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Akai Hana
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
1173 Old Henderson RdColumbus, OH 43220
Neighborhood: Upper Arlington
(614) 451-5411
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
126 reviews for Akai Hana
Review Highlights
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"Be sure to try the honey roll, and the spicy scallop roll." In 10 reviews -
"The miso soup is also delightful." In 9 reviews -
"...an authentic feel here, like I was actually visiting Japan." In 17 reviews
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126 reviews in English
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Review from Brad S.
5/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Simply the best in town.
1. Get the spicy scallop roll and behold genius.
2. They take reservations: I recommend them. It's busy at lunch and weekend dinners.
3. The rice here is perfect - great consistency, perfect taste.
4. The fish is consistently top quality. Fresh, firm, tasty. (just like....)
Don't get the chinese or japanese food, it's not worth it. The sushi is where it's at.Listed in: The Yelp 100 Challenge
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Review from Sidu C.
Oak Brook, IL
2/25/2012
One of my favorite restaurants, ever!
Food was great (very authentic). Service was awesome! The location is great.
You don't really simply find "california rolls" and other "common" things that you find in other "Japanese" places. Instead, you find many kinds of seaweeds and dishes that you'd only know if you've been to Japan or eaten with Japanese people at their houses.
I don't go back very often (I don't leave nearby). However, every time I want Japanese food, the trip to Akai Hana is worth it. -
Review from Keith M.
Columbus, OH
2/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
After all the amazing reviews, I thought maybe I had found THE place for wonderful Japanese cuisine in Columbus.
What I found was really good but not amazing.
Maybe I made poor food choices? Perhaps my selections could have been better?
The location is just the cutest thing ever. It's obviously not built to cater to mid-westerners whose idea of high Japanese cuisine is a place with a hibachi and the guy throws knives for no reason. ("I made an onion volcano so you should feel okay that you are going to pay $50 for your dinner")
This place is tastefully designed and even in a busy Saturday night affords everyone a comfortable feeling of privacy while you eat.
The service was friendly enough and mostly attentive.
The food was good. I had a couple sushi rolls - but I struggle to even remember what they were. The were acceptable but obviously not memorable.
To be honest - I look forward to going back to Akai Hana and trying something else. I feel like I went on an off night and/or made poor food choices.
Look for a follow up review in the future!Listed in: My Yelp 100 in 2012
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Review from Paul S.
Dublin, OH
5/12/2012
This is my favorite restaurant in Columbus! I come here all the time and have always left satisfied. Try the Tempura Udon or the Zaru-Soba. For desert you should get a small bowl of Maccha ice cream.
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Review from Moses S.
Eatontown, NJ
5/1/2012
Went here yesterday and had a Asahi beer with my sashimi akai han. I thought it was quite tasy, had some tuna, really creamy uni, halibut, giant clam, white tuna, ama ebi (sweet raw shrimp), what looked like mackrel (had similar looking skin), but definitely didnt taste fishy (like most mackrel i've had) so not sure what that was, and flash fried shrimp (with head/tail, everything... looked weird, but was actually tasty.. including the shell). I was a bit hesitant, but the sushi chef was encouraging me to eat it, so i did. Overall, it was all very good, tasted fresh, didn't have any frozen taste or fishy tastes at all. Good stuff, although nothing spectacularly different than other places. but better than most.
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Review from Valerie R.
Richmond, IN
4/2/2012
By far the best and most authentic sushi and Japanese food in Ohio. And I've been searching for good Japanese food in Ohio since I left Japan in 2008. The service was a little slow Friday evening. If you are looking for hibachi or cream cheese in your sushi, you probably won't like the food here. I can't wait to eat at Akai Hana again.
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Review from Erin D.
New Albany, OH
I can't remember when I started coming here, but this is my fav sushi place. We always sit at the sushi bar; it is has been the same chefs for years and love to watch them make all the creations. (plus, you may get your rolls a little bit quicker).
Dynamite roll with soft shell crab gets ordered every time. tried rainbow roll last visit and it my new fav. Can't go wrong with spicy tuna or any of the nigri.
Tried the box sake...so good. And you have to put the salt on the 4 corners, it adds a little something to the sake. also, it is acceptable to pour the run-over on the plate back-in. Hubby told me this is uncouth, but waitress said that is what you are supposed to do. Besides, uncouth or not, i don't waste good alcohol!
