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Akai Hana
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
16769 Bernardo Ctr DrSte K11
San Diego, CA 92128
Neighborhood: Rancho Bernardo
(858) 451-0074
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Sun 4:30 pm - 8:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Specialize in grilled fresh fish sandwich, wrap, taco, salad and plates. Fish market favorites such as fish n chips, fish tacos, oyster poorboys,… read more »
161 reviews for Akai Hana
Review Highlights
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"BUT the wonderful sweet/spicy/crunchy roll was AWESOME." In 12 reviews -
"Been going to this place since it was Shien of Osaka." In 15 reviews -
"The baja roll is riceless and wrapped in cucumber." In 7 reviews
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161 reviews in English
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Review from Jenny T.
Very good deal for the price. I lovvvee sashimi dinners and I can't tell you how much I've spent on them, but this place hooks you UP. I got 14 (pretty large) pieces of sashimi, miso soup, salad, and rice for 20 something bucks. Fish was fresh, well cut and nicely presented (even though I got carry out).
I also got the albacore nigiri, which was amazing, and a spicy tuna roll.
Won't be in the area for many more days, but plan on coming back.
Oh yea...only downside is it's in a large shopping center behind the wine bar. Couldn't find it for the longest time. I know where it is now, though, so shouldn't be a problem, I hope. lolListed in: San Diego Sushi/Sashimi
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Review from Yoon P.
3/2/2012
Vegetable tempura is pretty good. Coworkers seem to like the sushi here. I like the privacy that they set up in some of the rooms.
Gets crowded on weekdays. -
Review from Rachel Q.
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here with my mom after a morning of running errands while I was still on maternity leave.
I had the soup.. of course. You can choose between ramen noodles or udon noodles. I chose ramen and I enjoyed it. The broth was tastey and the serving size was just right.
Their rolls are a little pricey and the quality was just ok. I've had better rolls in other Japanese restaurants.
The restaurant itself seemed fairly big. It was like they merged several stores in the plaza together to make this one restaurant. There was plenty of room for me to park my ginormous stroller by our table.
I'd come here again to try some more of what they have to offer. -
Review from Alan P.
Poway, CA
5/9/2012
Been going there for over 13 years and the Sushi is THE BEST. Nakamura San is the head chef, but Hiro San holds a close 2nd. I personally love the Albacore Shashimi or Albacore Special Roll and their Hamachi Kama is broiled to perfection with ponsu or terriyaki sauce. They will even customize your own particular tasty roll and once Nakamura San makes it for you, he gives it a name and every time you come back you tell him the name and he remembers. The best part is creating a roll that everyone at the Sushi bar wants to order. Give this place a try if in the area. You won't be sorry.
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Review from Erin C.
San Diego, CA
4/19/2012
I love going to Akai Hana for the sushi bar. Mr. Nakamura is so friendly and a super sushi chef, so are all the others. All the fish is fresh and tasty. My favorite is the Baja Roll. Since I am not a big rice eater, this is perfect. The Baja Roll is wrapped in cucumber and filled with albacore. I don't like lots of mayonnaise and sauces to cover up the flavor of the fish, and if you ask, he will make it the way you like it. The Sashimi here is so good, especially the Yellow tail. I really appreciate the one on one of the sushi bar here, not like some others where they try to pass off inferior fish covered in some sauce and buried in rice. Akai Hana is the best sushi and sashimi you will find in the inland of San Diego.
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Review from Kimberly B.
Solana Beach, CA
2/25/2012
Food is fresh and amazing flavor!! I have recently been on a search to find a good sushi place near my home, and after much disappointment I found one! (Trumpets sound) I went with two other people who had big appetites so we ordered several varieties of rolls and some soup. I was having a hard time deciding which roll was my favorite. The rolls were a little pricey but overall worth it. Yummy!
