Daniel B.
Yelp
Hoki Japanese Restaurant opened in April 2012 and took the place of Tomo, which moved to Buckhead. The restaurant is located in the Kroger shopping center at the corner of Cobb Parkway and Paces Mill Rd. Hoki is very similar to what Tomo used to be, both in its menu and its design. At first glance, it doesn't look like anything has changed and for the most part, it hasn't. Just a new name and a new owner/chef. It's still a decent spot to get authentic Japanese cuisine near Vinings.
The restaurant isn't very big, but it doesn't need to be. The look is clean, simple, and modern. An L-shaped sushi bar is located in the back with small tables in the middle surrounded by cushioned wall seating. The space is naturally well lit from the outside.
I was an occasional lunch customer at Tomo and probably will be for Hoki. The lunch menu consists of appetizers such as edamame (steamed soybeans), gyoza (steamed dumplings), and seaweed salad, bento boxes with various teriyaki and tempura meats, sushi (rolls, nigiri, and sashimi), and noodles such as udon, soba, and ramen.
Apps run up to $6 each, bento boxes up to $12, sushi entrees up to $17, rolls generally up to $10, and all noodles are $9 each. Sushi-wise, there are over two dozen types of sushi to choose from including chutoro (medium fatty tuna), kampachi (Almaco jack), uni (sea urchin), and toro (super fatty tuna). Two pieces of nigiri (fish over rice) or sashimi (slice of fish only) mostly run about $7-8 per order with the more expensive pieces at $10+. It's a nice little Japanese menu for lunch.
One welcome touch Hoki adds which exceeds that of most other Atlanta Japanese restaurants is in its plating. The presentation is quite elegant. Check out some of my photos to see what I'm talking about. Flawless white china, glass plates with interweaving design, etc. It adds to the dining experience.
The sushi I've had is fresh and delicious. I recommend the scallop and toro (either toro). One type of sushi that is available, but not on the menu is the spicy scallop. Instead of a slice of scallop meat over rice (nigiri-style), the spicy scallop is chopped and mixed with a spicy sauce, then placed over rice and wrapped in dried seaweed. It's very good if you like sushi with spicy sauce -- not overly saucy, though. Also, even the "cheaper" fish, like salmon and tuna, look incredibly rich and smooth.
The bento boxes are a popular choice because they're both a good value and offer a fine variety of food: miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, shumai (pork dumplings), bowl of white rice, California roll, teriyaki and/or tempura, and more.
I have tried the miso ramen and it comes in a somewhat deceivingly small bowl. The miso ramen doesn't come with any meat except for shrimp tempura and imitation crab. Other ingredients include half a boiled egg, seaweed, chopped scallions, and a side of yellow pickled daikon radish. The ramen noodles themselves are yellow and actually resemble Top Ramen noodles (not to be insulting, but they do). Generally, the miso ramen is OK, not bad at all, but I can think of better places in metro Atlanta to get ramen: Umaido, Yakitori Jinbei, and Raku.
The entire staff and the sushi chefs provide impeccable service. They are friendly, polite, and attentive.