Lastly, mango sherbet-always good. But green tea tempura fried ice cream...a satisfying dessert without being overly sweet. And it is lightly fried...all in how you justify.
maybe one day, i will try some entrees... -
Review from Taste Budz Z.
Columbus, OH
1/18/2012
TROY: So, I'm half Japanese and have been eating all styles of Japanese food since I was born. I'm not an expert because I've been to Japan, but because my Grandmother brought Japan to me.
TROY: I have a go to meal that I order when I haven't been there in a while and it sets me right for at least 4 weeks at a time (but I don't recommend going more than 2 weeks without sushi...ha ha). First, I order a "Lunch Box of the Day" or "Lunch Box of the Week" and both are equally as good and change daily so this is a must for a rounded taste of Japan. Second (that's right I'm a big eater), I order a lunch roll special for $9.95 where you can pick 3 rolls from a long list, I recommend the Spicy Tuna, Spicy Salmon and Eel with Avocado for the 3, but to each there own taste.
TROY: The freshness and quality of every item is second to none in Columbus (I point out that since we don't live on the coast). You can tell a lot about an "authentic Japanese restaurant" from the tempura as well, and this place does it right every time. Not a clumpy "fair food" batter like a few places I've been *cough-Haiku-cough*, but the light and crisp coating that shrimp and vegetables deserve to be encased in.
TROY: All meals come with hot green tea, salad (regular or spring mix) and a miso soup. Don't forget to ask for the tea, and a fork if you aren't handy with chop sticks. You can have white or brown rice and they have both regular and low sodium soy sauce on the table.
TROY: Now, this may seem like a weird comment to rate a Japanese restaurant by, but they have excellent pickled ginger that is served with the sushi.
If you don't agree then don't go... it leaves faster seating at lunch for the rest of us! -
Review from Troy S.
2/11/2012
Lunch Box of The Day what a great idea. The Lunch box is $10.50 which I feel is a little steep. The nice part is the Salmon in the lunch box so I guess that is the reason for the price. if you would rather get sushi then they offer 2 rolls for under $10 or 3 rolls for around 12 or 13.
They also handle large groups very well as they have a back room that is perfect to put groups in. My international lunch crew showed up a little before 1 and we got in within 10 minutes. They had two groups of 12 there which was nice to see the flexibility. we sat at two tables beside each other. Everyone at the table enjoys the meal as many this was their first time here. My international crew came from Turkey, India, Japan, SKorea, and Poland so we had a variety of palettes to test the food. No one walked away disappointed.
The only thing holding it to a 4 are the prices as it does cost a little more for lunch than some other sushi places. I didn't think my California Roll was anything special but I really enjoyed the Salmon and fish cakes. The box comes with 5 dishes and a choice of brown or white rice. You also get Miso soup and Salad. I wish I could just order the box as I am not a huge fan of the salad. The Miso soup here was better than other places I have tried.
The service was initially really good but they seemed slow to hand us our bill which was a little annoying.Listed in: My Yelp 100 for 2012
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Review from Chan P.
Columbus, OH
4/14/2012
Akai Hana...is probably one of the best places to enjoy authentic japanese/korean food at its best...they have a tempura udon, ramen, and sansai soba noodles dishes, I love their weekend special & columbus bento boxes are amazing...pages of appetizers from fry oysters to hamachi kama..their sushi & chirashi are fresh and spicy scallop and dynamite soft-shell crab is one of their popular sushi...the best time to go is lunch time, they have lunch specials and if you go for dinner make reservation or be there when the door when doors open at 5pm
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Review from Luan N.
Columbus, OH
2/5/2012
Akai Hana makes classic Japanese dishes, and does it quite well. I think the menu caters to try appease the general taste buds of Columbus, and plays it safe. Doesn't quite venture like Ba Sho, but for what they do serve, it's done right.
I can't comment on the sushi, but the dishes I enjoyed:
chuka ika, ika maru, hijiki, yaki nasu.Listed in: Japon in C-bus
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Review from Tom P.
Columbus, OH
4/7/2012
Best sushi in columbus. Got the sashimi sampler with many unique types of fish that was excellent and very fresh. My wife is vegetarian and she got a couple of different rolls including one with summer squash which she loved and thought was really tasty.
