Akatsuki

Coming in from a dark and rainy night and coming to this place is like going back into sunlight. Everything is nicely bright and it is so saturated in decor that you don’t know where to look. But that’s a good thing! It brings you to another, much cozier place. The food was flavorful, fresh and the appropriate temperature per dish. The matcha was nicely sweet, plus beautiful with the layers. The server always had a smile. 10/10 would suggest! Just a warning it can get busy, but it’s for good reason.

The hype is real. The ramen broth was intensely flavorful and delicious. My son enjoyed his teriyaki and the sushi was decent. However to me the sushi isn’t the focus. I think the ramen was amazing and rivals some of the other premium noodle bars. All of this for reasonable prices and friendly service. The decor was fun and playful too…a really nice add to the dining scene around New Haven.

We visited Akatsuki tonight with my family and my sister’s family, and we ended up trying a wide range of dishes — everything was excellent. We started with the pork buns, gyoza, scallion pancakes, cucumber salad, spring rolls (the dipping sauce was the best I’ve ever had with a spring roll), and the Akatsuki sampler which included tokoyaki, kimchi radish, tako fry, and a few other items. Every appetizer was flavorful and well-prepared. The yakitori platter was another standout, with zucchini, gyu beef, sausage, butabura, and momo chicken all cooked perfectly. For entrées, we had the curry chicken katsu, spicy miso ramen, tonkotsu ramen, and gomoku ramen. Each bowl had rich, balanced flavors and was incredibly satisfying. The staff was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was cozy with fun anime-themed décor — plenty to look at while you enjoy your meal. If you’re in the mood for great ramen and dishes packed with flavor, Akatsuki is absolutely worth a visit. Highly recommend!

I always drove past this place but decided to stop in today and it was the best decision ever! The food was insanely good. I got the crepe cake for dessert and wanted to order another one 😩 I got 2 cold appetizers, ramen, and dessert for $28. This is my new favorite place

I just moved to the area from out of state two days ago, and I've already eaten here twice. It's that good! The spicy miso ramen is the best I've ever had, and I highly recommend making it a combo with the pork bun and bubble tea! Omg. So good. The gyoza is also amazing! I love the ambiance of Akatsuki, as well - it's simultaneously fun and cozy! The service is top-notch! I will absolutely be a regular here.

To my surprise, my.family and I have found probably the BEST Ramen spot in CT. We've had several of their appetizers. My favorite are the Fried Oysters but several are quite delicious. Not only are their items economically sound, they treat you like royalty. Ramen Soup is flavorful and prepared with loads of love. The presentation of their items speaks for themselves. GREAT job! Pictures do no justice. You MUST try for yourselves. Would give them 10 outta 10 if I could.

Incredibly delicious Japanese food that hit the spot. We also had the salmon and avocado sushi which was fresh and yummy. We are excited to come back and try more items!

Excellent Tonkotsu ramen, especially the broth and the pork which was really flavorful. We visited Akatsuki because we were going to a gig at the nearby Space Ballroom and it was the perfect choice: affordable, really tasty, and kind service. No wonder why this is a popular spot.

Beautiful place, good food. I love ramen and my favorite place Kiro Shiro closed. Ever since then, I've been on the hunt for the perfect ramen spot. Ambiance: perfect Ramen: Good but needs more flavor and more toppings. I personally like a rich tasting broth Buns: FREAKIN' AMAZING! Get the buns!! Gyoza: Good but again needs more flavor The Egg in the ramen & Gyudon is cooked to perfection!! Honestly the egg was my favorite part of my ramen! Service: Super nice, beautiful people Will definitely come again, I want to try their spicy ramen and see if that has the flavor I'm looking for.

Very cool ramen shop vibe!! The decor is top-notch for a small ramen shop. And if you like or even appreciate anime this is a must try place. The food was decent and the pricing is reasonable. I loved the dim-sum like menu - allowing you to try multiple options in smaller portions. We had the yakitori sampler and the app sampler. Food was good - but not great. Gyoza was a miss, sushi rolls are very basic, and the ramen broth tasted just like a ramen packet. Overall some tasty bites depending on what you order. Staff was super friendly, clean, and efficient. Love the rice paper wall booths, so great for a casual date night.

