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Aki Japanese Fusion and Sushi Bar
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Nightlife Bars Lounges Japanese, Sushi Bars, Lounges [Edit]
1210 Walnut StPhiladelphia, PA 19107
Neighborhood: Market East
(215) 985-1838
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 12 am
Sun 12 pm - 10:30 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Wed, Thu, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
91 reviews for Aki Japanese Fusion and Sushi Bar
Review Highlights
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"Hand rolls were nicely done, and the sushi/chirashi platter..." In 10 reviews -
"Their lunch special is very affordable with good quality." In 10 reviews -
"5:30-7, Mon -Fri, all appetizers are half off." In 3 reviews
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91 reviews in English
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Review from Fereshteh A.
Philadelphia, PA
5/12/2012
I gave 4 stars since it is a bit expensive but definitely worth it. The environment is nice and the staff are kind and friendly. I always go for all you can eat (25$, with tax and tip hits 35) so maybe that's why I find it expensive.
The special rolls are awesome! The tuna, eels and yellow tails are also fabulous!
Salmon with guacamole is my favorite! Basically everything I tried was out of this world! -
Review from Mila L.
New York, NY
5/16/2012
I have not written a review in ages but I felt so compelled to after the awful service I received last night.
Made a reservation af 8pm , after a party of 12 had sat down. I got my cocktail immediately. When the server came around and I was taking a little too much time for her with my order she told my boyfriend and I to "hold on a second". Which is fine, but completely rude when I was in the middle of an order! She asks him if he wants soup or salad with his order....but it never came out. Even when I asked her if she got it, because I wanted to make sure our order didnt get lost with the big party.
After watching her walk around the room serveral times, chit chat with other staff, stand around, and just ignore us! We must have loooked so lost because another server asked if we ordered. I said yeah she took his but not mine. She took my order for my appetizer and it came. My boyfriends salad never came, his California roll never came.
We waited 30 minutes and the waitress's only came back to take our order after I Loudly got her attention. It was like we were invisible!
The best part is we were in the middle of two of her tables which both received their food, and got more drinks when she never ever came back and even asked me if I wanted another. I had to get up walk to the bar, to ask a different server for my drink!
When the table that came an hour after us had their entree, we knew our food was never ordered. And my poor boyfriend only got one thing out of the 3 things he ordered.
Frustrated and with no more appetite we asked if our food was ever ordered. Her reply "you told me to hold off on it" I quickly responded No, you took 30 minutes to come back to the table. No apologies. Nothing. "the kitchen is backed up" is no excuse for being ignored.
As for the food we actually recieved, it was pretty good.
Our server just completely sucked. Only good thing was the busser, who always refilled our water. -
Review from Liz F.
4/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
How have I lived so close and never been to Aki?! Came here for lunch about a week ago. Their lunch specials are superb. For a bit under $20 a head (including tax and tip) you can get salad, two maki rolls, and a delicious cocktail. This was more than enough to leave my lunch partner and I very satisfied.
The salad was excellent. Their ginger dressing is delicious. The maki rolls were fast and fresh. I enjoy a good spicy tuna and they put their spicy sauce into the roll with crunch, rather than all over the outside. Personally, I think it makes for a way more enjoyable ST experience. Cocktails were a fruity, dreamy, ladies delight. Try the geisha.
The inside of the restaurant is small, adorable and pretty typical of an upper-middle end sushi place. The service was excellent.
All in all, I'm dying to go back and experience the $25 all you can eat sushi situation and happy hour. There are so many good sushi places in the city that it's hard to pick a favorite. But, Aki is quickly winning my heart. -
Review from Nick G.
Salt Lake City, UT
5/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Really clean atmosphere and everything was fresh. The service was a little slow, but then again it was a saturday night. I had the all you can eat sushi and that was the way to go. Salmon nigiri was great. The eel seemed a little tame/subtle, but overall I had a great time and would go back.
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Review from Christina P.
Philadelphia, PA
3/16/2012
I have heard of Aki before, but mostly in the context of their all you can eat sushi. At $25, you have to plan on eating more than three rolls or it's not worth it. Three is pushing my stomach's limit so we decided to go a la carte.
