A First Dinner at Double Knot Delray, From Sushi to Robatayaki

Double Knot opened June 18, 2026, at 22 W Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach’s Sundy Village. Created by Michael Schulson as a Japanese izakaya, the restaurant combines sushi and sashimi with robatayaki and shareable plates—a range that makes ordering strategy especially useful for a first visit.

Chef and culinary director Leo Forneas leads the Delray Beach kitchen after working with Schulson for 20 years. The menu is divided into cold dishes, small plates, robatayaki, crispy dishes, meat, fish, sides, specialty sashimi, sushi and sashimi, and rolls and handrolls.

Begin with sushi, sashimi or a cold dish

Starting on the raw side of the menu provides a clear entry point before moving into cooked plates and grilled selections. Diners can choose from specialty sashimi, individual sushi and sashimi, or rolls and handrolls.

One restaurant-specific option is the Double Knot Big Eye Tuna roll. It combines shrimp tempura wrapped in soybean paper with big eye tuna and avocado purée. Because the menu separates its raw and roll selections into several sections, a table can either stay focused on sashimi or mix individual pieces with a composed roll.

Add one or two shareable plates

The small-plates section shifts dinner toward richer, more substantial preparations. Choices include cheesesteak bao, duck scrapple bao, wagyu soup dumplings, pork gyoza and Japanese fried chicken.

For two diners, selecting one bao or dumpling dish alongside another small plate creates a bridge between sushi and the robata grill. A small group can use this section more broadly, comparing several preparations before choosing grilled vegetables, seafood or meat.

The menu’s separate crispy-dish category offers another route, though diners who already order Japanese fried chicken may prefer to move directly from small plates to robatayaki.

Make robatayaki the center of dinner

Double Knot’s robatayaki selection covers vegetables, chicken, pork belly, octopus, scallops, short rib and Kobe beef. That variety lets a table build the grilled portion of the meal across multiple categories rather than relying on one large main course.

A balanced order could pair a vegetable with chicken, pork belly or short rib, then add octopus or scallops from the seafood choices. Diners who begin with several sushi selections can keep the grilled portion concise. Those who order less from the raw menu can make robatayaki the largest part of dinner and add dishes from the restaurant’s meat, fish or sides sections.

Use the Chef’s Select menu for a guided first visit

Anyone who would rather avoid navigating every section can choose the Chef’s Select menu. It includes 10 selections and soft serve for $78 per person, providing a structured way to experience the restaurant’s range.

That option is particularly practical for a first dinner when the goal is variety rather than choosing one lane from the menu. Ordering à la carte makes more sense for diners who already know they want to emphasize sushi, sashimi or robatayaki.

Choose among the dining room, bar and sushi counter

Double Knot’s Delray Beach location includes a main dining room, a 15-seat bar and lounge, and a sushi bar with nine counter seats plus 12 table seats. Those formats give diners several ways to approach the same menu, from a bar visit to a meal centered on the sushi area.

Daily happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m., with food selections priced at $9 or less. It offers another practical introduction for diners who want to sample a smaller portion of the menu before committing to a longer dinner.

For a first full meal, begin with sushi, sashimi or a cold dish; add a focused round of bao, dumplings or Japanese fried chicken; and finish the savory progression with two or more robatayaki selections. Choose the $78 Chef’s Select menu when breadth matters more than controlling each course, or visit between 4 and 6 p.m. for the daily happy-hour format.