The service was great, we had a very knowledgable waitress who gave us a lot of details on the dishes and found us a fantastic appetizer. -
Review from Kyle L.
Columbus, OH
12/13/2011
Delicious! Probably one of my favorite Japanese places in Columbus. I often shop at the Japanese market located right next door. So I generally stop in here after stocking up on all my at home Japanese essentials.
Very clean and trendily decorated environment. The staff is really really friendly. My server was friendly, attentive, and very sweet. Akai Hana was also very busy. I stopped in here around 8 P.M. on a Wednesday and it was packed. I almost always see a few groups of young Japanese people in here enjoying the food and having a nice dinner.
I love the sushi. Fresh, yummy, well made, good presentation, and very reasonably priced. I got three rolls, miso soup, and a side salad for under $25.
Their regular menu is fantastic as well. They offer all the traditional Japanese staples. Really enjoy the tempura shrimp with vegetables. Their udon and soba noodle bowls are delicious as well.
All in all I would say this is a very good Japanese place. Good food, good sushi, and good service. If you cook Japanese food at home, check out the Japanese specialty market next door. They carry a lot of the staples that I haven't been able to find at CAM or the Asian Grocery. Friendly staff there as well! -
Review from Laurie S.
Columbus, OH
4/2/2012
My husband and I went here for our anniversary. Great atmosphere...and some of the food was really, really good but most tasted old or over cooked. Unfortunately, our waitress was painstakingly sssslow and never asked us if we wanted our drinks refilled. I think the food may have been sitting around awhile before it was delivered and that really affected the taste. I'd definitely try it again (hopefully) with a different waitress.
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Review from Eddie Y.
Columbus, OH
12/4/2011
Akai Hana is a popular place. That much I think is clear from the number of reviews on Yelp--largely positive reviews I've held off reviewing it myself even though I've dined there quite a lot. Why? How in the world do you go about rating a place like this?
I think it's safe to say that largely, what people order here is sushi. Largely, what people are rating or reviewing is the sushi. But frankly, if the fish is fresh, if the rice is prepared correctly, if it's prepared by a chef that's been properly trained: it's going to taste the same no matter where in the world you go. So do I give a place 5-stars for not ruining a piece of fish? Do I give them 1-star for ordering some roll called the Super Mario Sushi Boat Roll smothered with mayonnaise and whatever that doesn't even taste like fish, because I asked for it? See the dilemma here?
While in Japan, I developed a great respect for ramen. Yep, good old ramen noodles. Noodles which, in Japan, require a great deal of skill and even secrecy when preparing. So I ordered the ramen. Sadly, there was only one choice, but that made my decision easier. There wasn't much to it at all really. It contained a couple fish cakes, had some corn, a single slice of pork, maybe a few pieces of spinach, apparently, a vegetable broth. I was disappointed. It was disappointing. There was no egg at all (soft-boiled is standard; I prefer raw!) There was little flavor in the broth--other than saltiness, probably from soy sauce. Sad face.
My girlfriend had the Udon, which I've got to say weren't bad, I've had better, but maybe they just tasted impressive relative to my ramen.
All in all, Akai Hana is a pretty solid place. Comfy atmosphere with a staff that's going to get you your food. The menu is quite diverse, they have a nice lunch special, and you'll probably find something you like. I dislike the lack of care given to the ramen: the broth of which tastes too simple, even bland; the ingredients in which are sparse and seem not to have been given thought to.
When I want sushi, Akai Hana doesn't reach the top of my list. When I want ramen, I'll have to look elsewhere. If it's close and convenient, and I feel like some Japanese, I'll goto the hana. -
Review from Lauren W.
Columbus, OH
3/17/2012
This place is just amazing!!! Love the food, love the service, and love the atmosphere! I have never had a bad meal here and they have never done my order wrong. I do not have a bad thing to say about this place... Everyone should try it!!!
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Review from Teri D.
11/14/2011
Unless you know it's here, you will do like I have done many time before...not even see it. It's tucked behind some other parts of the strip mall here and if hubs hadn't wandered off to take a phone call while I was in a different store there wouldn't be this review.
