Akira Ramen & Izakaya

This place was such a pleasant surprise. We decided to play hooky and going on a midday date. My husband was suffering with some allergy issues and this was quite the remedy. We ordered the calamari (can’t remember the name on the menu but it’s fried squid), king dragon roll, spicy seafood ramen, and the fried chicken ramen. Everything was more than delicious! The calamari had a delicious, what I assume was, red pepper aioli sauce which was packed with flavor. The squid was fried to perfection and nice and hot! The sushi had SO much flavor I couldn’t believe it. Definitely one of the best dragon rolls I’ve ever had and the ramen was Sooogood! The Broth was amazing the noodles were very fresh and the seafood was just what I needed. I can’t wait to go back!

We had an amazing dinner with friends! The food was delicious, and the size of portions was good enough to feel full. Servants were very nice. Highly recommend this place.

Good food and good services. Even these were not authentic Japanese foods, I enjoyed the ramen and sashimi with reasonable price. I can see why this restaurant is popular and it stands up with its good reviews. As a visitor to Rockville, I enjoyed my dinner!

This isn't the first time I've tried to write a review and post pics about this place. But each time I don't have time to take pictures as my family eats everything faster than I can remember. Doesn't that say a lot? Delicious food, large portions, fast service, adequate prices! What more do you need? They recently upgraded the furniture and now there is a corner for large company. Perfect for a family!

It was good but then when I checked my bill transaction on my credit card, they changed the bill. The dishonest staff changed the bill. She increased her tip I guess. Whenever I ate outside with my friends, we see to it that we are giving the right tip percentage. And never we gave below 18%. We will never come back to this branch. I love the food but we can not stand the dishonesty. I'm sorry.

We had the California Roll and the Philadelphia Roll. The sushi was fresh and amazing. Tasted top tier. I had the volcano Tonkotsu Ramen with extra egg and spicy sauce. It was AMAZING. My daughter had the Tonkotsu Miso Ramen. She loved it and gave it a 5/5. The server was great and on point. Great customer service. 👌🏽 The prices were reasonable. Thanks for a first great ramen experience!! Thanks for making our Mommy-daughter date great!!

Amazing sushi, I come here every time I am in the area for work. I get the volcano roll and gyoza!

This is one of the two ramen place we’ll go to in the Rockville region. The ramens has the right texture and the broth is rich. Appetizers and other small dishes are good too. The restaurant is clean. Every dine-in customer is greeted warmly by the whole team when sit in.

I can't speak on the service since I ordered through DoorDash, but I did pop in to pick up my order and the place had a charming vibe, at least from what I could gather while standing there awkwardly for 10 minutes. No one greeted me, and employees just walked right by like I wasn't even there. Eventually, someone asked if I was there for pick-up, but by then I'd already mentally planned my escape from the awkward situation. When I finally got home and dug into the ramen, I was underwhelmed. It was fine, but that's about it. The flavors were there, but they just didn't hit the mark. I've had ramen that far surpassed this one, so it won't be making a return trip to my stomach anytime soon.

Decided to revisit akira since other restaurants in the area were closed around 4:30 pm preparing for their dinner menus. Perfect time to get a hot bowl of ramen after all this snow and cold weather. My boyfriend ordered the chasu pork belly buns (1 order comes with 2 buns) and his take of akira ramen (I had my own). The chasu buns were good but a bit too sauce heavy for my liking. My akira ramen bowl was nailed though. Opted In with curry noodles and squid added in. Service was average. I didn't like how they didn't welcome us when we came in. Mind you the staff just took their break and reopened the restaurant around this time but a bunch of them sat around just playing games and talking amongst themselves. It's a cute spot for some warm food. Pretty casual spot.

A cute little spot in Rockville that was a great dining experience. I came alone and sat at the bar. The service was quick, answered my questions and was very nice. I started with the salmon nigiri, which was delicate and fresh. I ordered the seafood ramen with an egg and it was delicious! Flavorful and a great portion. The broth is labeled "spicy beef broth," but it really isn't spicy in my opinion. I do wish they had a few more ramen options with chicken broth without pork. I really enjoyed my experience and can't wait to come back and try their speciality rolls and curries!

