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Akai Hana
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
3223 W Lake Ave(at Skokie Blvd)
Wilmette, IL 60091
(847) 251-0384
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Carie M. said: "We've ordered food from here a couple of times. The sushi is always absolutely delicious and the presentation is outstanding. Personally, it's my favorite in Lake View. Last week I brought my two year old son in with me for our pick…" read more »
79 reviews for Akai Hana
Review Highlights
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"Have you tried their green tea ice cream." In 4 reviews -
"Though the lunch specials are great, dinner is just ok." In 8 reviews -
"I always get the agedashi dofu or whatever." In 4 reviews
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79 reviews in English
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Review from Rick C.
1/8/2012
This is solely for their lunch specials. I remember thier dinners to be over priced and just ok. Akai Hana is a traditional sushi place. If your expecting black rice or soy paper, this is not the place for you. If you're looking for a huge tempura udon combination with your choice or sushi roll for ten bucks, then please come right in.
Unfortunately, this place is in a strip mall with one of the worst conceived parking lots imaginable. Dodge the Lou Malnati take outers, don't park at the bank and you'll be fine. They have sushi combos ( sushi set three is my fave. spicy salmon, spicy tuna, and spicy california with miso soup) as well as bento boxes and the previously mentioned udon/ramen lunches.
Great lunch spot. Oh, and if oysters are your thing don't miss out on the kaki fry (fried oysters with veggies). They're a must have, -
Review from Rachel N.
4/9/2012
Was tempted to give it 3 because AH holds a special place in my heart as the first locale in which I had non grocery store sush many, many moons ago, but after the last few lack luster trips, I think it's time to admit that it's just totally mediocre.
Place looks tired, fish tastes a bit tired -- it's all a bit depressing. Most rolls are fine, really nothing special -- and all of the "special" rolls are insanely pricey (often $15+) for how unappetizing they are. Nigiri is a better choice, w/ the albacore being a favorite. Salmon was recently too fishy, and the snapper was too firm.
Cooked entrees are standard udon/teriyaki/etc -- all tributes to sodium and absent of the clean respect for ingredients that true Japanese food should have. Oh, and they serve escolar, which no one should eat. Ever.
Din for 2 was $65ish -- I think it was 10 pieces of nigiri (1 piece/order), 2 rolls, 1 gomae, 1 salad, 2 teas. Pace of the meal is quick -- not somewhere to lounge and pontificate. -
Review from Cynthia E.
Evanston, IL
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very consistent, nice service, good selection on the menu. I find it to be a little expensive for lunch, but you do get a lot of food. Seaweed salad is good, the ebi are my favorite!
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Review from Pete D.
3/7/2012
Wavered between 3 and 4 stars here. Food is good, service is good, but a little pricey. I realize it's Wilmette, but it's in a strip mall. Took my folks here, and they liked it too. The tempura was excellent, as was the spicy teriyaki chicken.
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Review from Xandra K.
Wilmette, IL
9/16/2011
My mother and I just went to Akai Hana tonight for dinner. We used to come here several times a month, whenever we had friends in town, for big family dinners, etc. Then the management changed and the food quality went downhill. Honestly, we hadn't been there for a few years, so we decided to give it another go. How could we tell people it was bad if we hadn't been there recently?
First, we walked in and the restaurant wasn't that busy, maybe 40-50% full. No one was waiting, and we stood at the hostess table for a good 3 minutes while the manager (owner?) and a server finished their conversation. NO NO, YOU FINISH YOUR CONVERSATION. We'll just wait here... We get seated and the bus boy was very prompt bringing our waters. (the only employee who cares, apparently)
Then, we waited about 10 minutes. And waited... We had no idea who our waitress was. Two other tables were seated after us and were greeted by their waitress and brought drinks. When our waitress finally came to our table (Dom/Dum, according to the manager) we were briskly asked if we were ready. I asked...for our drinks..or... And she interrupted me to say "for everything." VERY RUDE. We said we were leaving because we had waited so long. She didn't even apologize, she just gathered our menus and walked off. I talked to the manager/owner lady at the front but she didn't seem to really care either.