You know its a good place for the food when part of the menu is just in the native language. It appears their offerings are Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. They have bento boxes of the day and the week, although I believe the one of the week is only M-F. Really fast service. Love how they bring out the warm wipes to clean your hands with. And the food is very good.
I had the bento box of the day which had teriyaki salmon, calamari and seaweed salad, california rolls, a big plug of tofu, and shrimp - whole shrimp. Whole as in I needed to pop their heads off shrimp. The server informed me about it just in case I didn't want it, but I was game. All in all it was pretty good.
Hubs had a udon noodle bowl with duck. Neither of us was particularly fond of it. The shumai was very soft and doughy but good. And that was the hottest mustard that was served with it that I have had in a long long time!
Definitely will be going back because there is so much more to explore here. We saw lots of orders whipping past us that looked tempting. -
Review from Joshua B.
Erlanger, KY
3/18/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Spectacular!!! My girlfriend and I absolutely love this place. We stop in about every two weeks to get our sushi roll on. I recommend the spicy scallop roll....Just wow, it's out of this world good.
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Review from Amanda H.
Westerville, OH
2/13/2012
I visited Akai Hana with a party of 8. The server was very nice and heplful and the sushi was very fresh and tasty! We liked that the menu had pictures and descriptions since many of the menu items were "different" from our norm. While we ate mostly sushi, the menu did have a great variety of different asian foods. I will definitely return.
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Review from chris p.
Columbus, OH
My Favorite.
I have only lived in Columbus for 25 months and I would have to honestly say that my girlfriend and I have eaten at this restaurant at least 30 times. Having moved here from the Washington, DC area, I was concerned about my culinary options. The city here is smaller, the suburbs are smaller, the cultural diversity is smaller, the asian population (and therefore authentic asian cuisine) is smaller, and the choices are limited. My main concern however was finding a decent sushi restaurant, as sushi is my favorite food. Luckily, we moved into an apartment only a 5-minute walk from the restaurant and decided we'd check it out within our first month of moving here. Instantly, we fell in love and have been regulars at this restaurant ever since. The food is delicious and the service is great.
I must admit that I was skeptical about getting good sushi anywhere in a landlocked state but am amazed to say that I am finding it hard to find any sushi restaurant better than Akai Hana in anywhere. Even my favorite spots in Washington, DC, Orlando, FL Las Vegas, NV and Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, HI don't quite measure up to Akai Hana's standards. I can without a doubt say that Akai Hana is the best Japanese/Korean restaurant I have been to and my overall favorite restaurant. (Even when we moved out of our apartment a year later, proximity to the restaurant was among our main criteria in finding a new place to live. Love.)
Our favorites are the dynamite roll with soft shelled crab, the honey roll, the red dragon roll, and the rainbow roll. We also often get the tempura udon and the stone bibimbap. If you like spicy seafood try the spicy squid. Also, if you come with a large party order a party boat!! They are fun and beautifully presented. I'm getting hungry so I will have to end this review. Enjoy! -
Review from Michael V.
Evanston, IL
1/4/2012
Excellent selection of sashimi. Had toro and uni.
Very fresh, tasty sushi. Great atmosphere. Priced as expected. -
Review from Jared E.
10/4/2011 7 photos
This is a great standby for sushi nights--which are a few times a month. It's always crowded, especially on the weekends, but it's easy to get a reservation if you call early on a Saturday morning. The staff is friendly and welcoming, however they seem to speak little English, which can cause some confusion at times when it comes to ordering.
Anyway, my last trip here was this past Saturday after watching OSU suck for 2.5 hours. I'd enjoyed the game at a friend's house and had some homemade bloody marys before I made my way over here. We had a group of 6 and sat in the round booth in the far back that I call the "VIP booth." This is especially great after game days because it separates us from all of the families that seem to live at this place at times when we are not exactly having "G-rated" conversation. Speaking of families there are a LOT of them here, and if kids annoy you like they do me, just beware. When I was growing up I spent my Friday and Saturday nights at home with pizza, a movie and a babysitter while my parents ran the town--guess times have changed.
No one had any complaints. I am personally not a fan of their rolls--they tend not to hold up when you "chopstick-grab" them and sometimes the sashimi inside the rolls is warm (and there's nothing I hate more than a piece of sashimi that is NOT COLD!)