We got in right before happy hour ended at 7, so we were able to take advantage of the $5 wine and cocktails, $3 beers, and 1/2 price apps. I was pretty surprised at all of the appetizers included in this deal - not only hot apps like edamame, duck spring rolls and shrimp/veggie tempura, but sushi bar apps like pepper tuna and ceviche. We went with an order of the edamame and steamed shrimp shumai. They were both really good, and the edamame was a huge portion. We started with a cocktail, the samurai tea, which appeared to be an asian long island. It was really strong but not really that tasty. The sauv blanc was a better choice.
After the apps we decided to go with one special roll and one "normal" roll each. We each got the Lobster Mazy roll (marinated lobster, shrimp tempura, cucumber, topped with lobster and caviar) and I got an alaska roll. The basic rolls were really good, tasted fresh and were a decent size. The lobster roll was amazing and HUGE! They are not kidding when they say "8 large pieces". We struggled to finish the last pieces. One drawback is that the majority of the specialty rolls are a little strange in my opinion. A lot of them contained asparagus and sun dried tomato. Hmm.
Service was great! Our waitress was super friendly and attentive without being overbearing. I wish I remembered her name to give a shout out. I will definitely be back for another happy hour!Listed in: Sushi Soul Searching
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Review from Timothy M.
Philadelphia, PA
Staff was a bit slow and unattentive, but nice and the food was great.
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Review from Ray L.
2/20/2012
I've been here once for their all-you-can-eat sushi nights (note: it's only available on certain nights). It was $25 and I can't say that I was really that impressed, notwithstanding the fact that I stuffed my face silly with plenty of sushi.
I love sushi and I would prefer no sushi to mediocre sushi. And just okay, mediocre is what's available here (in terms of freshness of the fish). -
Review from Nancy P.
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been here a few times for the All you can eat sushi, it's pretty decent. Really, you do AYCE to stuff your face, not to savor the flavors.
I rarely do AYCE anymore but last I recall, the sushi took awhile to prep. They tend to put a lot of rice into the rolls..which I guess is their way of trying to slow down the expenses of AYCE sushi.Listed in: Under the sea
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Review from Melissa W.
Philadelphia, PA
1/14/2012
Not half bad for all-you-can-eat sushi. As with AYCE sushi places, quantity over quality. But really, for the price, the quality of the sushi here is pretty good. For around $25, you can eat sushi till you throw it all back up, and then continue stuffing yourself thereafter.
The service is friendly, and the atmosphere is nice and pretty classy. Kind of surprising that a place that looks as nice as this will let you stuff sushi in your face nonstop for such a relatively low price.
This is a must for sushi gluttons. Though after an AYCE visit here, you won't want to look at sushi again for at least a month.
NOTE: This review is based on the AYCE sushi deal. Eating here otherwise is probably a ~3 star experience. However, compared to the other AYCE sushi places in Philly (Ajia and Mixx, as far as I know) this one is the best, which is why it gets 4 stars.Listed in: All sushi, all the time., for fattys.
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Review from Rick H.
2/15/2012
I'm not really into Sushi in general, but a few specific dishes caught my eye and dragged me in.
Their take on the Saketini is a quite decent version. I could barely taste any of the alcohol, but definitely was able to feel it later on.
Unfortunately for some reason the bartender was also my waiter, even though I was seated in the dining area, and the over all service suffered quite a bit. If the service had been better, I would be giving 4 stars. Things like water refills took forever, and I'm pretty sure that he forgot to submit my main order.
I started with the Beef Negimaki, a dish that I've never been introduced to before. I found the dish interesting, but on the flavorless side, even covered in the teriyaki glaze.
I followed that up with an order of the Vegetarian Sushi. Both types were quite good, although the dried tomatoes were overwhelming in a few bites.
Lastly the miso soup was some of the best I've ever had. -
Review from Edward M.
Updated - 2/10/2012
Aki is a semi-regular lunch spot for me and various friends. Their lunch specials are still among the best deals in the area -- and you get to enjoy them in a pleasantly comfortable atmosphere.
Their starter salad is still tasty, but seems a little sadder and less vibrant than it used to be. The rolls are better than average, but I wouldn't call them great. The red-bean ice cream is, however, great.