Between the lack of customer service and the stale sushi rolls. I came to understand why all the patrons order the ramen. Mind you , we are in June. The ambience is very cute

We ordered takeout from Akira and we're not disappointed! The online ordering process was simple and seamless! Lots of options to edit, which I appreciated. We ended up picking up 30 mins after the order was done, but the staff was helpful in telling us the best way to reheat the food (stuck it in the microwave for a few minutes and it was great). My husband is new to ramen and was skeptical, but he really enjoyed it! I thought the flavors were delicious and the sauce options allowed for variations to the base dish. I did not get a chance to engage with the vibe of the restaurant, but in the few moments I was there, it was calm and pleasant. Free parking is available right outside the restaurant that's served multiple vendors next to Akira. We found parking easily, but I could see how it would be packed on a busy night. Can't wait to go to one of their other locations!

really quick and attentive service :) the ambiance was really nice. it was a bit slow but we ate between lunch-early dinner. the food came out very hot and fresh. i ordered the tantanmen and my partner ordered i believe the tonkatsu shoyu ramen. we ended up liking more of the other. very rich and savory for both :))

Lovely ramen place. My kiddos loved the California roll. I loved the spicy ramen, especially on a cold night it hits the spot.

Went on a Saturday afternoon and was happy to find it was a slow day (I've had to wait a little for tables to open before). I was immediately greeted and they allowed me to pick a spot to sit. I always get Ramen but I decided to try a different menu item. The Oyako Don I ordered came out within 15 minutes, steaming hot and perfect. Cant wait to try the other Don variations!

I wanted to pick a good place for a little celebration and I have a lot of picky eaters in my family. My son loves ramen and my wife loves a good okonomiyaki. It's not always easy to find both but this place does both fairly well. I really like the ambience in here. It's clean and modern. The service was notably great as well. I thought my Ramen was absolutely delicious, made in a shoyu base with a side of karaage. What stood out was our gyoza appetizer. The okonomiyaki also delivered and the sushi was decent as well. As for value, the portions are big and you really shouldn't leave hungry. There's a lot of good choices for food in this area and this is one of them. We did drink some warm sake, so if you do imbibe like I do, raise your glass and cheers to a dry glass.

This is my go-to ramen spot in the Rockville area and I have yet to find a place that tops it. This spot is not very large but the aesthetic is very inviting and homey feeling. There is an open kitchen where you can see your ramen being made and assembled. My boyfriend would order the Akira ramen usually for the black garlic oil, but decided to switch it up one day with the Shrimp Tempura ramen. The tempura was fried perfectly without being oily or soggy and there was a nice crunch when he bit it. The shrimp inside was not overcooked either, it also had a sweetness to it. The broth was hearty without being heavy which is the same broth for the Akira ramen. On days I am feeling for some hearty warm soup, I always order the Akira Volcano Spicy ramen. The spice level does not overpower the pork broth but it compliments it well. Occasionally, if the broth does not have enough of a kick, I'll add a scoop or two of the togarashi spice that is at table side. During the summer, I don't always crave for the soup so I will opt for the Spicy Tsuke Niku with udon noodles. The udon noodles seem like they are freshly made with the perfect chewy bounce when bitten into. The presentation of the noodles is also very beautiful as all toppings come separate in their own containers and it is up to the consumer to assemble to their taste. I usually add everything and pour the dipping sauce in than dipping the noodles. The sauce has a light soy taste without the saltiness. Additionally, whenever we go, we'll get an appetizer to go with our noodles of choice. Our go to is the takoyaki (octopus balls), the ratio of octopus to batter is even and never soggy. The bonito flakes are ample and the sauce is balanced that the balls do not become deflated. We have tried their other options like the karaage (fried chicken) served with a spicy mayo and wasabi mayo sauce. The pieces are on the smaller side but the flavor is present. We also tried the okonomiyaki (stuffed pancake) which is filled with seafood, veggies and egg topped with sauces and bonito (fish) flakes. We thought it was just ok and it could have been due to the long wait for it or that it was soggier than expected. The flavor is nice but nothing that made me want to have it again.