I started with a large hot sake and a small sapporo--sipping both throughout dinner. I had the tempura appetizer, which is always good. When I get tempura I like to get eel sauce on the side to dip it in. But, they are charging for it now--no biggie, just saying. I got the ramen for dinner, which was wonderful and had all kinds of goodies (a pork chop, fish cakes, veggies) swimming in a dark broth that was "just salty enough." Along with the ramen I had some odds and ends of sashimi pieces--a couple king crab, couple tuna, couple yellow tail.
Everyone else had various rolls, sushi and sashimi.
If you want good sushi (not excellent) and good Japanese food (not excellent) at a good price this is your place.
The bad: always kids here and blah wine selection--but if you just order sake/sapporo or kirin you will be fine. -
Review from Liz M.
9/7/2011
If you don't know already, I don't eat fish. No exceptions. So, to say they have the best sushi in town is out of the question for me.
What I can tell you is that my boyfriend said their sushi was exactly what he expected it to be and was happy with it. For me, my veggie sushi was good, but I prefer the harvest roll at Haiku. What I do like about Akai is that they have a lot of veggie rolls to choose from and they were all good. I found out I love radish sprouts. Who knew??
There were many Asians eating at the restaurant, which I am told, means its good. They have a two page spread in the menu that's in Chinese so Americans can't try and be cool and order traditional food.
I'd like to go back and try the non sushi menu, but I'd miss sitting at the sushi bar and chatting with the nice chefs, who are worked like dogs back there making sushi non stop all night. Whoever said their sushi took too long didn't see these poor guys working. 4 men at full sushi making speed! There efforts were appreciated!
The service was excellent, but I wish they would have cleared plates at some point. Overall the restaurant was very clean and friendly and I would like to return. 6 sushi rolls and edamame came to $40. As for my sushi recomendation...it didn't smell fishy in there, so I say go for it! -
Review from Stacy K.
Columbus, OH
2/7/2012
This was my first encounter with sushi and I am definitely a fan now. I loved the atmosphere as it wasn't overwhelming or under-thought. I enjoyed how it felt like everyone sort of had their own dining experiences with the way the dividers are placed.
We decided to try a bit of everything. Though not a "traditional" roll, we tried the Spider Crab, and it was my favorite! I didn't think that sushi could fill you up the way it does, but I felt comfortably full and not rushed during the meal.
The staff was very nice and accommodating. We went on a Monday night around 7and it was hopin with customers! But again, didn't feel like people were packed in or even had to wait with the way it's set up. With this experience and how close it is to my house, I'll definitely go again! -
Review from Im M.
Columbus, OH
12/11/2011
Great! So many family-style dishes (not just the standard sushi)! Akai Hana recreated the food experience I had with my host family in Japan. Thank you!
Also, best nabeudon ever! -
Review from Julia T.
Columbus, OH
1/8/2012
I'm not sure why this place has such high reviews. Expensive for one, and second...there were gnats flying around. Gross.
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Review from Kristina G.
Logan, OH
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff. The service was fast, we didn't have to wait long for our food. My husband ordered the Yellow tail roll and Ramen. Both tastes super good. I had the Salmon and Avocado roll and Chicken Katsu-Don, truly great food. We also got some hot Sake and oolong tea. Portions are big and price isn't bad considering what your getting. We used to spend more money at another restaurant for less the food and quality. Def. coming back here again.
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Review from John P.
Atlanta, GA
12/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is actually a Japanese Korean or Korean Japanese.
Great food and service. They have mixture of Korean and Japanese dishes.
I love the rolls and quality of the sushi. The freshness of food at the restaurant is also excellent.
The waiter and waitress is nice give you good service but just not on the top tier.
The Sushi chefs are excellent but service is not so quick.
I would go again since the dining experience is wonderful and above par. -
Review from becca p.
Columbus, OH
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here just once and i probably should have written this review months ago when i first went so i am very sorry for the missing information. .
For starters the dining area was pretty standard for any restaurant. they had tables and a sushi bar, not much out of the ordinary or stand out-ish. .was clean, ill give them that much. .
As for the food, i was not impressed! We started out with an appetizer (wish i remembered what it was!!) but it was SO bad that we didn't even eat any of it! Very sad thing for me to waste food because i hate to do that, but it was terrible.