The service can be a bit spotty. The staff is consistently friendly, but sometimes seems clueless. For example, two people in my group got sushi lunches and two got cooked lunches. The cooked dishes arrived about fifteen minutes after the sushi dishes -- when the sushi eaters were almost done with their meal. Seriously? For dessert, we got two orders of ice cream split four ways, which was nicely done, but first three were brought out, then the spoons, then the fourth one. Really? So, overall, it's like 3.5 stars, but I'll round up because they're nice.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2009
This place is pretty new, and was quite nicely designed. I've been here for lunch a couple of time… Read more »
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Review from Adam B.
1/9/2012
So meh.
I've been here twice. Once for ACYE and once for a random late night sushi craving.
The AYCE wasn't too bad, but a bit expensive for the limited small dry rolls you end up getting.
The second time was silly. We came late night and put in an order for Sashimi. Just sashimi, nothing else. We weren't sure if the waiter had heard us right the first time so just to make sure we called him back over and reconfirmed with him and he agreed with what we said. . . I be you know where this is going because you've probably read it in Stephanie P.'s review, but when it did finally arrive, 15 min later (the restaurant was practically empty), it was Sushi & Sashimi. At this point we were too hungry to bother contesting it, we just wanted sushi, not another wait, so we ate it up, it wasn't too bad for a late night snack but the mistake and long wait unfortunately caused a denial of tip.
Find another sushi restaurant (there are a few not too far), it might cost you a few dollars more, but it'll be worth it.Listed in: All my SUSHI-ventures
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Review from Scott V.
Pros: Great atmosphere, prices, waiter on weekends is efficient and friendly. Sushi is fresh and prepared well. Relaxing lounge music in the background while you eat. Value is good
Cons: Portions can be on the smaller side. Not the best sushi I've had in Philly -
Review from Laura S.
Philadelphia, PA
2/26/2012
When I first came to Philly last summer, I knew I needed to find good sushi, and fast. Everyone I asked didn't seem to know, or just pointed half-heartedly to the closest place.
So I turned to Yelp. I tried probably 12 different sushi places before landing on one I really really liked.
This was one of the trials. And I was very disappointed. Nothing I ate was BAD in any way (except they were a little heavy handed on the tempura flakes in my spicy tuna), but nothing was really exceptionally good either.
Sure, there menu looks enticing, with things like tuna carpaccio and grilled black cod, but when I'm trying out a sushi place I go for the old stand-bys before I delve into anything "special" or even the sashimi for that matter.
That means spicy tuna and salmon, regular tuna and salmon, a bowl of udon, and something with squid.
Like I said, none of it was bad, but it wasn't really flavorful the way good sushi should be. I love sushi, and if it isn't good it isn't worth it.
Give it a try if you must, but if you're a fellow lover I would be shocked if you disagreed with my assessment. -
Review from Veronica C.
Philadelphia, PA
1/20/2012
Pros:
Nice ambience and decor.
Very casual atmosphere.
Friendly waiters.
The appetizers were small with a lot of fusion flavor.
Cons:
All you can eat special doesn't include special rolls like other places.
The special rolls weren't that great. I've seen better.
The place is a little quiet.
A little on the pricey side.
Comments:
Although our waiter was very nice and provided some good recommendations, she did forget to refill our water towards the end of our meal, leaving us mighty thirsty. The sushi was slightly above average but not that amazing for the price. I recommend going to Fat Salmon near 6th and Walnut Street if you want an amazing sushi experience.
Tips:
50% off appetizers M-F for happy hour (5-7pm)
$5 wine and beer for happy hour -
Review from Christina S.
Doylestown, PA
1/4/2012
I've been to Aki a bunch of times because the sushi is fresh and the service is good.
The all you can eat sushi special is great. A word to the wise-order a lot when you do place your orders for all you can eat. For some odd reason it seems as though they wait to come back to the table when you get the all you can eat special.
One CON about this place is that every time I order the warm house sake it has fruit flies in it. The first time it happened, I got a fresh one sans fly, I went back a different time.. again with the fruit flies. I went last night and tried once more... and yeah, again with the fruit flies. I've pretty much learned my lesson at this point.
Will I go back for sushi? Sure. Sake. NO! -
Review from Veronica M.
Philadelphia, PA
3/18/2012
When I first moved to Philadelphia, Aki was my go-to sushi spot. Their great lunch special (two rolls and a soup or salad for $8.50) was, to me, unbeatable. However, I feel in the past two years this place has gone downhill both in terms of service and quality of their fish.