Very cute place... food was wonderful and our waiter was super nice and accommodating. Dessert was good.. we were fortunate to have their seasonal Sakura dessert and lemonade and it did not disappoint! Reasonable prices and exceptional service!

I enjoyed the Ocean Roll very much- cooked spicy shrimp, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo, and seared scallop! I will come back for this roll alone. Service was fine. We reported a food allergy and didn't feel a lot of reassurance that everything would be okay but everything did turn out completely fine. Very small cafe vibes inside- which the food was on the much pricier side that I would've expected in a fancier venue. Decor was ok. Again, for the prices- not matching. All in all I will probably get takeout of the ocean roll.

Tonight, I started with a 6 piece sashimi platter. The fish was soft, tasty and melted in my mouth, the way I like my sashimi. For dinner, I had the Shrimp Tempura Ramen. The tempura was very crispy - yasss! The ramen soup was delicious with corn, a half boiled egg that was perfectly done, kamaboko (fish cake slices) and two large pieces of nori (seaweed). I washed it all down with a bottle of Asahi. The ambiance was warm and invited with low key lighting and a cool modern Japan-vibe decor. Upon entry, we everyone received a warm welcome from every staff member, "Irashaimaasen!"

This establishment has been on my radar for quite some time but something always kept me from coming. I almost didn't go again this past time due to parking. Anytime parking is a hassle I cut my losses. However luck was on my side and I found a spot right at the right in front! Even though it was a bit busy since I came on a weekend, my party and I were seated within 5 minutes. For the table we ended up ordering gyoza, the chashu bun, the tonkotsu ramen, and the Akira ramen. Let's just say they were all so good that it completely slipped my mind to take pictures. I thought each dish was favorable, came out at a reasonable time, and the portions were quite reasonable. In addition the staff and interior was such as pleasant. I'm looking forward to returning as I'm trying to find new places to get ramen as my old go to seems to have changed their recipe. I would definitely just make sure to be aware of parking as it can get full on weekends.

The service was pretty quick. I really enjoyed the food - it's probably one of the best ramen I've had in Maryland. I wish they had more chicken options but were pretty tasty!

excellent food and good value ! i came in for an early dinner on a weeknight. it was quiet and service was super efficient. I loved that green tea came in a cute pitcher, which means not having to constantly ask for refills. The cold soba was exactly what i was looking for. The noodles aren't quite as chewy as I hoped they would be, but the broth and sides were delicious and filling.

I visited with an elderly client for late lunch. There was only 2 other tables occupied. My server was friendly and prompt. My client ordered zarusoba. I got myself some sort of chashu volcano type ramen. The former was apparently not boiled long enough. She complained the entire time it didn't taste very good. My dish tasted great. I appreciated the chewy noodles and the soup flavor. I wish the soup was piping hot. The eggs had a really strong taste of cooking wine and it was a bit too sweet for my liking. It was delicious nonetheless and I happily gobbled it up. Would I return again in the future? Maybe. Have I had better ramen in the area? Yes. Is it worth the hype? NO. Lastly, parking might be a bit inconvenient. There are some street parking but it's probably better that car gets parked in the garage. I will warn you ahead that garage parking can get confusing so it's best to take the entrance / exit of Safeway from the garage. Hopefully this would help make it less likely to get you lost -- because I have and it's definitely no good when you are visiting with an elderly mobility impaired client!!

Akira in Rockville has some of the best Ramen I've ever tasted. Every time we go, the service is quick, efficient and friendly. The food is always consistent. I would recommended to anyone.

Food was great! Staff was super friendly! I tried the Akira ramen (which was super delicious) and chicken katsu (best I've had so far). 10/10 would recommend.

PHENOMENAL!!! The best ramen I have had in a long time. The shrimp tempura ramen was soooo good, with a nice balance of spice and tonkatsu flavor. All the ingredients were perfectly done! You will not be disappointed! The customer service was absolutely outstanding. I got take out but the actual restaurant looks really nice.