This little place is somewhat hard to find because they don't have a sign you can see from the street or parking lot, but instead you have to walk inside a strip mall to find it. We went on a Friday evening and the place was pretty packed but the service was timely and the waitress was very kind. I would have given it 5 stars if the place was easier to find and if it wasn't as pricey, plus it could use a makeover, but I will absolutely go there again. -
Review from Mel S.
San Diego, CA
11/14/2011
Having gone to this restaurant many times, many years ago when it was Shien of Osaka, we decided yummy sushi and sake bombs would be a perfect Wednesday girls dinner night out. Overall, not as impressed with Akai Hana as I was when it was Shien of Osaka.
Call for reservations because even on a rainy wednesday evening at 6:30pm we had a 20 minutes wait and then got seated in an easily ignored corner by the bathrooms. This is because there are limited quality semi casual restaurants for dinner in RB.
The place is not impressive to look at, the decor is 90s at best (there is wood paneling) and it is "clean" but doesn't appear to be very clean because the flooring, walls, etc need to be replaced/painted. And um.. whats the deal with the "cashier booth" is that necessary?!?! Makes it feel ghetto right when you walk in and takes up space that could be better used for much needed seating.
Our server was busy so she was a little hard to find when we needed her but was attentive and polite and fast when we asked for something. And we had to ask for a LOT of things. Menus, an explanation on the menus, straws, napkins, glasses, clean glasses, spoons for soup (?!)...
A few FYI's on this sushi place: their house salad has a creamy mayonnaise based dressing not the ginger dressing many people expect when they order house salad. They do not provide you with a complete list of the ingredients in each roll. They give you a couple menus with pictures of the rolls and descriptions but it does not have half the rolls on the sushi menu.
We ordered salmon, albacore and tuna nigiri, a special albacore roll, the super spicy roll, rb roll, philadelphia roll and 2 stuffed jalapeno rolls. nigiri was fresh, beautiful and they have us generous, clean cuts. Spicy roll wasnt very spicy. RB roll is always good Stuffed jalapeno rolls rocked! Everything else was ok
After beers all around, a few glasses of wine and a bottle of chilled nigori, we spent about $250 total. My opinion? This place is good but nothing too special. You are better off hitting up Urge next door for super yummy food and cheaper better beer (they do $2-4 tasters of beer) or if you really want sushi, go a few more miles down the road to Sushihana in Rancho Penasquitos.
Amazeballs - Stuffed jalapeno spicy tuna roll
Bummer - wait to be seated, on the expensive side for a grocery store shopping mall sushi place -
Review from Amanda S.
San Diego, CA
9/23/2011
Sushi was delightful and melted like butter in my mouth. We ordered a few pieces each and some off menu items that were special referrals. It was perfect!
The sushi chef was fantastic and happy to explain to us what he was making.
It was pricey for lunch considering I ordered 3 pieces, a hand roll and split a roll and paid $30. However I would happily do it all over again tomorrow.
Go and enjoy the super fresh and delicious sushi!! -
Review from Criselle O.
San Diego, CA
Ok, I've been hearing so much hype about this place through a couple of friends. It's not THAT great and honestly, I've had better AND at a cheaper price.
I had dinner here with a couple of friends and we kinda ordered a lot. Four different specialty rolls and i wasn't blown away with any of them. If I was, then I could tell you the names of the rolls but I wasn't so... you catch my drift... My friend also ordered the agedashi and he liked it... I guess. The only thing I kinda liked was the uni n oyster shooters. We originally asked for uni but I guess they wanted to add some oysters in there too. It was kinda hard to take that as a shot because the oysters were pretty effing huge. I kinda just scooped it out with a spoon and ate everything by itself. Haha.
The worst part about this place is the wait. It took nearly 20MIN. just to get our food. Uhm... on.to.the.next!
Wait a minute... I totally forgot about the the salmon belly I ordered. It was actually the BEST thing I ordered. I pretty much devoured it... haha. Ok, adding an extra star because of the salmon belly!! -
Review from Charlton C.