There's one waitress in particular who is just completely and totally unpleasant. She never smiles, or greets you, but rather just stands there waiting for you to start ordering. If you're not ready when she's there, be prepared to wait a while before her return. Cooked meals also come out considerably slower than sushi and sashimi, which is irritating when half the table is still waiting for their meals and the other half is almost done. I've rarely, in the last few times I've been, had good service.
On to the fish. DO NOT EAT THE TUNA HERE. It is NOT fresh. I received tuna once that was almost brown!! When I sent it back, the waitress was really unhappy with me. Um, I'm not going to eat brown tuna. Even when the tuna is red, it's still completely flavorless and you can tell it was frozen.
If you must go to Aki, it's only worthwhile for the happy hour drinks, gyoza, and lunch special-- if you don't get the tuna. -
Review from Ashima S.
Manhattan, NY
5/5/2012
A group of about 20 of us went to Aki last night for my birthday dinner. Absolutely loved it. We had only booked the table the day of, and the staff were very accommodating! Ambience was wonderful. We were seated at one long table which was great, and something we'd had difficulty with at other restaurants. Staff were very patient in serving our large and slightly loud group. Great for sake bombing. Now to the food! Yum, a really extensive menu and good vegetarian choices too. They also have a bar area, equipped with TVs which was great for those who wanted to catch some of the game too. I'm leaving Philly in a few weeks and sad to only discover this place now!
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Review from Amanda G.
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went to Aki last night with a large group (13 people) for a friend's birthday. Had a reservation for 8:00.
Started at the bar. Since I'm not a beer drinker and the wine and cocktails were priced comparably, I went for the Geisha cocktail. Whoa, was it good. Super, super good. I'd go back just to drink this drink! I forget what was in it...that's how good it was. I remember something about grenadine and mango, and having the drink taste a bit like grapefruit (typically I hate grapefruit, but this was delicious).
Anyway, on to the food.
The draw of Aki is apparently the all you can eat sushi menu for 25 bucks. I didn't opt for this because we had just had a massive amount of sushi on Tuesday night, so I was going to go a different route. I did notice that many people in our party did this, and they really got a bang for their buck. You can choose from salads, appetizers, sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, etc. Most people got a ridiculous amount of food, which really makes this a good option if you've got a craving and an empty stomach.
For me, I got the avocado salad, which was good because it was massive, but I felt the ginger dressing was not as ginger-y as it could have been.
Then I had the chicken yakitori. Three pieces of chicken on a stick with a spicy sauce that tasted much like soy. The sauce was really good, but the chicken was just "meh."
For my main meal I got a Philadelphia roll (I love me some cream cheese). I liked this roll because they did something to the salmon - crushed it, cut it, I don't know. It wasn't one big chunk of salmon in the roll. I like this because it made it easier to chew and all of the contents got mixed up in my mouth easily.
My husband got the Yaki Soba - chicken and shrimp stir-fried with soba noodles and veggies. It was decent.
My main gripe with this place is the service. They were SOOOO slow and they messed up three people's orders. If it weren't for that, I would probably bump my rating up to 3.5 or 4 stars. -
Review from Dana B.
1/28/2012
As a self-confessed sushi addict, I am always game for trying new sushi restaurants provided they are affordable and as long as the quality of the food is exceptional. Fortunately, when I came to Aki with a friend who was visiting from Korea and only had one day to spend in Philly, we were delighted to have arrived while their lunch special was going on, so we each settled on a miso soup and two sushi rolls--all for $8.50? Not bad! The sweet potato roll was very flavorful and didn't need much soy sauce to enhance the taste--a huge plus in my book because it's hard to find sushi restaurants who make sweet potato rolls that I deem flavorful enough. What's more, the staff was friendly and attentive and the environment was calm (granted I am not sure how it is in the evenings and on weekends), and it's definitely a place I'd go back to, especially for lunch!
Listed in: Philly Phoodage
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Review from Leen P.
Philadelphia, PA
10/31/2011
Besides the ambiance I wish I could rate this with no stars. It was my first experience here and will be my last. My boyfriend and I went to get all you can eat on a Thursday afternoon. There was 5 tables being use ( including my boyfriend and I) so it wasn't a busy day however the service was VERY slow.