I visited Akira Ramen with some friends and had a really nice experience. When I entered Akira Ramen, I really loved the interior with flowers painted on the walls, and beautiful wooden tables. The aesthetic was really nice. The business easily accommodated my group of 6 people. Their indoor space is limited, so if you have a large group it is better to come at a slow hour or when they open. I am vegan and chose to order the vegetable ramen. I asked the server if the ramen was vegan as is, and he let me know the broth has shellfish in it. Even though the menu says that ramen uses a vegetable broth, the server pointed out that the menu says all their broths contain shellfish. I really appreciated that the server let me know this, and he substituted the vegetable broth with mushroom broth so my ramen was vegan. When I got my ramen I absolutely loved the presentation. There was beautiful bok choy as the centerpiece of the ramen, and so many colorful vegetables. I did think the ramen looked better than it tasted. The mushroom broth was bland. I added some chili flakes for more flavor and that improved it a lot. I enjoyed the variety of toppings in the ramen from woodear mushrooms to corn to tofu. There was no vegetable that was missing, I just wish the broth had more savory flavors come through. Overall I had a really good experience at Akira, and all my nonvegan friends had a tremendous experience and loved their ramens. I think that the vegtable ramen with mushroom broth could use some more flavor. I also hope this restaurant will consider noting on their menu that the vegetable ramen can be made vegan with mushroom broth. I am sure many people have ordered the vegetable ramen, not noticed the shellfish note on the menu, and have mistakenly consumed shellfish. I am really thankful I asked my server about the ramen and that he knew how to make the bowl vegan.

Great ramen. My friends and I tried this restaurant for the first time because we heard it was really good. Those reviews aren't wrong. I ordered the Akira Ramen with curly noodles and it was really good. I really enjoyed the texture and thickness of the noodles, the Chashu was juicy and delicious, and the soup was hearty and flavorful. We split the Okonomiyaki and that was really good too! It tasted like a pie version of takoyaki, but with more fillings. The staff were very friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very welcoming. Overall, I would recommend eating at Akira Ramen and will definitely come back!

This was our first visit. We came for lunch on a Friday at 1:30 and it was not busy. Only 3 tables of people. We placed our order and the people who came in after us got their order before us within 10 minutes. Maybe they were regulars so they get priority? Our order took 15-20 minutes. We tried Akira Ramen for $15, which had many ingredients in it including tender roast pork, seaweed, fish cake, half boiled egg, and curly ramen noodles. However, the broth was bland or watered down. Parking is limited in the front of the restaurant, but you can park in the garage and get first 2 hours free.

Great food. Very very fresh. Nice environment. Great customer service. Will be back. Thank you for a great first experience at your location

Ramen was ok at best. I got the Akira Volcano Ramen and it wasn't spicy at all. The noodles are short. The broth was ok, more bland and not flavorful. My friend got extra spicy in their volcano ramen and it still did not taste spicy. Our table also got the karaage which was ok and more batter than chicken. Service was good, as the waiter was attentive. I probably won't be going back.

Came in on a Friday while it was busy during dinner time, and was seated in about 5-10 minutes. We were seated and another couple, who arrived after we were seated beside us a few minutes after us; they were waited on first and served first. We ordered two ramen bowls and one sushi roll and were still not served after 20 minutes. They ran out of containers for soy sauce and gave plastic to go cups instead. They skimped on ingredients (ie pork belly) that were visible from other diners' table. The overall space is about the size of an average Starbucks with Asian inspired decor. Very busy on a Friday night, but not too loud. Parking is limited, but we were able to find a spot in the front. This seems to be the only good thing about this dining experience.

First time trying Ramen and it was amazing. First of all the wavy noodles are addictive. I tried the Volcano Ramen with the noodles. The service is a Ramen shop (need I say more). The restaurant is small but quant and with the entire staff greeting you as you walk in. Outstanding!!!

I have been multiple times and the staff has always been very nice and the food always perfect. Any time I have been there it was never really loud in an annoying way but in my experience it has never been too slow or quiet, almost having a homie feel.

Pleasantly delightful. It took a while while to order because everything looked so tasty. The staff was friendly and attentive. The food we ordered was tasty.