San Diego, CA
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
* Lunch Box for lunch? What a concept! *
In San Diego there are a TON of sushi/Japanese restaurants. Many of them are not quite authentic. i.e. "Crazy, Upside Down, Eel & Hamburger Roll". There isn't anything wrong with that, but it isn't traditional Japanese.
Akai Hana is not one of those places. It's all Japanese and it's very good. They do have the fancier rolls, like Caterpillar etc... but at the same time they have traditional sashimi, nigri and the like. The food quality is very high and tastes delicious. They also have traditional dishes like tonkatsu and donburi.
My favorite is the Lunch Box, surprisingly this is served at lunch. It comes with teriyaki chicken, tempura, pickles, beef stew, salad, California roll, and miso. It's a good value and will certainly fill you up.
The service is nice as well. Definitely check this place out. In a land of Americanized Japanese food, it's good to step back to get a taste of the real thing. -
Review from Farzad E.
Poway, CA
7/13/2011
To be honest, I have never had such bad service....
Arrived at 6:30... was seated right away.. 10 minutes later received our waters. 1 hour later, finally took our order after asking a couple times...
1 Hour later, half of us finally received our food..
Food was mediocre at best.... I ordered teriyaki chicken.
Miso was average.. i had 1 tiny cube of tofu...
Salad had wilted lettuce, and a watered down ranch or mayo dressing...
Rice didn't even taste fully cooked, and the chicken was........................ not good in both texture and taste.
So after eating we asked for our bill.. 40 minutes later, it arrived... We gave it back to her and 30 minutes later, we were wondering where our receipt was... Asked her, and she said "its coming its coming" ... 15 minutes later we asked again... and she said the same thing... 20 minutes later, we decided to finally get up and walk to the front, and stood there for 10 minutes while they calculated the bill and finally gave us our receipts..
We left at almost 10PM... after arriving at 6:30.. only 30 minutes of which were spent eating. -
Review from Madeline D.
Poway, CA
This has been our favorite sushi place for a while!
Here are some of our FAVORITE ITEMS on & off the menu:
- Encinitas Roll ( cooked roll, not on the menu)
- Sweet & Spicy Crunchy Roll
- Vegetable Tempura ( we ask for just the green beans! )
- Tuna Capacio ( thinly sliced tuna on a chilled plate)
- Soft Shell Crap Appetizer
Our favorite server is Peter. He has been there forever and he's quick and efficient!
Everything on the menu is great but try some of the above selections and I promise you will not be let down! -
Review from Andrea B.
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
8/29/2011
Best sushi of my life hands down. Sitting at the bar is the best option but I go frequently with my family so its easier to get a table. The freshwater eel is sooo amazing as well and the quality of all of their fish.
This place could charge quite a bit more for their miraculous creations but they don't and thats the best part! -
Review from Glen C.
7/19/2011
Solid sushi restaurant. As suggested by my fellow yelpers, I sat at the bar. The fish was fresh and the sushi solid, and the sushi chef was awesome. Unfortunately, the service such as having water served or getting an extra napkin too forever. It was a shame... the waitress was nice but she was completely overwhelmed with trying to serve all the guests.
The restaurant itself is large and low key. Prices is are what you'd expect when you go out for sushi. Definitely recommend. -
Review from Chiefs Wife S.
Escondido, CA
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here with a friend from school, and OMG!!! I'm in love with their sushi! We couldn't stop eating, the Keith roll is the BOMB! So was the crunchy something roll and some other roll made out of the outsides of a cucumber filled with yummy goodness!
I think I died and went to sushi heaven during lunch! -
Review from F B.
San Diego, CA
2/9/2012
Very good,nice atmosphere.
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Review from Stacy R.
