtle hints of furikake blended well with the fries. The tako mochi tar tar was a generous portion and we found it deliciously satisfying. I would definitely order both items on a future visit.
SERVICE: Welcoming and prompt in the beginning, but not as attentive later in the evening as the crowds grew. The food was brought out in a timely manner, and the water glasses never emptied.
BOTTOM LINE: A wonderful find in Downtown. I hope to be back soon!

This is a nice casual bar with Japanese influenced dishes and contemporary sushi rolls, plus sashimi and nigiri. The sushi isn’t serious stuff but it is tasty and colorful. I find Rakuen to be a preferred first or last stop on a downtown pub crawl. A good and filling place.
I’m always drawn to the Grand Sumo Roll. Spicy tuna, maguro, cucumber, garnished with white onion, green onion, goo, and sesame seed, then finished with a kukui nut pesto. Lots of flavors. Too many flavors, actually. But it satisfies and works well with beer.
Speaking of beer, it isn’t everywhere you can indulge in a 100oz beer tower. And when it is Blue Moon on tap, I can almost pass on the Grey Goose shots and just stick to beer and sushi rolls. There is a good hard liquor selection but I find the best value is the beer. 100 oz beer tower. Somewhere along the way those handmade hanafuda card inspired pieces all along the red walls start to look really interesting.
I always find the servers courteous and helpful, although it can be hard to get their attention if the place is even half full. Definitely a fun place when there is live music going.

The husband loves to come here for a quick drink now. Usually not overly crowded like the other Chinatown businesses and just fun enough to enjoy your drink.
Great sushi menu, although a bit on the pricey side
They have a decent variety of drinks. Happy Hour specials and typically good hours.

I have yet to eat here, but been coming here off and on as a pau hana spot for quick drinks and conversation.
It’s never too crowded or uncomfortable and the service is very nice and attentive. You won’t feel unwelcomed or out of place just wandering in and sitting at the large bar.
They have a decent sake selection (don’t be shy in asking the bar tenders for suggestions!) and some light weight TV action to watch sports, music videos or whatever they feel like playing.
Definitely a easy choice for a drink and friendly conversations.

Really 3.5 stars.
I came here for drinks and dinner with a friend, pretty early on a Saturday night; we made it in time for the end of happy hour. Through the night, I had a lychee martini ($ 3), calpico sangria ($ 8), ahi salad ($ 14) and Miyagi roll ($ 15). The lychee martini was OK, I probably wouldn’t order again. The sangria was delicious, but order this only if you are into sweet drinks. I loved the ahi salad, and I was genuinely surprised at the size when it first arrived. It made me rethink if it was a good idea to order the roll. Flavor wise, both the ahi and the dressing were awesome. This I would definitely get again. The Miyagi roll was pretty good as well, but I thought it was a bit pricey. My friend also got the dragon roll ($ 15), and unfortunately, that roll was overloaded with rice.
Service was excellent here. The bartender was really sweet and checked on us pretty often.
Overall, it’s a nice place with good /​reasonably priced drinks (my friend enjoyed hers). I probably wouldn’t opt to eat dinner here again because it is on the pricier end, but I appreciate that the option is there. Will be back again!

And I thought this place was simply a bar and/​or lounge! I’ve been here time and again and NEVER NOTICED the little sushi counter toward the rear of the lounge. SHAME ON ME!
Happy hour from 3:30 –7– drink specials price out at $ 3 for a crafted cocktail or certain named beers. Happy hour pupus price out at $ 3 also. My happy hour favorite is the fish and chips which includes 3 pieces of deep fried fish and it sits on a bowl of french fries. Sushi rolls galore! cali rolls, spider rolls, veggie rolls, and the list goes on and the prices go from $ 3 per roll and upwards… Not bad pricing for Happy Hour.
The trick is to get there around 5:30 when street parking becomes readily available. On a couple occasions, I was lucky enough to park directly in the front of their entrance! And parking is free after 5:30
Chinatown/​Downtown has come a long ways over the past few years. It’s turned into an «artsy» area with many new eateries and boutiques that line up along the street and next to Rakuen. A definite must stop if you enjoy sushi and beer
NOTE– correction to HH Hours

Great place to unwind after work. Sushi in Chinatown is nonexistent except for Rakuen. Come in on Wednesday nights and there is live djs. Great place to entertain your friends.
Besides sushi, Rakuen had other awesome items on the menu like dynamite chicken, smoked pork, tako mochi and so on. The food is worth fighting the crazies for you to come into Chinatown.
Food is great, service is great and the vibe of the restaurant is awesome!