Great little place. Clean decor and staff was very friendly and efficient. I had the shrimp tempura ramen and it was so tasty. Great noodles and nori too. Also had a spring roll appetizer which was awesome. Food was served quickly and made for a great meal. One bowl and an appetizer was more than enough for a meal. Price was reasonable too.

Let me start with how wonderful the food is, my kids being picky eaters loved this so much. They are big portions so for smaller kids maybe have them share. The food was excellent. Apart from having to wait to be seated as there isn't much room in the location the service is great. The waitress we had was wonderful and quick. The restaurant is very quiet and I do appreciate for such a busy place not being extremely loud.

TLDR: Still not the BEST ramen you will ever have, but a respectable offering at an okay price. Will satisfy any ramen cravings you might have. This was the first time I had made my way back to Akira in nearly 3 years. My first impressions from last time was that this was a quality ramen spot at a slightly elevated price. Perhaps it is recency bias at play, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the ramen this time around. Last time I was here, the ramen was memorably very salty. This time around, I ordered the standard Akira ramen and was happy with just how flavorful the ramen was. Additionally, the inclusion of a variety of toppings that have become optional at other places made the price a little bit more agreeable.

The ramen at Akira is always satisfying. I usually get the volcano ramen. The broth is very flavorful and not overly spicy. The whole bowl is delicious with plenty of noodles. On my most recent visit, I decided to get their karaage ramen with chicken broth. The karaage chicken came on the side with dipping sauce instead of in the bowl of ramen, which I appreciated. That way the fried chicken didn't get soggy. The ramen was tasty, but I still preferred the tonkotsu broth. Akira is not that big so it's not ideal for big parties. If you have 6 or more, you might need to wait for tables to be available for them to push the tables together. Limited street parking. Free garage parking.

The ramen and sushi here are really good. I had the Akira ramen and the spicy tuna roll and both were delicious. I also had the organic sake. I liked that they had an organic option. This is definitely the best ramen spot near this area. The service is good and the place has a relaxed vibe.

One of the best ramen shops I've eaten at in the DMV. They sell Japanese street food like okonomiyaki for appetizers and their specialty ramen and soba for entree. I opted for their Akira Ramen: rich broth, slurpable curly noodles, two hunks of chashu, runny ajitama, and black garlic oil. I've never had curly noodles with my ramen but it was definitely an interesting texture. I think I prefer the regular straights though so that's what I'll get next time. The broth was rich, but I don't really think it held as much umami flavor as I would've liked. I've been to Japan twice now and while this bowl isn't quite what the ramen in Japan are like, it's close enough to satisfy my cravings.

Quickly seated and served. The food tasted fresh. The server was friendly and helpful. I was ordering vegan which can be hard in some places. There were limited options but, perfect for me. Sometimes Ramen can be too salty. This was not. There is parking but limited during busy times, be prepared to meter park. Their tea is nice and strong. Check out my photos. Everything was delicious. No disappointments. The service was really good which is important to me because we can all cook at home.

I have just returned from Japan. The food here was really good. Tasty, healthy and authentic. Service was prompt polite and accurate.

Not too familiar with ramen and it's different incarnations but I was very pleased with what I found. Has the shrimp tempura ramen tasty and eclectic with bamboo shoots, soft boiled egg and fish cakes all married in a really tasty broth. Once the noodles were devoured I didn't know what to do with the broth..could the ladle have something to do with it? I felt silly slurping up the spicy goodness with a ladle as if I was sampling some of moms stove top creations. I had to peek over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't the only ladle loving customer. To my relief this is the process. Phew! Btw I started the meal with the pork buns which were so light, fresh and tasty I thought about ordering a second set. Definitely worth a stop in to try.

I got a delicious takeout bowl of beef ramen for my husband who wasn't feeling well. It was absolutely wonderful and very soothing for him. Comfort food and very delicious. I will get him soup from Akira ramen anytime he's not feeling well and then when he's feeling better we can go there and have some of the other delicious offerings. Great place. Kind staff. And I totally enjoyed the visit.

I ordered Okonomiyaki online, and I checked what it's made with before. When I started eating it I found the whole top was covered by 2 big bacon pieces. And I don't eat pork at all. I can't even stand the smell of it I checked the ingredients again, and I didn't see any bacon or porc. I don't know why they don't mention such thing knowing that a lot of people don't eat it!! Sorry but I got so disgusted and probably hate Okonomiyaki now.