Poway, CA
My favorite sushi restaurant. Mr. Nakamura finds the most fabulous fish. The only place to have albacore. Have been dining at Akai Hana since 1998. My husband, Keith proposed to me at the sushi bar with sushi chef, Hirosan presenting my engagment ring with our favorite roll at the time, the albacore special roll. We have come to love our neighborhood sushi bar and our favorite staff member, Peter. He is the man!!! Remembers all the details and makes us and our guests feel so special. Looking forward to many more years of dining at Akai Hana.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/9/2011
Akai Hana is still my favorite sushi restaurant in San Diego. The quality of the fish is… Read more »
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Review from Cindy H.
San Diego, CA
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This used to be my favorite Japanese/sushi place to go back when it was still called Shien of Osaka. That changed when Love Boat opened just a few minutes away.
Anyways, I still like coming to Akai Hana though. They are a bit pricey, even for Japanese food, but the quality is good. If you're coming here for sushi, they don't have as large of a selection as some other places, but still a decent selection. -
Review from Andre R.
San Diego, CA
9/6/2011 4 Check-ins Here
My local sushi bar in Rancho Bernardo. I come here quite often and usually sit with Hiro-san as my chef. Everyone here is so nice and so attentive.
I liked everything in their menu and if it is not in the menu, just tell Hiro-san what you have in mind and he'll create it for you in no time. My favorite salad here is when Hiro-san combines both house salad and the seaweed salad together and tops it off with cucumbers,avocados, and other available vegetables. Just tell him you want Andre-san's house/seaweed salad combined.
Sushi quality is superb. You won't be disappointed. -
Review from Heng Y.
San Diego, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Extremely slow. Water showed up only after 20 minutes. Food did not get served until more than an hour later. The tempura in udon was soggy when served.
The long line at the door was due to one simple reason. They won't cleanup the tables 30 minutes after the guests have left.
Will not come back. -
Review from James B.
4/25/2011
This has to be one of my favorite sushi spots in the San Diego area!
Sushi: 5/5 stars
Hamachi (yellowtail), Sake (Salmon), and Unagi (freshwater eel) sushi were amazing! The sushi pieces were not only much thicker and larger than the sushi at other places I've been to, but also tastes much more fresh. The sushi here is a must have
Rolls: The rolls were decent but nothing spectacular. 3/5 stars
Sake: 4/5 stars
I'm a huge fan of cold unfiltered sake (nigori) and the Sayuri is really good here. It goes well with the sushi.
Service:
The staff are friendly and provide good service.
Parking:
Free parking lot, so finding a space isn't a problem at all.
Overall:
Sushi is excellent. Rolls are mediocre. Would've received 5 stars if the rolls were better.Listed in: San Diego
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Review from Thi N.
San Diego, CA
4/13/2011
I was ubberly excited when I read about all the great reviews this restaurant have. But when I left I was semi disappointed =o( Here's why:
The restaurant is just way too big in a bad way. The layout is divided by two rooms with the bar on one side and the other side rooms filled with seats and private dining area. Basically an office space turned into a restaurant.
The staff was very friendly but food took awhile to reach us as we were starving just wating for it.
Here's my rating on the food I ordered:
*Agedashi Tofu -- Delicious and portion size is ginormous! Seriously where did they get these tofu's from???
*Wakame Cucmber Sunomono - totally disappointed because it was soak in sauce and not that tasty at all
*Baja Roll - This is by far one of the best deal of the day..I absolutely loved it..Fresh was fish.. portions were huge and very tasty!
* Maguro Teriyaki - When you read that it's going to be Tuna belly you think ooooo but when it' came out the fish was so overcooked that it was extremely dry and resemble the texture of overcook chicken... no bueno!!!
*Tori Udon - disappointed because the broth was bland....
Experience was okay.. just okay.. maybe I'll have to give it a go another time =o/ -
Review from Jason T.
San Diego, CA
1/20/2012
Best and freshest sushi in town!
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Review from Raymond C.
San Diego, CA
1/6/2012
Our recent experience here was similar to mel a. "Our server was busy so she was a little hard to find when we needed her but was attentive and polite and fast when we asked for something. And we had to ask for a LOT of things."