The overall feeling in Akai Hana now is that no one cares. About the food, about the service, about the quality in general. It really is a shame because this used to be our favorite Japanese spot. Now we can accurately tell people to NOT EAT THERE. Go to 153 Akira...those people REALLY appreciate their customers and know most by name. Great food too. -
Review from Lisa H.
Wilmette, IL
2/1/2012
I have been going to Akai Hana for years out of convenience. The sushi is just ok, but you never have to wait for a table and they're really fast. But, I will never go back. The manager/owner is way too pushy and the servers are rude.
I brought my six week old baby in, who was SLEEPING in his carrier. Without asking, she started touching and pulled him out of his carrier proceeded to walk him around the restaurant to show other tables. Of course he woke up and freaked out, so after 10 minutes of him screaming, I asked her to give him back. She insisted he was fine and I literally had to tug back and forth to get him out of her arms. Then when I finally calmed him down she came back and tried to take him out of his carrier again, which woke him up again. She tried to take him OUTSIDE OF THE RESTAURANT to calm him down. Nothing was ok about this.
She is way too pushy and obnoxious. I will never go back. Our meal was ruined. I didn't finish my meal and the friends we had brought there were totally shocked and hated it. -
Review from Chet M.
6/22/2011
What A.H. lacks in decor and a put-you-to-sleep dining experience, they make up for in providing loyal customers a tremendous dining value.
You can score big with their lunch specials, that's even offered on the weekends.
Everytime I go there, I say I'm going to try something different. But with that 12 piece sushi special for $12.99 staring you in the face, I can never break new ground here. It comes with a huge cucumber salad and 6 pieces of maki roll too.
Call me boring but I will bet that no one can find a more painless and inexpensive way to do something so beneficial for the heart! -
Review from Cecilia T.
San Mateo, CA
2/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Hm my 2 star doesn't reflect the fact that i actually come more frequently than you'd think, mostly because there are limited choices for Japanese restaurants in this area. I remember when I was a kid this place used to be really good. But then they probably changed ownership and their food became overpriced and Americanized.
Nevertheless I continue to come here due to limited choices in the area. I avoid their sushi because it's so overpriced for the type of quality that you get. I mean, it's edible, but really, so Americanized.
I almost always get the Tempera Udon because it's a better deal than some other things - they give a generous variety of tempura battered Veggies such as Sweet Potato, beans, onions, shrimp, etc. Very filling and sometimes i have to bring home leftovers.
My sister likes to order the Nabeyaki Udon which looks healthier than the Tempura Udon dish - comes not only with Shrimp Tempera but a lot of boiled veggies in the soup - much healthlier than my dish. I plan to order this next time i go to Akai Hana.
I also think their Lunch Combination Box is a good bang for the buck - they give a large lunch box with a variety of foods depending on the selection. Probably a better deal than dinner.
Their green tea is gross - powdered stuff. And their ramen is really bad. Also, their icecream dessert can be old and gross. Watch out.! -
Review from Ted C.
3/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Every once in a while I end up here because my aunt seems to like this place. I just think it's maybe average at best. My latest visit I went to lunch with said aunt. The lunch specials seemed reasonably priced and I ordered the sashimi box while my aunt got the salmon box. The lunch special comes with a salad and a miso soup which was okay.
The sashimi box only has 6 pieces of sashimi 2 salmon, 2 tuna, and 2 pieces of yellowtail the rest was all maki rolls which was kind of disappointing. I'd rather get a couple of smaller pieces of fish than 6 slices of fish and all maki. If I wanted maki I would have ordered that.
Service is okay, it doesn't seem like any one table or section belongs to one person so everyone just comes by and it took a while for our check to be presented but even more our check to be taken after we were ready to pay up. We ended up having to put the tip on the table and walk up to the register to get change. I'll end up back here again sometime because it's nearby buy I won't particularly enjoy it. -
Review from Paul S.