Their Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen was really tasty. The broth had so much flavor and was perfect for a cold winter day. We were able to get a table easily after 1 PM but I've seen there be a wait around the usual lunch rush of 12-1. Service was fantastic, and I'm always happy to return when I'm back in Rockville.

This was my first time. It is a pretty busy place. I loved the sushi, so nice and fresh but didn't like pork in the buns. I didn't like the gamey smell in the pork. Good place to grab some ramen. Parking is limited, so hope you get lucky. For us, 18% gratuity was already included so check your bill so that you are sure you are putting additional tip as as needed.

Oh my, I didn't eat one bite of my Ramen bc it tasted bad and had some sort of smell. Sushi was only okay. I was disappointed!

This spot was pretty awesome. It's tiny and in a weird little strip mall type place with really confusing parking. There are also Doordash/Grubhub/UberEats people in and out, double parking, and it's just chaos. The food was worth waiting for though. I was there on a Friday night with my husband and son. We waited about 30 minutes for a table, outside, because the dine-in is such a small space. The menu is fairly limited but what they have is impeccably prepared, served beautifully and tastes great. We started with gyoza and spring rolls- both were A+. I had the Akira Ramen. My husband had the Akira Volcano Ramen. My son had the Shrimp Tempura Ramen. I ate the whole bowl. Everything. Nothing left. I enjoyed it so much. I didn't even pay any attention to my dinner companions, I was so busy slurping noodles. Our only disappointment was that they were out of the green tea cheesecake on the menu. This is out of our normal area but I may go back just for that cheesecake. The service seemed a little distracted by the numerous takeout orders we saw go out the door. We waited some time for our server to come back to us for refills of water. We also wanted to try some sushi but by the time our server returned, we were ready to go.

Good local ramen is hard to come by I hear, especially in the MoCo area. I feel like this place does their ramen, broth, and boiled egg really well. As others have mentioned, the curly noodles are better than the straight ones. This restaurant definitely is lacking in other food areas besides ramen, however. We got the takoyaki and the akira roll (lobster tempura) as appetizers which were quite underwhelming; the takoyaki was all flour no octopus, and the lobster roll tasted a bit stale to the point of where it almost tasted like imitation meat. Their akira roll pictures look nothing like real life so lower your expectations on their sushi rolls. That being said, one of the most disappointing aspects in their ramen bowl was their pork. It was dull, bland, and not melt-in-your mouth. I feel like the melty pork accounts for 30% of a ramen meal. That being said, the ramen and soup base are definitely top notch. So if you are a fan of ramen with just those 2 aspects, this place is for you. All in all, a solid 3.5 stars. Service was decent overall. Don't think I'll be here too often, but a place to visit if you're trying to satiate that ramen craving with a quick meal.

Great sushi and flavorful ramen! We tried the Akira Volcano ramen as well as a couple of basic rolls with our kids. The broth has a kick but is not overly spicy. I loved the smoky flavor of the pork. Definitely a must for the fall/winter for me. Love a big bowl of hot soup! The service was attentive and parking was easy for us mid weekday. The place did get crowded quickly though after noon.

This is the best food I've had in the past couple of years!!!! Very fresh, well prepared, excellent customer service, everything I've had in this restaurant tasted amazing. I highly recommend this place. If I ever win the lottery or something, I'll eat here every day 3-4 times per day :)

I was very disappointed with my order. I got avocado tofu salad but there was no avocado in there and I paid $10 for this small portion without avocado.

Wow! Ramen! We were a party of 4 that came in for dinner on Friday night. We were told the wait would be 10-15 minutes, and it was. We were texted and sat within the fifteen minutes. We all ordered bowls of ramen. Two of us ordered the shrimp tempura ramen, one order of the akira ramen, and one order of the tantanmen. The portions were perfect. The broth was delicious. The spice was on point. The shrimp tempura is plated on the side so that it does not get soggy in the ramen. Next time we are in the area, we will definitely run back for some ramen!