I remember when this place was Shien of Osaka. The table food is not the same as it was back then, but the sushi is still good. It appears that most of the positive reviews are from those who dine at the sushi bar. I agree that the sushi and alcohol selection is good, and would add that the appetizers are also well done. The dinner entrees, however, are pretty mediocre and a bit expensive.
The one thing going for them is that they have a lot of space for large groups, and making a reservation was quick and easy. I would just stick to the appetizers, sushi, and drinks. -
Review from Mitch K.
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this sushi place!!! I have been coming here for the last ten years and will continue to come. The quality of the fish is first rate. The sushi chef Hero always makes me something new and exciting every visit. I also love how the ladies in front always remember my name and tell me that my parents were just in last week! They are such a thoughtful staff. The ambiance isn't anything special, seeing as it hasn't ever changed, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying their amazing food. They are a little on the expensive side, but with my huge appetite sushi typically is...
I strongly recommend Akai Hana aka Shein of Osaka to anyone who is in the North County! -
Review from Elan O.
Poway, CA
11/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I, personally am a frequent attendee to this sushi bar, as it being my favorite local dining craze. Each chef is well-trained and experienced in the field(s) of sushi-"making". Service is very welcoming and justifying. My recommendation is there Albacore belly, or anything with Hamachi (Yellowtail).
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Review from Jerry W.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I've been here a few hundred times over the last 15 years. Usually I come once a week for the Tuesday lunch special. They have a special everyday but the Tuesday one is my favorite. $8.25 for healthy portions of miso soup, salad, shrimp tempura, chicken teriyaki and rice.
If you come for lunch, I recommend coming right when they open at 11:30. This ensures a shorter wait for your food since this place often gets busy quickly. Plus the shrimps will be the most crispy and delicious if the ones you order are the first ones in the fryer.
Another thing I love about this place is that they don't charge for green tea. The food is good and the staff is always very friendly and nice. They even remember exactly what I want. Another recommendation is to try the carrot dressing for the salad. -
Review from Monica S.
Anaheim, CA
12/5/2011
Great sushi. Yummy yellowtail - my fav.
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Review from rite r.
San Diego, CA
3/31/2011
I had such a bad experience at this place. My husband and I were very excited to go because we heard such wonderful things. But here's what happened.
Service:
Front of the house host and waiters were not at all friendly. I bet, if we walked out without paying, they won't even notice.
Sitting:
They sat us at the back where all the Asians were. I didn't notice this at first but then my husband pointed it out and that's when I noticed it too. I was very irritated. Was I being paranoid? We went by there a few times and saw the same thing. Very sad.
Food:
Very very disappointing. You can get better tasting and better quality sushi at a gas station food bar.
I am so disappointed that I did not have a good experience here. Very surprised at the other reviews. -
Review from Bryan W.
Escondido, CA
2/27/2011
One of my favorite sushi spots, and among the best quality fish and sushi that I've had. Portions are generous, prices are very reasonable (not cheap - but not Japengo or Sushi on the Rock).
The staff are friendly, and so are most of the regulars. I can't comment on the rest of the menu because we only order sushi here. This is not a trendy spot so don't go here expecting some great night life. Go here for the excellent food, take a couple friends, and you won't be disappointed. -
Review from Debbie H.
San Diego, CA
5/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is by far the best sushi place that I have ever been to. I have been coming here for almost six years and it has been consistently amazing! The food is excellent, the servers are friendly, they even greet me and my husband by name when we come in and they have memorized our usual order!! Even when I try something new, it is always really tasty and fresh. I have brought many friends and family members here and they all love it, too.
The food is fresh and the specialty rolls are all very good, my favorite is the special cucumber roll (no rice for those of you who are carb conscious) and the keith roll. The combinations plates are a really good deal. On Friday and Saturday nights they are really super busy, so make a reservation before you head in. I can't say enough good things about this place, it honestly makes all of the other sushi places I have been to look bad. Lastly, look on http://valpak.com for a 20% off coupon!! -
Review from Johnny G.