We would have to wait 20 to 30 minutes each for our sushi. And when we would get our sushi it had a semi warm taste to it.
When we got our bill we expected to get change back( 15 dollars) the waiter did not return with our change. My boyfriend was infuriated and demanded our change, the waiter didn't even know how much he had to give back until we broke down the math in the bill. :/ -
Review from Brittany N.
Philadelphia, PA
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Second visit - a definite let down.
We arrived for dinner, with the place less than a third full. Already the servers were having a hard time keeping up but we had a http://savored.com reservation and I didn't want it to go to waste. Plus, I like sushi! Having gone for lunch once before and having a decent experience, we weren't ready to just walk away yet.
We ordered the seafood miso soup, chilean sea bass entree, calamari salad, and ultimate dynamite roll. None were very good. The calamari salad was listed as lightly fried - NOT AT ALL lightly fried. It was like a huge greasy mess of bar food (it looked like fried mozzarella sticks) on a green salad. Definitely the standout BAD dish of the night.
The soup was passable. The chilean sea bass was nothing memorable. It tasted like bottled teriyaki sauce on a good piece of fish. Worth the $20+ price tag? Not in the least. Same can be said for the dynamite roll. Eight pieces of too salty maki, completely overpowered by the raw jalapeño for $15? Never again.
Even with the http://savored.com 30% discount, it wasn't worth it. (And I'm even giving the waitstaff a pass because they're terrible understaffed!) -
Review from Rachel T.
6/21/2011 ROTD 11/21/2011
I am a regular at Aki for good reason.. it's a good, solid, susherie.
Sometimes I order the lunch special, (which they will deliver, workaholics), at a great price of $8.50 for 2 rolls of eight pieces, which comes with a salad. My favorites, some of which guilty favorites, are the tuna roll, yellowtail scallion, Philly roll, the spicy tuna and spicy salmon rolls. The ratio of fish to rice is excellent here. You get much more of the good stuff, filling up with the protein rather than the carbs.
They have all you can eat sushi for $25, an excellent option if you love sushi and have a rather insatiable stomach. This allows you to try the best they have to offer, including the hand rolls and special rolls that you may not try otherwise. If you've been or are thinking of going to Pod in West Philly, it's got comparable food with none of the fuss. You'll crawl home, but it's worth it.
I have a theory that when in doubt of a sushi place, try the sashimi. If you enjoy the taste of the fish alone, you know that they choose it well. Every single time I have eaten here the fish has been really, really fresh.
Hint: On a weekday during happy hour, they have half priced appetizers (including the sashimi appetizer), and excellent, inexpensive drink options (ahem* $3 beers, $5 wines, $5 cocktails, big sake for the price of little sake.
The interior design is very elegant - the chairs have tall backs with nice materials, the bathroom has cute little 1" tiles, the dark woods add a nice touch. The folding glass wall in the front is left completely open when it's nice outside and they put a few tables on the sidewalk for those who like to people watch. Well done!
Servers are mixed.. I have had both mediocre and delightful.Listed in: Lunch Market East - Washington…, ROTD.
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Review from Elena C.
Philadelphia, PA
Updated - 11/22/2011
I've been here many times. I love the food, the Happy Hour specials, and the ambience. I'm definitely going back for all those reasons. However, the service is soooo slow. Recently I came here during my lunch hour. It look the waitress a long time to give us the menus, glasses of water, the food, and the check. It wasn't that busy, but I think the waitress was also the bartender. Most experienced waitresses will give you the menus and glasses of water as soon as you're seated, while telling you the lunch specials, but we had to ask for everything. Despite our business attire, the waitress didn't ask if we were under a time constraint either. Many restaurants who cater to business people do so, but not Aki.
I was here again recently for lunch with a group of 8 friends on a Saturday. Different waitress but same type of service - SLOW. One of my friends asked for water. Waitress went back to get it. Then another friend asked for water. Waitress went back to get that. Finally, I said "everyone wants water". Please. For goodness sake.
Tuna tartar is a hit or miss.
We had mochi for dessert and it looked like it was straight from the box. Not fresh. Hard on the outside and melted ice cream on the inside.
Fried banana ice cream was ok.