We will we will rock you! Yup and that’s exactly what happened. So I never go downtown at night, heck even in the day if I can avoid it. I am too freaked out by the sketchy people and shady folks. I know I miss out on a ton of great places that I see people go to.
Well, a friend who works downtown wanted me to come downtown and try this place. I couldn’t tell her no because I was a scaredy cat. So with the consultation of some friends, I mapped my route and parking so I could plan where to park as close as possible to lessen my chances of being attacked! :P
There’s a municipal parking lot which I am sure is way cheaper but further than I would have liked to have walked. I chose Mark’s Garage sine its right across this place ($ 8 flat rate– a little steep but worth feeling safe!)
I went to happy hour (3−7pm daily, except closed Sundays and Mondays). They have drink specials and have sushi happy hour specials which change daily.
— note the board was too far, so I recommend take a photo and then take it back to your table and you and your friends can decide.
We got the spicy ahi roll which was a special but not on the menu. Nothing special but still a good choice.
The sushi roll on special for today was the hamachi jalapeño which was a California roll with hamachi, jalapeño, yuzu-​pepper and ponzu. This one had a very interesting flavor. The yuzu went really well with the hamachi.

Now my favorite choice we had was the grand sumo roll which had Spicy tuna, cucumber, maguro, Ewa sweet onion, Kahuku ogo, Kukui pesto, green onion and sesame seeds. This was definitely a good choice. Everything blended so well together.
They have various beers and drink specials. I tried the sake cruz lychee sake martini. It was very sweet, a little too sweet actually and you couldn’t taste the alcohol.
No wine specials, but $ 7 for a glass of Cabarnet that was pretty good.
The place is a bit loud to have a conversation, lucky for me I talk loud :)
We went on a Wednesday so there was a DJ there too. Its also a bit small and not a lot of tables so we got lucky since we went early.
This is a great hidden gemstone for drinks and sushi. Great place for my first downtown nightlife experience!

Hold on a hot minute! I haven’t written a review for RaKuen? Shame on me.
When school got the best of me, or when I wanted to sit and enjoy a nice cold beer I would go to RaKuen. They have good happy hour and AWESOME sushi. Now, I don’t remember any of the names of the sushi but just thinking about it makes my mouth water. But, for another couple of months I won’t be able to enjoy either beer or sushi. but … I could always go there for the awesome edamame.
I enjoy the décor very much too, and the people working there are always awesome. I have always felt welcome when I sit down (most of the times by the bar).
It’s a good place any time of day, whether you want to eat, drink or just relax. Go here. a plus is that it is close to HPU yet I don’t ever see that many students in here … score!

Taking a break from work, a friend and I stopped in here for lunch one weekday. RaKuen is a bar/​lounge, rather than a restaurant so I shouldn’t have been surprised that they didn’t serve hot beverages, well, not hot coffee or tea. But I’m sure if you wanted hot sake, they would accommodate. The restaurant is artfully decorated in blacks and reds with a minimalist look adding to the lounge-​type atmosphere. They only have hightops and bar-​stools with backs. Or you could sit at the sushi bar and watch the sushi chef. The food was fresh, creatively presented and very good. My only complaint was that the salad had too much dressing and overpowered the delicate greens. Next time I’ll ask for half the dressing and I’m sure it will be fine. Entrees are pricy for the average downtown office worker, but portions are large so I feel the value is good for the money spent.
I’ll definitely be back for happy hour and next time, will be sure to have sake with my sushi!

If I were to just take Rakuen at face value, it would probably get just three stars from me. The sushi and drinks are pretty good but do not necessarily justify the high price tags. However, taking into account my particular experience there, it definitely deserves four stars from me.
Came here for dinner last week because my friend got the Groupon ($ 19 for two people – one shared appetizer, one shared sushi roll, and one specialty drink each). I tried their Dancing Super-​Fruit, which was light and just the right touch of sweet. My friend got their Chiso Jito, which was just like a mojito. The two drinks were alright but nothing out of the ordinary. For that, you might want to try some of their more adventurous drinks, such as the Rakuen Red Eye or Wasabi Seppuku.
We chose the Poketini for our appetizer. The poke didn’t have the red color that screams, «fresh!» but was tasty nonetheless. For rolls, we got the Hamachi Jalapeño with our Groupon and the Grand Sumo and Kabuki Salmon additionally because one sushi roll does not a dinner for two make. The Hamachi Jalapeño and Grand Sumo were awesome but the Kabuki Salmon paled in comparison.
We were really lucky because we had a fantastic waitress. She had a great personality, was attentive, and took the initiative to politely hassle the chefs to make sure we didn’t have to wait long for our food. We also happened to go during happy hour (4−7pm Tuesdays – Saturdays) so sushi rolls were $ 3 off and there were $ 3 beers (if you are a beer drinker).