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| - During my tenure in Charlotte, I only visited O-Ku once, but I have to say out of the limited choices for sushi restaurants in the Uptown area, it's probably your best bet.
The ambience here is definitely on the upbeat and trendy side - even on a Tuesday evening it was pretty bumpin'. I was probably here for like 4 hours or something and never did I feel like the place was getting too quiet or anything like that. I would recommend making a reservation since it seems like the place gets pretty crowded... actually, it could have been Restaurant Week, which would explain why it was so busy... but my memory fails me. The decor is modern - place is dimly lit but not so dark that you can't see your food or your company. Service was pretty good, if I recall correctly.
As for the food - we got an assortment of several different things ranging from spicy edamame, some appetizers, to an assortment of their finer sushi. The spiced chili edamame was a good concept, but the sauce was a bit strange and I think I prefer the normal salted kind. The yellowtail carpaccio was nicely marinated - I always enjoy a crudo/fish carpaccio as an appetizer. We also had the five-spiced pork belly - this left a bit to be desired as well. I prefer my pork belly melt-in-your-mouth style and this was on the chewier side. We also tried one of their rolls as well as their sashimi - the fish is pretty decent, but it's by no means top grade sushi. However, it's good enough to satisfy any sushi craving.
In short, probably your best option for sushi in Uptown Charlotte, nice service, and excellent ambience/atmosphere/vibe.
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