Redondo Beach, CA
1/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
The wife and I were in search of some dim sum in the area. After getting abandoned at the Pearl, we used the Yelp app to find this place. The reviews seemed good, so what the hey?
Here are the bullet points:
- Miso soup: Tasted like Ramen soup broth.
- The dumplings were oily, but not "bad"
- Tempura was a fritter consistency, rather than real tempura
- Sushi rice was just white sticky rice; no taste as in authentic sushi rolls
It seems as though some residents aren't aware of what authentic Japanese cuisine is "supposed" to be like. I have a veritable ace up my sleeve when it comes to experiencing the good stuff...
Maybe there was a change in chefs recently? Who knows. A return engagement is highly unlikely. -
Review from Stevo J.
Beverly Hills, CA
This is probably the best sushi in the immediate Rancho Bernardo area. Good selection and always fresh. Rolls are crunchy without too much rice. Have harder to find sushi like kisu and madai... I felt like the sushi chefs can prepare sushi in an 'authentic' way, and also have the more American-friendly sushi rolls as well.
Great service - they can store your sake bottle for your next visits...
Very homey feel - all the customers seem to know each other and the staff.
Some of the customers swear this is the best sushi they've had... I highly doubt that they're the best sushi in Cali, but definitely best in the area. -
Review from Shane D.
3/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place amazes me. It is not easy to find. It's in the middle of a small outdoor mall, down some stairs, and on a side street. But yet it's a big sushi restaurant and it's packed. That's a good sign that this place is gonna be a winner.
It's not going to win an award for best service, and the prices are about average, but the sushi is great. My best friend has been here dozens of times and says it is always consistently great.
The albacore sashimi (my stand by) is served with garlic shavings and was buttery soft and perfect. The dragon roll was great, and the sashimi platter we ordered had a little of everything, and every piece was great.
I will be coming back I'm sure. -
Review from Minnow N.
3/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Rancho Bernardo has some surprisingly good restaurants hidden in low lit, mundane areas.
Akai Hana is pretty big but has a homey feel to it. As a group of 5, we were seated in about 15 minutes after being given a 20 minute estimated wait time (plus points).
Although we were seated pretty quickly, no one came to take our drink orders or dinner orders until one of my friends had to get up and ask for service (minus points). I'm not sure if it was because we were seated in a 'private room' or because they were busy, but i was somewhat disappointed by this.
Their saving grace was their food. Although it is quite comparable to Japanese restaurants on Convoy, they offer a good variety of "combos". Their rolls are a good size but the selection is not as creative as some other places.
I had the combo plate with sashimi and tempura, which came with rice, salad, and miso soup. Pretty good deal for $15. The tempura is very good, light tasting despite the deep fried factor. The BEST part of the whole meal was the tuna sashimi. It was incredibly fresh and melted in my mouth!
This little gem is a great alternative to driving 20 minutes south to Convoy for some Japanese food. I will definitely be back despite their trip up at the beginning of dinner. -
Review from T K.
San Diego, CA
10/22/2011
I only eat a green salad and Broccoli Tempura but I love both. There is something about the salad dressing that hypnotizes me. I could probably drink it. My family and I go here often because it is close to home and the service always exceeds my expectations.
If you feel like splurging, spend the extra $10 and reserve the private room. We did the last time and felt kinda fancy...it reminded me of Rush Hour. -
Review from Kara V.
7/8/2011
Whenever I'm on business dinners, sushi seems to be high on the list of what to choose. I suppose it's a special treat in most places in the country. In Reno we have tons of sushi places all with all you can eat options for like $20...made to order at the bar. But even having had sushi become a common occurrence, this place impressed me. We came with a party of 4 and the service was just right and professional. Everyone in our party seem to know that we would order a lot of sushi and be served family style...just pass it around. We had Maguro, Hamachi, Saba, Eel and Ikura, plus a bunch of rolls. The fish quality was super good and the rice was done properly. So many sushi joints in Reno mess up the rice. Sake was had by all and we had a great time.