One of the main reasons I keep going back is their Yaki Udon. It's stir-fried udon noodles with shrimp and vegetables. Comes with miso soup. It's so delicious.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/25/2010
This is my favorite place to go for Happy Hour: $3 beers, $5 wines, and1/2 priced appetizers. You… Read more »
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Review from Miss Z.
Philadelphia, PA
10/28/2011
What happened? I'm so bummed.
In the past 2 weeks, I've ordered take-out twice from Aki for lunch. Both times, the fish was not fresh at all. It was, I hate to say - disgusting.
I don't know if my sushi taste buds have been heightened since I've had some amazing sushi recently, or if this place has really gone downhill.
Either way, go at your own risk.
I will miss you Aki. My rule is 2 strikes and you are OUT. A girl has got to draw the line somewhere. -
Review from Stephanie P.
Pomona, CA
Updated - 7/23/2011
#181 The food is still decent, however service last night wasn't that great. It was one of the few sushi places open until midnight, so we had no choice but to patronize Aki. There were a few straggling parties when we got in around 11:15PM and the overall ambiance was a bit depressing. No matter, we were just hungry for raw fish. We put in an order for Sashimi ... or so we thought. When we walked away, I had an inkling that he said, "Alright, 1 order of Sushi Sashimi." So, the boyfriend called him back over and said, "It's 1 order of SASHIMI, right?" And the waiter agreed.
Unfortunately, when our plate came over in about 15 minutes, we realized it was the wrong order - Sushi Sashimi. At this point, we were so hungry, we didn't even think twice about it and just chowed it down. Everything was fresh, though I wasn't a fan of their Tuna or Yellowtail Sashimi, which is curious because most sushi places never get those wrong. When the bill came, we put in our credit card. However, it must be said, TIP DENIED.Listed in: SUSHI!!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/25/2011
During my more innocent days of Philly cuisine, the boyfriend and I decided that Aki was a good… Read more »
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Review from Charles S.
Philadelphia, PA
10/23/2011
On Sunday night my friend and i were wondering what would be a good choice for dinner, and i recommended him Aki which is one of my favorite Japanese places in Philly. We had Unaki don, New york roll, and Sake. Foods were good just as usual.
I go to this place regularly like twice a month and everytime i order Sake 4 oz. I got pissed off. What's wrong with this little bottle?! It always makes me waste my precious Sake on the table. I hate it. Please change it to another bottle. And this time there is no soy sauce bottle on the table. They didnt even bring it to me when my roll is served. i had to go to a waitress and she got it from a refrigerator. PLEASE?
I have gone to this place for about two years, and after all it disappointed me in front of my new friend who was a first timer to this restaurant. What a shame.
I dont think i expect too much. It is a good Sake bottle and soy sauce on the table.
The reason i gave 3 stars is only because they have a nice sashimi don for lunch special menu (forgot the name). -
Review from David B.
6/12/2011
I went here for the all you can eat sushi special on Sunday evening for $25.
Service started out slow, but noticeably picked up towards the end. Probably because I arrived slightly before 8, so they were still in the middle of the normal dinner rush. I had multiple servers all who were attentive and took my orders in a timely fashion. Most places with all you can eat specials typically are very slow to take orders to reduce the amount of sushi you receive, but not here so props to them for that.
Sushi was OK; not great but not bad. Everything I had was agreeable. Not much in terms of selection (pretty standard: Salmon, tuna, yellowtail, eel, shrimp, etc.) unless you're willing to shell out an additional $3/roll for some of their more unique/fusion-style rolls. Hand rolls, maki and nigiri were all made well - none of that falling apart fare you find at some sushi bars.
Vegetable tempura was less than stellar - arrived lukewarm and slightly soggy. Ordered this on a whim since it was part of the all you can eat deal.
For $32 out the door ($25 for food + $2 tax + $5 tip) not a bad deal. I'll be back. -
Review from Michelle Y.
Philadelphia, PA
7/5/2011
I like Aki.
It's a cute place to go to for a lunch date or a go-to japanese restaurant when we crave it. It probably has more to do with the location more so than the food, though.
When we go, I always get the donkatsu and love it here. Trust me, I've had donkatsu at so many restaurants growing up, and even had my mom make it for me. It's difficult to find donkatsu that is rich and moist, and not burnt on the edges to hurt your teeth.