Funky ramen shop, good but basic ramen Happened to be in the area for a random soccer match, decided to trek to this new ramen shop to give it a try. It's a fun little shack of a location. Not a lot of seating but enough for the kitchen to handle. Lots of anime and Japanese culture on display, and the seating is a modern take on traditional dining with bench seats and cushions to emulate the experience. The staff was very busy but friendly. Menu is limited but there's lots of stuff to try with a few sampler sets to try everything. We got the Takoyaki sampler, their signature sampler, a gyoza order, a tonkasu ramen, and an angry dragon roll. Food came out at a reasonable pace. Took pics and dug in. The Takoyaki sampler was good. The pork and sausage were highlight bites. I also enjoyed the zucchini, the sauce was creamy but spicy and worked with the veggie. The other skewers were okay but overcooked. The shrimp still had a shell on it and the chicken had a nice char but was very dry. As was the steak. The gyoza were a flop. Pan-fried but a very soggy filling. Dipping sauce had a nice spicy zip to it, so that helped. The signature sampler was pretty good. enjoyed the miso egg, the yakitori was creamy and didn't have a lot of octopus, the karrage chicken wasn't really crispy, but cooked well. The highlight was the kimchi cucumber. Very light and not astringent like other fermented dishes. A great pallet cleanser. The tonkasu ramen, it was good but something was off with the broth. I could taste the mineral qualities a soup can get by simmering bones for too long. Which can be the signs of a good broth. But all I could get from the main flavor notes was chicken boullion. Which is a real crying shame, because if it is a home made broth then it's destroyed by the seasoning they use. It very much reminded me of a creamy chicken flavor packet out of an instant ramen pack. The pork and egg were great! Pork was tender, egg was creamy. Everything was seasoned and cooked well. Noodles were springy, but just tasted cheap because of the broth. Same is true with the angry dragon roll. The rice was seasoned right, the proportions were right. The shrimp wasn't crispy, and the flavors were lacking. They are not a sushi restaurant, so I didn't expect much in that department. But I did hope for something more than basic, but only got basic. Price is actually pretty reasonable, and the samplers are great bargains. If I were at an anime convention then this food would be very good for the price. Because this is a standalone restaurant,it's just lacking the polish needed to truly shine. If you're really into anime and Japanese culture, you'll enjoy this location. If you're just wandering, it's not bad but it's kind of hit and miss.

I'm a big fan of Akatsuki. This new Japanese restaurant, taking over the former Let It Be Thai Cafe location, is refreshingly unpretentious, serving up delicious comfort food at fantastic prices. They really did a wonderful job renovating the place. Anime enthusiasts will particularly enjoy the themed decor. The service is incredibly friendly and warm, though on both our visits, just one person was running the front of the house. While this currently contributes to some timeliness issues, we expect that to improve once they add another team member. While the gyoza seemed to be typical of what you'll find in most restaurants, we did enjoy the gyudon, though I can't speak to its authenticity. The karaage, while not the absolute best I've ever had, was still outstanding and I can confidently say it's the best you'll find in Connecticut. The true star for me was the spicy miso ramen. I don't normally gravitate towards spicy miso, but the menu recommendation prompted me to try it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it on both my visits. It offers just a hint of heat, so those craving something truly hot might want to inquire about making it extra spicy. You can really taste the distinct fermented flavor in the broth; whether you enjoy that will depend on your palate. While they do offer sushi, I would say it isn't their specialty nor the strongest part of their offerings. They unfortunately don't serve alcohol, but it appears they do accept BYOB. This is already the best Asian restaurant I've been to in Hamden, but if they were to expand to include alcoholic beverages, introduce daily/weekly menu specials, build an effective team to run the front and back, and refine their menu offerings a bit more, I believe they can establish themselves as a premier dining destination!

Came in right at opening on a Saturday morning and ordered the tonkotsu ramen. First impression? The place is adorable. It honestly felt like I had just stepped into a little ramen shop in Japan. If you're into anime, especially Naruto you'll love the decor. The walls are decked out with figurines, poster. As for the ramen, I've tried my fair share of tonkotsu, and this one was different in the sense that the broth had a unique hint of ginger, which gave it a refreshing twist I haven't had elsewhere. While I personally prefer a slightly thicker/creamier tonkotsu broth, the noodles here were perfectly chewy, and the pork was tender and flavorful. They also offer a pretty solid deal: ramen, a pork bun, and a drink for about $20. Honestly, not bad at all for the quality and portion size. Service was super friendly, fast, and efficient. I'd definitely come back the next time I'm craving some comforting, affordable ramen in a cute, anime-inspired spot!

