Okura Robata Grill & Sushi Bar
Sophisticated, High-Energy Japanese Restaurant

Greeting you from the exciting dining room at Okura are Executive Chef Kaoru Ishii, Owner Jay Lee, La Quinta General Manager Tim Fry, and Palm Springs General Manager Carl Dela Cruz.

Okura in Japanese is a place where the most valued treasures are stored — art, gems, and fine wines. The desert’s trendiest Japanese restaurant, Okura Robata Grill & Sushi Bar, is sure to be a place where you will find many treasured dining experiences. Okura is located at Point Happy in La Quinta and at Tahquitz and Palm Canyon in Palm Springs.

The contemporary Okura offers a fusion of Euro-Japanese cuisines. Executive Chef Kaoru Ishii, recognized as a master sushi chef and accomplished fusion chef, has prepared a menu of dishes with a Japanese soul utilizing European techniques as well as the ancient robata cooking method. Robata uses Bincho Tan, a handmade charcoal from the Japanese seaside village of Wakayama that produces 1,200-degree heat without smoke. Fisherman filet and skewer their fresh catch cooking them over the coals. Fusion dishes change seasonally, capturing the essence of Okura’s contemporary cuisine. From prix fixe, multi-course tasting menus, appetizers, and entrées to sushi and robata, the choices are endless.

Brother and sister owners, Jay Lee and Edward Shin, opened Okura with keen insight that the desert was ready for a sophisticated Japanese restaurant with a high-energy atmosphere. Okura is beautifully appointed with a mixture of textures and elements: stone, onyx, slate, wood, copper, bamboo, rice paper, and a wall of red fabric woven through bamboo poles. Dining areas are artistically separated by design elements. From the open robata and sushi bar to more intimate dining rooms, each has a gracious, calm feeling underscored by soft lighting and candles.

Guests are greeted with Irashaimase! (“Welcome” in Japanese) shouted by the host and echoed by chefs and servers as they are led to their seats. Select a wide variety of beef, poultry, seafood, and vegetables from refrigerated cases to be prepared to order by Kaoru and his team of robata and sushi chefs.

From an illuminated onyx bar, guests are served liquors, a robust selection of Japanese beers, hot and cold sakes, and an ample choice of California and European wines.

Open for lunch from Monday to Saturday. Happy hour and dinner daily. Reservations suggested.

SHOWN ABOVE: A stunning array of sushi created by Executive Chef Kaoru Ishii that includes Tuna and Cucumber Rolls, Tuna and Salmon Avocado Roll, Saiku Sushi, Egg Omelet, Tuna, Halibut, Sea Urchin, Shrimp, Squid, Salmon Sushi, Salmon Caviar, and Wasabi. Shown with a festive Geisha Girl Martini and overlooking the popular sushi bar.

“Okura joins ancient Japanese robata and sushi methods with contemporary fusion cuisine in a high-energy setting.”

MENU HIGHLIGHTS

APPETIZERS
Yellow Tail (Hamachi) Carpaccio
Pan-Seared Tuna
Dynamite Rock Shrimp

ENTRÉES
Pan-Roasted Atlantic Salmon
Chilean Sea Bass
Bento Box (Choice of Beef, Chicken, or Seafood)

DESSERTS
Panna Cotta Vanilla Bean Custard with Green Tea Foam
Chocolate Soufflé
Tempura Ice Cream
Crème Brûlée Trio

BEST OF THE CELLAR

RED WINES
St. Supery, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon
Clos du Bois, Alexander Valley, Reserve Merlot

WHITE WINES
Stag’s Leap, Napa Valley, Chardonnay
Kim Crawford, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc

SAKE
Momokawa Diamond
Suigei, Tokubetsu Junmai
Taisetsu, Junmai Ginjyo
Hakaisan, Junmai Ginjyo

JAPANESE BEER
Sapporo
Asahi
Kirin

OKURA ROBATA GRILL & SUSHI BAR

• POINT HAPPY PLAZA, 78-370 HIGHWAY 111
LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA 92253
(760) 564-5820
More Information - Websites, Maps and Directions

• TAHQUITZ & PALM CANYON, 105 S. PALM CANYON
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA 92262
(760) 327-1333
More Information - Websites, Maps and Directions

BY PAMELA BIERI
PHOTOGRAPHY: ARTHUR COLEMAN / ASSISTANT: TIM CARTER
FOOD STYLIST: ROLAND BIERI