Chicago, IL
1/7/2011
Walls decorated nicely and plenty of room for large parties. Even the waitress service is attentive.
Unfortunately everything in that place is covered in a thin layer of fish oil. Even the green tea vaguely tastes like fish. Akai Hana prices food a bracket higher than most cheaper Asian restaurants but still serves poor quality stuff to its customers.
Could be some much more. -
Review from Rob W.
2/14/2011
The last time I visited I was totally disappointed. I ordered sushi and they were running low on rice. They rushed a new "pot" out that was still warm and hadn't had time to settle. As a result, the sushi didn't stick together very well.
A good sushi place would not have allowed this to happen. There are better places that don't - and it is those places where I will be enjoying my next tekka maki. -
Review from Caroline A.
Skokie, IL
7/22/2011
We've been going to Akai Hana since we were newlyweds, nearly 20 years ago. The food is always very good, traditional Japanese, although the updated menu does offer many of the new Americanized rolls that people seek. Despite an absence of a year or so (feeding a family of 5 a sit-down sushi meal is a real treat for most pocketbooks), we just returned and were still greeted by name! It's a welcoming place where families with children of all ages can enjoy a wonderful meal.
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Review from Ron C.
Chicago, IL
12/21/2010
Akai Hana used to rock, but now it's a money pit for poor quality food. We used to go at least once a month. After three bad experiences, I have to give up on Akai Hana for poor quality food and service. There must have been a change in ownership.
Key tip off, this is not a real Japanese establishment -- just a wanna be. Let me just say that your first tip off is that Lee is a Chinese or Korean surname not Japanese. Save your hard earned money and pass on what used to be a pretty good restaurant. -
Review from Ben J.
Glencoe, IL
8/10/2010 4 Check-ins Here
There is a man that works at Akai Hana named Mr. Lee.
Mr. Lee can move at lightning speeds and can bus every table in the whole restaurant with high efficiency by himself. He moves faster than the speed of sound, and gets his job done at all costs. Once, a customer spilled their water, and Mr. Lee reversed time so it didn't even happen. Another time, Mr. Lee even saved the planet from evil ninjas in Guam all while performing his wait staff duties at Akai Hana in WIlmette.
Mr. Lee is a sonic-speed legend that continues to inspire us all.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you Mr. Lee.
Now, onto the restaurant: Akai Hana has a very distinct flavor in their maki rolls that comes from their fresh fish. They add sesame seeds to pretty much everything, and the flavor works.
Their tonkatsu is generous, and their sea bass always satisfies. In addition to a huge menu with plenty of vegetarian options, they also have good combination boxes that are generous, if a little expensive.
The mochi ice cream is a nice touch, and the place is a fun spot in town to have dinner.
Restaurant approved. -
Review from Hope K.
Skokie, IL
4/28/2011
Stopped by for a quick dinner around my boyfriend's house.
Great start with a hot cup of green tea!
1. my boyfriend started with an Uni hand-roll. Very big because they actually put 2 pieces of Uni in the hand-roll. He liked it. It was fresh!
2. Chicken Katsu ( chicken cutlet)
Normally I go with the pork katsu but the server recommended the chicken. It was a huge portion. Very crispy and well seasoned!
Will definitely try it again next time! I had left overs to take home.
3. Nabeyaki Udon
We ordered this particular udon because this is the only udon dish that they would put in a non plastic bowl! Plastic bowls+hot liquid = BPA!!!!!
We had two pieces of shrimp tempura on the side but it was a bit soggy.
The soup was nicely seasoned. I did request less salt when I was ordering. They did honor my request!
Nice service and always a pleasant experience! -
Review from S I.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food is good and reasonably priced. Unlike other reviewers, the service was very good-frequent water and tea refills and even extra ice cream for our elderly grandmother. Will go back again.
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Review from Lisa M. B.