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Review from Mike C.
When it comes to sushi, I have a tendency to become a little bit more critical on my reviews. This place did not even meet my PAR expectations. I had some slight grumbles the next morning, but I honestly can't say that it was due to this place.
I wasn't feeling the regular sushi nigiri pieces tonight, so went for three rolls that satisfied my hunger as well as spicy needs instead: spicy tuna, spicy salmon, and spicy yellowtail. All three pretty much had fresh sushi. The spicy sauce was too much and overpowered the sushi. Also, the presentation was all jacked up. If you don't believe me, look at my pics. Just because there is extra stuff over, it doesn't make it right to just plop it over a cut roll. Looks crappy on my books.
I sat at the sushi bar, of course, since I knew that I would get the best service. In this case, yah sure, I got my rolls on a timely fashion. But, there was no real chef-customer interaction here. Also, I noticed that the sushi chef would accept bottled beer from customers to share shots with them. However he said it was a policy for the chefs to not drink. I think you need to make this policy known to the customers beforehand (ie a sign maybe). Since the customer bought the chef an un-opened bottle that was put to no use. It is both a disgrace and an insulting gesture to not share the shots, and to not open a bottle intended as a gift. In other words...don't accept shots/beer from customers nex time. Period. It's pointless. This happened twice by the way. Two unopened bottles of beer given to the chef, but only the customer drinks.
I also noticed at the bar area...twice...sushi rolls that were prepared that were left unattended for several minutes. Chefs...you need to step up and yell if you need to get the servers to pick up their sushi rolls and give them to the customers. You just stood there, and not say anything. I know because after those sushi rolls were prepared; you were done, just waiting on the next order. During that "down time" period, you could have personally sent the sushi to the customers. But noooooooooo, you didn't inform the server and you didn't do it yourself.
It's not just a piece of meat - Sushi is supposed to be the finer cuts of a fish. But dont treat it like just another piece of meat. I noticed on a few occasions, the excess sushi meat was chucked back in the cooler, touching the glass by the way. Bottom line, handle it with care.
Im not here to compare you guys to other sushi places, but you are held at a higher standard; presentation, freshness, professionalism and service are the mimimum for a sushi place. When a customer walks in, you greet them appropriately, and not snicker at the weird couple who just walked in and nudging your fellow chef next to you, who also laughed.
Take a look at my review on Sushi Ota. You may not get to the 5-star range, but at least it is start to where you need to be in my PAR expectations. -
Review from Sparta C.
San Diego, CA
The sushi rolls were delicious. We also got the crab meat stuffed shiitake mushrooms, but only got 3 pieces when the picture showed 4 pieces. I guess the pictures aren't always accurate.
While the food was delicious, the service was mediocre because the restaurant was huge but there were only a few waitresses. They were walking around very quickly trying to help everyone, but there simply aren't enough waitresses to help everybody. Near the end of the day, there were only a few tables of people around us, but it still took forever to get our check. Then, no waitresses came around to pick it up for a long time so we just got up and went to pay at the front even though they have a sign that asks politely to please pay at your table for your convenience. I guess it wasn't the first time people had to get up to pay so they can get out and get on with their lives. -
Review from Victor S.
Poway, CA
4/2/2011
A friend and I went to Akai Hana close to 9:30pm last nite for a late dinner. Even though they had a closing time of 9:15pm, they were very kind to take us in as their last guests.
They served some oysters on a half shell as well as a few sushi rolls. They were quick with getting the food to us and it was delicious!
We spent about 1/2 hour there in and out the door. Quickie!
Time was not on our side, however they were available to take us in and still provide excellent service.
Kanpai!