My rolls were not bad just not good enough to be memorable. VERYYYY EXPENSIVE! For the prices you pay for sushi here you would think your meal would be memorable or at least something you would want to return just to eat again. .
Not impressed, everyone is raving about this but i think its just a trend that everyone is following. .I wont be back. -
Review from George Y.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been here dozens of times for dinner, but never for lunch. So I decided to see what they are serving for lunch. I was surprised to find them opened on MLK day, and they were packed (maybe because it was the only place opened?). I went for the lunch special, which included 2 dishes, one dish being either a sushi or chirashi dish, the other being a noodle dish (soba, udon, or ramen). Sounded like a lot, and for $14, why not try it. I got the chirashi with soba noodles. It was an amazingly filling lunch, and let me reiterate again, for only $14!? I don't know how long this lunch special has been going on, but I suspect it was maybe in response to Belle's Bread and Tensuke Market probably grabbing up a lot of the lunch crowd.
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Review from Kate H.
9/23/2011 11 Check-ins Here
Best sushi restaurant in the area by far. Fish is always fresh, food is always beautifully presented, staff is always pleasant (everyone says hello), and the place is always immaculate (I'm a bit of a germaphobe).
I have eaten lunch here at least once a week for the past 6 years and I have never had a bad meal or even a mediocre one. It is has a traditional Japanese (and even some Korean) menu. They have some Americanized food, but not much- so if that is what you are looking for, best find another place to eat. They don't focus on fancied up sushi, but traditional rolls.
Most of the staff are either Asian immigrants or first generation and their experience and familiarity with the menu shows. The staff is always willing to answer questions, explain menu items, or just give you a fork if the stix get to be too much.
We are truly lucky to have this place in Columbus. -
Review from Foodie W.
Westerville, OH
2/21/2012 2 photos
Our absolute favorite Japanese restaurant in Columbus! Great and fresh sushi! A traditional Japanese restaurant and it is always full house here. Make sure you will have a reservation in advance especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. Love the pureness of the food here. Just love it!
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Review from Walt S.
9/20/2011
Mikey Likey! A friend and I dined at Akai Hana as a respite from the OSU vs Toledo football game. Cleaned up and sober, we popped into A.K. about 8PM - place was jumping with customers (a very good sign).
Dining room: Wonderful atmosphere (tables and sushi bar)
Menu: Never ending; photos and so much to choose
Drink: Hot sake was drink of the night and was like buttah
Food: Sushi A, Sushi B and some shrimp tempura (super); miso soup
Activity: Busy; meal came out quickly and service was good.
PRICE: Oh yeah! The meals came to about $28 each (pre-tipping)
Now that is what I call a great sushi place: Akai Hana
Be Aware: Akai Hana is not open on Sundays... I went back only to be disappointed. But hey..... across the mall is a Japanese grocer who has sushi/sashimi on ice all day Sunday. Voila! -
Review from J. H.
Cleveland, OH
2/19/2012
First of all, if I could give 4.5/5 stars, I would.
I have heard/read that it's a good sign if Japanese people are eating at a Japanese restaurant (the same can be said for any ethnicity, from what I understand). While entering Akai Hana, my wife and I noted the number of Japanese diners and felt optimistic about our impending sushi experience.
We weren't disappointed.
We had made a reservation, and upon checking in, were promptly seated. Our waitress came to take our drink order within a minute or two, and returned quickly with our drinks.
For our first course, we went with the shumai and the sashimi appetizer. The shumai was perfectly prepared, and had a nice kick. The sashimi was tuna, yellowtail and octopus. The tuna and yellowtail were excellent, and the octopus (never tried it before) was a nice surprise.
For our main course, we ordered the spider roll, rainbow roll, and dragon roll. We then asked the waitress if the sushi chefs would prepare a spicy scallop that was not baked, as this is the way it is prepared on their menu. She said that they could not, but that we would not be disappointed.
She was 100% correct. Arriving first at our table, my wife and I were blown away by the rich flavor of the dish. The scallops are clearly fresh, not frozen, and the spicy mayo that blankets the sushi was delicious. It reminded me of an Oysters Rockefeller done sushi-style. It was so good, we ordered a second round before we left.