Odell, IL
3/5/2011
I went for the first time for lunch with a friend who had been there before. We arrived at 12:40 and there were plenty of open tables. The establishment appeared clean and inviting, and a hostess promptly greeted and seated us. Moments later we received our hot towels, glasses of water, chopsticks, menus and napkins. My companion ordered a "lunch box" for about $10.95 and I ordered the sushi special for $12.00. Within a couple minutes, our server brought soup to us and before we finished our soup, our meals arrived.
The lunch box was more food by volume than was the sushi special. It had chicken strips, broccoli, a large slice of orange, a few pieces of vegetable rolls, and a cucumber salad. The variation of colors served was beautiful and made the lunch box very appetizing. My companion indicated the chicken was quite good.
My sushi meal was also very good. The fish was fresh and the rice it sat on was cooked to perfection. The garnish was minimal though there was plenty of ginger. I thought I remembered the menu indicating the special includes cucumber salad, so I inquired of our server who said the special is either soup or salad. I didn't specify when I ordered the special, nor did the server ask me which I wanted before he brought the soup, so after he explained the either/or, he brought the cucumber salad to me, which was delicious.
Overall: Good enough that I may go back again and try a lunch box. -
Review from Keiko S.
7/23/2007 3 photos
This restaurant is popular for several good reasons. The menu covers most of the standard items you'd find at a typical pseudo-Japanese restaurant: appetizers, teriyaki, sushi, rolls, tempura, noodles, sukiyaki, nabe, etc... Basically, something for everyone. Large portions, too. Best of all, they have a huge selection of sake, my favorite being the Sho Chikubai's "nigori" from Berkeley, CA. Not sure what to get, then you can order a sampler of junmai, ginjo, daiginjo.
Interestingly, they have wireless internet connection in the restaurant, though it's really not a suitable place for opening your laptop. They also offer a "rewards program" where you can get a point for every dollar you spend there... Hmm.
The room is nicely decorated, clean, comfortable and spacious. Good for any occassion. Service is slow, but not rude. The place is usually packed, even on weekdays, so you can't expect much individual attention. Also, this place is open 7 days a week, unlike others.
Anyway, I'm not going back to this place. For these reasons:
Miso soup = MSG
Sauce/dressing = pure sugar
"Premium" green tea = $5
Desserts = Cheese Cake Factory
and...
Chirashi = Rice. Not just rice, but very WARM and poorly seasoned rice. I bit into a WARM slice of tako, and I almost gagged. And they give you a TON of this WARM rice, more than twice the usual amount. Half of it is generously covered with slices of cucumber. The other half carries eight thin slices of low-end sashimi. Unbelievable...
SUM: I'd rather go to Sea Ranch Market next door and buy fresh fish so I can make my own food at home.Listed in: Japan in the Chicagoland
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Review from Rachel H.
5/15/2008
Pretty decent sushi, I love their spicy scallop roll, its really good.
The green tea ice cream is hit or miss, its good most of the times ( 3bad out of 7visits). they have lunch specials which are on the pricy side (IMHO). -
Review from Giselle S.
Glenview, IL
2/29/2008
Went here to celebrate a birthday. For a party of 11 we were seated in the back corner. Almost everyone ate the Sea Bass Combo. Sea Bass is fried with good size flaky chunks of fish. Substitutions were one dollar for spicy tuna roll instead of the California roll.
I ordered the Tempera Udon which came with two smallish pieces of shrimp, and tempera vegetables of sweet potato, green beans, and broccoli. I think there was zucchini or yellow squash (can't remember). The broth was okay, and the noodles were Udon consistency. I also had the side salad with the house dressing and a red bean ice cream for dessert.
Sitting in the corner we were situated with a bird's eye view of the kitchen/ prep area. And by the time our ice creams came around, the smell of pine sol permeated from this kitchenette area.
A couple of tips this place is NOT BYOB. And when you find a parking spot, take it, do not go looking for one closer. BANK space parking only after hours. -
Review from Jessica O.