The decor and service were amazing!! I'm not normally into ramen but I can't in and tried for my boyfriend's birthday! We were feeling adventurous so we got the sampler platter for the cold appetizers and the Yakitori sampler. There were definitely something things I wasn't a fan of (like the octopus) I didn't actually really look at what I was getting I was just in the mood to try new things! The sushi was so fresh it was my first time trying a bao bun it was soo good! And the gyoza was delicious! I would definitely go back to try other options on their menu and if you or someone you know is an anime fan this is a good place to take them!

We we're craving japanese food so we decided to try this place out. It satisfied our craving! They have so much to offer on their menu and the prices are really reasonable. Staff and service was amazing. We also loved the decor. Def will be returning.

First impressions walking in, very fun Japanese inspired decorations with Naruto and Anime inspired merchandise everywhere, the service was welcoming and informative and the food feels like a breath of fresh air; Almost New York level in terms of culturally delicious food and tons of variety, which is desperately needed in the New Haven Ramen game. The Ramen game in New Haven has certainly gotten stale over the past years and Akatsuki has certainly made a good impression changing things up. I definitely plan to come back and try all of the Ramen they have to offer on top of the amazing yakitori options they have! Definitely check this place out, had huge potential to be a big player!

New Japanese restaurant in town so a family member and I went to try it. Food was fantastic, waitstaff was friendly and accommodating and the decor was very authentic. I got veggie fried rice, veggie yakisoba and veggie ramen. Fried tofu was added to the rice and soba (the ramen already comes with it) and I told them to hold the egg on the ramen. Fried rice was legit; good flavor and texture all around. Tofu was firm and crispy and there was a good amount of garlic. The yakisoba sauce had a very authentic flavor and the noodles had a great texture. The ramen broth was a little heavy on the ginger but I liked it; veggies were great in the ramen as well. I did notice that they didn't really use ramen noodles; it was just yakisoba noodles again. I'm gonna let that slide though, because it was still great. My family member got shrimp tempura and one beef yakitori; they said both were delicious, but the spicy mayo was too spicy for them. I tried it also; it did have quite the kick, but it was very good. Impressive food!! It has an advantage over other great places in the area (Roishi, Sono Bana, Donburiya) due to having more vegan protein options. Definitely giving this place my business; IMO you should too.

Fridate with my magandang asawa Wilda Acebo Purcell. She wanted ramen so We tried a new place that has only been open 3 months in Hamden. AKATSUKI on Dixwell Ave. sooo good! I got salmon she got Ramen and we were both very satisfied. Super friendly service. You have to try this local place. Also seems very popular for takeout. Very cute smaller size. But plenty of tables. Try it. Thank me later and wow so surprised at the price! Dinner for 2? Very inexpensive. Decorated with real Japanese feeling. Food presented so nicely

Excellent food and service. Some of the best edamame, seaweed salad, scallion pancakes, and ramen I've ever had!

The food is very delicious! Service is very friendly and attentive. The ambiance is great and comfortable.

The ambiance was great for anime lovers ! Many characters on the wall and decorations that fit the theme. The service was a little slower than most but nothing unbearable. Our server was very kind, attentive and let us know realistic time frames which I appreciated. The ramen was delicious ! Tasted nice and fresh and the noodles were chewy. They were out of some yakitori and bubble tea options at the time we went though (around 2 PM on a Saturday)

Tasty, authentic, a great addition to Hamden's "food scene." Wide variety of rolls, grill, soups, apps served quick enough and friendly. Gotta say the price was very reasonable, so we added an extra app of pork buns! We've been there 2 times and each was quite good! Solid!

Two thumbs up to this newbie! The owner is so welcoming. The decor makes you feel like you've escaped to another land. And the food and boba are incredible! We had gyoza, ramen, and curry chicken with rice covered with a delicate twist of egg. Who even knew you could do that? The sauce was incredible! We've been twice...so far! Totally recommend this one.