Bailey R.
Yelp
Went to Akiba last night in a group of 7, and I was honestly amazed at the variety and complexity of flavors in the dishes we ordered and shared.
- the Sole was exquisitely flavored with a sweet ctirus sauce. Light and flaky, but tons of little bones. Not an easy fish to eat, but still excellently prepared
- the Salt & pepper squid was excellent. Not too salty, and with a tangy dressing
- the braised short ribs were OUTSTANDING. Melt-in-your-mouth tender and the savory sauce was excellent spooned over rice
- octopus was excellent
- the fried chicken and the fried rice dishes were the least impressive to me - but still delicious, don't get me wrong
- the rice bowls are $7 each, but can easily feed 2 people, maybe 3 light eaters. So they're a decent value. We had 3 between 7 diners, and couldn't finish all the rice
In addition to our mains we also tried a couple of appetizers --
- scallop sashimi, which was offered to us by a server pushing them around on a cart. These were pricey, but DELICIOUS. Really just outstanding with a delicate texture contrasted against a very bold, surprising flavor
- soup dumplings, which weren't actually all that soupy inside, but had a really delicious broth
I made the mistake of ordering a sake at first, without checking the serving size. I was surprised that my $14 sake wasn't one of those small decanters, but was a single shot glass (60mL). That's just obscene for a few sips. My second drink order was a 400mL Asahi Black for $11. Much more reasonable (though still pricey).
Bottom line, Akiba is expensive (with a drink and shared appetizer, be prepared to shell out ~$45+) but I have to admit the food here is just exquisite. Very bold and adventurous flavors make each dish an experience on its own, something you can try and discuss with your date / friends. Just be careful about the outrageous sake prices.