Glenview, IL
5/7/2008
Akai Hana is a really cute sushi place. The decor is traditionally Japanese and has screens over the windows, the sushi bar itself is a little cramped, so I like to sit at tables or booths here.
I recommend their lunch boxes and dinner boxes... they are a pretty good value. You get soup or salad (I LOVE their ginger dressing), your entree, cucumber/crab salad, a california roll, rice, and ice cream for around $20. I would recommend it as a standard sushi restaurant, you aren't going to get the trendy fancy rolls here, but they are a classic. -
Review from Dylan S.
Buffalo Grove, IL
I came here on the suggestion of my little cousin, Adric, even though I've been here a few times before. We came in around 3:00, and there wasn't really anybody there, which was nice. However, service was unusually slow.
I had the Tempura Udon special with spicy tuna rolls and inari-zushi. The rolls were good, if a bit small, and the inarizushi was near perfect. The udon soup itself was good, if a bit overloaded on nori flakes. Tempura veggies were ok, but the tempura shrimp was bland. Crunchy, but bland.
Otherwise, I tried a bit of the Una-Q sushi, which was alright. Nothing to write home about.
All in all, it was an acceptable meal, but nothing special. Costwise, the lunch special was definitely worth the $15 or so I spent on it. -
Review from Annie S.
Santa Fe, NM
3/25/2007
Great place to get sushi in Wilmette.
Fresh sushi and always busy. My parents always get the tempura udon and they love it. The Orange Roll is very good--- try it for sure.
The prices aren't too pricey but not cheap.Listed in: Childhood memories, Best sushi
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Review from Lisa A.
Wilmette, IL
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I been here over the years for convenience. It's close by, service is okay and bento box with the combination is usually what I order because I like the variety. I don't feel their sushi or sashimi is really that fresh and they don't do a great job on their maki rolls...sometimes putting too much sauce maybe to cover up the non-freshness? Their cooked sea bass combination is not bad, but always afraid to order cooked seafood at a Japanese restaurant since it is most often overcooked. The udon dishes are okay, but can you really mess that up?
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Review from Rico T.
Chicago, IL
12/18/2008
This place used to be a record store. What does that have to do with my review? Absolutely nothing.
The agedashi-dofu was probably the best I've had in Chicago. The spicy tuna handroll was too "chunky." Maybe if they sliced the tuna portion into thinner strips, or tartare style. The salmon skin handroll was edible, but by far the worst of my selections.
Two large Sapporos always makes up for the shortfalls. -
Review from Ralph L.
IL
8/14/2007
Awesome quality but the service really bites! I went there yesterday at 5:00 PM on purpose and I still got lousy service. After I was seated I had NO contact, not even a glass of water. I looked around and saw several employees (waiter types) chatting it up nearby. I asked the head honcho if there was someone to help us. Well, he yelled something to the staff and suddenly we got some OK service. I don't know what he yelped to them (Japanese) but it worked!
This place would get 5 stars if they could get the staff to work! -
Review from Jackie B.
Chicago, IL
11/28/2009
My family has been coming to Akai Hana as long as I can remember, so I'll admit there's some nostalgia mixed in here, but this place really does have solid Japanese.
I've probably been here over a hundred times and the sushi has always been extremely fresh and reasonably priced. The rainbow and orange rolls are always a good bet. They offer a great selection of non-sushi dishes as well. The combination "lunchboxes" are great (good for kids too), and the seabass teriyaki is delicious. I also love their soft shell crab appetizer, but that's just a personal favorite. Oh, and I'm sure others have mentioned it, but they literally have the best green tea ice cream I've ever had. When my parents were still in the restaurant business they did all they could to special order it (it's made by Edy's and only sold in bulk to retailers) but unfortunately I guess Edy's saw through their ploy - I don't know why, I think Sbarro's would have been a great marketing opportunity...