The other rolls were just as fantastic. It was very evident that the ingredients were freshly prepared, specifically the tempura shrimp and soft shell crab. The dragon roll also looks great on the plate, and the octopus that made up the "eyes" of the dragon was a special treat.
If I had one complaint about Akai Hana, it would be about the selection of rolls on their menu. Many of the rolls stray from the typical, and a good number contained potato or sweet potato. While our waitress assured us that they were also very good, it was a little too far out of our comfort zone. We told her we would take her word next time and give one of them a try...never say never, right? -
Review from Jeff P.
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
3 1/2 stars. Although I'm disappointed in the selection of authentic Japanese places in Columbus, this location helped dispel my angst a little. First of all, there was a wait for Saturday lunch, so apparently everyone around knows this is a good joint too. The fish was fresh and tasty. The edamame was tasty. The veggie tempura was quite good. The selection of specialty roles was fairly extensive. I have yet to find a top-quality sushi place in Columbus, worthy of California or New York, but this definitely comes the closest. ...And don't feed me garbage that this is middle America, there is no good sushi here...because I have enjoyed sushi in much smaller towns in the Midwest that rival the coasts.
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Review from Kelly C.
High Point, NC
8/3/2011
We initially came here per these reviews and you all were right :). Excellent food, sushi bar is quick, and the wait staff seems to direct you towards your taste. Again, they worked with my food allergy.
I got an authentic feel here, like I was actually visiting Japan. Yes, the service was slow, but it could be because they are spending extra time making our sushi.
Restaurants are clean, too. -
Review from Mike H.
Columbus, OH
8/12/2011
I'm not a big sushi aficionado but this was by far the best sushi I've ever had. We didn't get any sashimi or nigiri but had 4 different rolls. All 4 were great. Service was good too. No complaints and delicious food.
Actually I take it back, I do have one complaint. My date was terrible! I don't mean to be sexist but I've never met a women that wouldn't talk your ear off if you asked her a bunch of questions about herself. Lol. One word answers and awkward silence. Matt Lauer couldn't have pulled it off. Maybe it was me. Thank god the food was good. -
Review from Lori P.
Columbus, OH
8/11/2011
No doubt the best sushi in Columbus. I don't say this lightly. I grew up in Columbus and I have tried 80% of the sushi here. Sushi is my favorite type of food, and on most special occasions you will find me at a sushi spot. Their fish is fresh, special rolls are inventive, and overall a great experience. Sometimes they are super busy, and service suffers, but they make up for it with great food.
I have also tried the bimbim bap hot stone dish when someone else ordered it and it was very good. If I ordered from the main menu here I would definitely get that dish.
The spicy scallop roll is probably my favorite sushi roll in Columbus. Also the shrimp tempura is very good. The Dynamite roll is also very good, but not for the faint of heart... very spicy.
Another great thing is the sushi across the sidewalk at the little market is on the same par as Akai Hana. A great lunch spot, or stop for "to go" sushi. -
Review from Adam L.
Columbus, OH
7/19/2011 4 Check-ins Here
If you're not into sushi, order the sweet potato rolls.
I don't like sushi.
I like Akai Hana. -
Review from Meredith R.
Columbus, OH
I wanted every single item on them menu here, not only because it all sounded delicious, but because they had pictures for most of it! How great is that? I'm a very visually oriented kind of person, and I wish more restaurants would provide pictures of each dish, because you know what? It makes me order more food. Maybe when I'm a bazillionaire with a bazillion dollars I'll go back to Akai Hana and order one of everything on the menu...or I suppose I could take a more practical approach and just go back several times over the course of the next few years.
I can't not order sushi at a Japanese restaurant, so I had a spider roll and a Tokyo roll, both of which were fabulous and reasonably priced. My lovely dining partner ordered fried smelt and oysters, and was kind enough to share, and those were excellent as well. I don't often order oysters because I love them too much and they usually leave me a bit hungry afterward, but just so you all know, I'd be happy to eat yours for you.
We did have to wait about 45 minutes for a table, but it was a cold Saturday night in Columbus, and the wait would have been the same at any decent restaurant. The wait staff was helpful and attentive, and very accommodating.
I will definitely be returning, and as much as I love sushi, I might have to try some of the other dishes on the menu, because there was an enormous variety of cuisine to pick from and I'm curious to try some of the thingies I haven't heard of before.