The only con would have to be the decor (read: no ambiance) and strip mall location, but in a way that's also part of its charm. Bottom line: there is better sushi out there in the world, but on the North Shore (and for the price), Akai Hana is the way to go. -
Review from David R.
10/22/2008
My commute passes by here every day, but I never came in until last summer when some friends of mine were moving away and suggested it for a farewell dinner. The place was packed on a Friday night, but the staff was friendly and cooed repeatedly over my friends' seven-month-old daughter. I recall enjoying my bento box, which was a pretty good deal.
Craving sushi for dinner last night, I stopped by Akai Hana and placed a takeout order. I actually had a hard time deciding because the menu showed me nothing too creative. After finishing the food, it all seemed overpriced by about $0.50 or $0.75.
The shitake roll was good, but it's hard to screw that up. I ordered spicy yellowtail, but what I got was just plain yellowtail. It was good, but...whoops. The "crunchy" california roll was just a rolling of tempura flakes for $0.75 extra, and by the time I got home, they weren't crunchy anymore (if they ever were). And besides, the roll was way too salty.
There are several other sushi joints along my route, so I won't bother with Akai Hana for my next craving.Listed in: Into the Black Hole
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Review from Melissa M.
New York, NY
5/11/2008
Blah. Amidst screeching suburban children, I tried to enjoy sushi here. We ordered rolls a la carte as I'm used to at other sushi places, but I was surprised when the waitress told us we'd only each get miso soup if we ordered regular meals. She gave us one meager MSG-laced bowl for three of us, which I thought was pretty stingy considering the sushi here is not cheap. Bowls were chipped and also not cleared when we were done with different courses.
Didn't look like sushi was made by the chef; it was improperly rolled and when I was at the bar I noticed most of it was made by "assistants." No info about where the ingredients were from either, a must when ordering seafood given the current situation of widespread seafood contamination in China, a major source of eel, shrimp, and other sushi staples. -
Review from Tricia L.
12/22/2008
I'm a sucker for the bento lunch boxes offered by any Japanese restaurant. Today, for $10.25, I got white meat chicken teriyaki, a california roll, cucumber/crab meat salad, two pieces of random sushi, miso soup, and rice. Great value!
The chicken was slightly dry and lacked teriyaki flavor. There was an orange slice garnish next to the chicken, and all of the pieces of meat tasted like it had an orange sauce on it.
Also, a pet peeve I have is when I go to restaurants, and their menu says you can choose 2 of the following X options for Y price, but all the names are in some other language e.g. Japanese that gives no freakin' indication as to what the selection is. How frustrating and annoying. No arigato. -
Review from Joyce C.
Morton Grove, IL
8/16/2010
This is our go-to sushi lunch place. The lunch specials here are great (and are effective til 4p)!! Lots of variety, including udon, ramen, donburi, sushi and bento boxes . Our standards are the kaki-fry and sushi set #3, though we've thrown in a couple of bento boxes in the mix every once in a while. The kaki-fry are always awesome- you can't find the same type of fried oysters anywhere (trust me, I've tried..). The panko breading used and the sheer size (these are HUGE) and volume provided are something that are unique to Akai Hana- these are highly recommended!!
Though the lunch specials are great, dinner is just ok. The sushi for dinner is generally fine but pricey for what you get, and their cooked dishes from what I remember were not fantastic. Their sukiyaki broth was terribly sweet and heavy, nothing like what I would think would come from a Japanese joint that I think are actually owned by Japanese people. Also a plate of veggie tempuras will run you about $14.25 a plate. Kinda pricey for some fried veggies.
A definite recommend for lunch!! Not so much for dinner though... -
Review from Stuart R.
Evanston, IL
5/21/2011
I've eaten here often over the years and in the past it has been a solid if unspectacular place, decent service, unoffensive decor, and acceptable cuisine.
Over the years, as Japanese restaurants in the area have become more ubiquitous (and more adventurous), Akai Hana has remained exactly what it is: an unpretentious and fairly standard restaurant.
No longer.
I went tonight with my family to celebrate my son's birthday and here's what we experienced:
1) Indifferent service, which eventually became inattentive, and finally turned rude. We asked our server to leave out the wasabi in our son's maki and the sushi that came with his bento box. When the meal came, there was wasabi on the sushi and we asked her to please take it back and prepare it as we had requested.
Her response was to argue with me.
She replied that we had not told her, and she indicated that she could not take it back. I had to physically hand her the bento box and insist before she would return to the kitchen and fix the mistake. She muttered and finally acceded to our request.
2) The small appetizer plates, miso soup bowls, soy sauce dishes, paper wrappers from the chopsticks, and other detritus were allowed to accumulate on the table and left there even after our meals had been served.
I finally had to stack it all up and ask our waitress to send someone to buss the table, and she wasn't happy about being interrupted.
3) When the bill finally arrived, I presented my credit card, and when the receipt arrived I was somewhat shocked to discover that an 18% tip had already been added and charged to my card.
We were a party of five. I can understand a mandatory gratuity for a larger party- the standard number is six- but this caught me off guard and left me miffed.
I try not to be a punitive tipper but our experience was more of a 15% experience if you know what I mean. I went to the host station and asked them to reverse the charge and re-run it, leaving the gratuity up to me. They hemmed & hawed and resisted, but I held my ground and eventually they brought me a new charge slip.
I decided to check their original calculation and discovered that they had initially tried to charge me 18% on BOTH THE MEAL AND THE TAX. So they're pocketing 18% of of the tax that I'm paying the state.
This may only amount to $5 or so on the bill, but do the math- 20 or 30 tables a night, 7 nights a week, They're baldly ripping off their customers for at least 30 grand a year.
So there are many reasons we won't be returning to Akai Hana. The food may be OK, but they treat their customers like idiots, and they're cheaters, too. Eat their at your risk. You can do better, easily. -
Review from Michelle L.
Chicago, IL
8/13/2010
My husband and I happened to remember Akai Hana as we were in the area on a Saturday early afternoon and decided to stop by as it's been a while since we were there. First off, their green tea is incredible - very powerful and unique, not the typical brown rice green tea you get at sushi spots.
They have lunch specials on Saturday (and during the week), and we both ordered a lunch box... Mine was with the most flavorful and perfectly cooked teriyaki salmon - quite delicious. I've had the sea bass teriyaki in the past and that is wonderful as well (actually a little better than the salmon). The box comes with a California roll and a futo maki - their California rolls bother me a bit as they do not include cucumber, but it was still fine. The futo maki was not my favorite, kinda odd with the unique pickled veggies, I like the tuna and shrimp sushi pieces that they used to include with their lunch boxes a lot more... It also came with a cucumber salad and miso soup - both were fine, but nothing to rave about (I don't think anyone can ever rave about miso soup). Our waitress was lovely and helpful. All in all a very good lunch for a good price. -
Review from April P.
3/17/2010
this place has been around forever, and you will know why with every visit. The staff is very inviting upon arrival, without being overly sacchrine-y swee
usually get the bento box, combination C. Comes with 3 pieces of nigiri, one California roll, (which is your standard 6 pieces), miso soup, cucumber salad and beef terriyaki and rice...oh and scoop of ice cream
this is enough for two meals, so i tend to eat the sushi first, and save the beef terriyaki and rice for next meal
parking is kind of a pain during peak hours, but the place is worth it to circle around a few times -
Review from Frank L.
Prospect Heights, IL
8/3/2009
I expected more, because my dad is a big fan of this place. But it was really just your standard japanese restaurant with sushi.
I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki & Tempura combination - which is a good deal given how much food is in the combination. You get choice of soup or salad to begin. The combination then has a california roll, a crab meat cucumber salad, and about 8 pieces tempura and a sizeable portion of chicken teriyaki. To finish, you get your choice of ice cream (green tea, red bean, coffee, etc)
The sushi is unimaginitive - but it is still fresh and tastes good. But how many sushi restaurants still serve octopus and tamago in their sushi dinners?
A solid choice for dinner, but nothing extra-ordinary -
Review from Martha M.
Evanston, IL
3/17/2008
I love the Akai Hana market that is next door to the restaurant which is why this review has 3 and not 2 stars. I also love the fact that you can buy sake to-go.
Other than that I am way under-impressed with the sushi here. The rolls are fine, I really enjoyed the spicy tuna roll. The Sushi/Nigiri is a little iffy though. The last time I ate here we got a combo sushi platter and something on it made me nauseous for a few hrs. after I ate it. Could have been an allergy or something on my part (which, since I eat a ridiculous amount of sushi would surprise me), or it could have been some questionable fish, who knows. Either way, I will not be finding out by going back . . . -
Review from andrea k.
Chicago, IL
5/15/2009
Went for lunch the other day and thoroughly enjoyed Akai Hana. I love Japanese restaurants that offer more than just sushi, even though their sushi is pretty freaking tasty.
I ordered the tempura lunch box and loved it. My companion and I split the Hawaiian Role made with mango, avacado, tuna and a special sauce. Holy God it was good. The tuna melted in my mouth and the mango left a perfect finishing touch. Granted it was expensive ($18 for the roll alone) but completely worth it as I don't like eating rolls that are chewy.
Before going to A.H., I didn't realize they're a chain and took over one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Columbus, Ohio. I know friends back in Columbus who love this place as well. I will certainly be returning should I be in Wilmette and hungry for sushi. Yum. -
Review from mimi r.
Chicago, IL
12/21/2011
The Worst Service EVER! Food on the decline, too. Made 6 pm reservation for 10 people (birthday gathering). Got seated at 6:28, at which time they made us reconfigure our tables so as not to have anybody "stealing" food from the individuals who were ordering their "all you can eat special". Geez. (One table had to be physically moved several feet AWAY from our table... making conversation impossible with those guests.) Waited 30 minutes before first course was served and between courses, at which time the food arrived partially and incorrectly. Begged for a drink order about 45 minutes into the service... tea, drinks, etc. were not offered. Menu whisked away (you 10 can share one menu). Highly suspicious wait staff, rude employees, and the food was marginal. Rolls were loosely rolled; rice seemed "old", not fresh. THey were not 100% filled to capacity, so can't blame it on that, either.
Next time, I'm taking my money (and my party of 10 people) elsewhere - there are other Japanese restaurants in town. Get your act together, Akai Hana! -
Review from Leonor S.
Wilmette, IL
11/13/2009
If you think Akai Hana is the place to get delicious, fresh japanese food.. You must be out of your mind. I've been here countless times for the convienience and have been let down everytime. The fish is NOT fresh here! The rolls have a funky stink to them and the other japanese fare is subpar. I even found a crinkly nasty hair in my way overpriced yakisoba.. bleh
For fresh sushi go check out Sushi Station in Rolling Meadows.. it's worth the drive -
Review from Nicole M.
Skokie, IL
8/16/2010
I've been going to Akai Hana forever. It used to be a great place to eat. The servers used to be so friendly and helpful.
Now, the food has lost some of it's flavor, the wait staff is just so-so.
One waitress in particular is very rude and nasty. She is the reason for 3 stars instead of 4.
I once asked her to substitute something in the combination bento box and she freaked out and said "We don't do that!!" Then she walked off and sent another waitress who let me substitute.
I had been there so many times before and it was no problem to substitute items before.
She is not a very nice person. When I go there now, she never serves me. All the other waiters let me substitute items without any problems.
I went there the other day, and I saw her act nasty to someone else...so I know it's not just me.
That customer wanted another coke and she said, "We don't do refill! That's the policy!" The customer was willing to pay for another coke. She was just so mean and nasty!
Other than that, I still come here for easy Japanese food. Nothing fancy, but my kids love the place. I usually enjoy the combination meals. The sushi is just average.