We also order the lunch special sushi. And the rolls I usually order are spicy tuna, spicy yellowtail and the last one depends on my mood of that day.
Oh, the salad that comes with it... ALWAYS order the salad, not the miso soup! They use a special house sauce that I always crave and sometimes order another salad to go home! The waitress remembers us and sometimes slips in another salad for us :)
I think it's a little overpriced for the food, but since we usually catch the lunch specials, it's very reasonable.
Also, the service is great. The waitress remembers us and is very quick to get us what we need. I lvoe that. She literally runs to get new chopsticks for us when we drop it.
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars! A go to sushi place that never disappoints. -
Review from Chris W.
I've been here a few times for happy hour as well as for all you can eat sushi as it is conveniently near Jefferson.
The specialty drinks are hit or miss. The samurai packs a bunch as it is basically all liquor which is nice. There is another drink with midori that in the one instance was undrinkable, way too sweet. They have the usual japanese beers and the standard domestic bottles you would expect but they are pricey other than at happy hour.
As for the sushi, the $25 all you can eat is a great deal for Center City. All the sushi is made to order immediately giving it a leg up on standard sushi buffets. Both times the fish has been fresh and colorful. You can't go wrong with the sashimi. I don't do hand rolls but the maki includes about 30 different types. Nothing spectacular but once again very fresh. You can include specialty rolls for an extra $3 each, they have a great lobster one. It also includes some appetizers like gyoza which is a nice change of pace.
The service can be on the slower side, but its probably better that way to allow proper digestion between courses which is imperative when you are going multiple rounds. The best thing is they don't judge, even when you take down about 20 pieces of sashimi and six rolls they still ask if you want more. Be back soon! -
Review from A K.
Philadelphia, PA
2/1/2012
This place used to be called AOI. Nothing has really changed, except the decor. The food is still sub-par, especially the sushi. Anybody who has been to a really good Japanese restaurant will be disappointed here.
Spicy salmon roll means you get panko, mayo, and Sri Racha, mixed with little bits of reject salmon. It's like a meatball.
All you can eat is just an exercise in wasting your time waiting for flavored rice. And with the sushi being as poor quality as it is, you really aren't getting much of a bargain. You can spend the same amount of money elsewhere and get better ingredients, more fish with less rice, better service, and better atmosphere. -
Review from Susan M.
Philadelphia, PA
8/29/2011
The service was so/so, the sushi was good, but for eight dollars the pour I received of Cabernet sauvignon was laughable.
The lunch menu seemed pretty nice. Too bad I was there at 7PM. -
Review from Nana L.
Philadelphia, PA
3/16/2012
Great happy hour menu
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Review from Jovan P.
Philadelphia, PA
9/29/2011
I went to Aki between classes the other day with 3 friends. Let me start with saying that I felt sick for about 24 hours afterwards, and so did one of my friends (we both happened to order the spicy yellow tail, which is why I believe the other 2 didn't feel "as" sick).
Oh but that's not the best part! What goes with a place full of raw fish better than flies? And bad service? Want to know how the two intersect?
So we're having some sake. Yes I said we went between classes, which necessitated the sake. The tiny bottle was gone in less than 2 rounds and in the last half shot glass full came with a gift, a FLY FLOATING DEAD IN THE SAKE.
We called over the waitress, pointed out the fly. She did not apologize she just said "oh, I'll get you another glass" and brings a fresh EMPTY shot glass. We looked at her and I said "that was the last of our sake, do you think you could fill her up". She gave me an attitude-filled sigh, took the glass, filled it up about 1/3rd of the way with sake, and brought it back with even more attitude!
NEVER GOING THERE AGAIN. IF YOU READ ONE PART ABOUT THIS REVIEW READ THE PART ABOUT THE RUDE SERVICE AND FLIES IN YOUR ORDER. -
Review from Zachary H.
Philadelphia, PA
3/10/2011
Aki is bigger on appearance than taste. A clean, inviting interior and friendly staff give way to forgettable sushi.
The soy sauce has to be used like wiz on a cheesesteak to give the sushi any appreciative taste. A roll like shrimp tempura can fall victim to an ingredient overload with sauces and extras, but even it fell into a flavorless abyss. Standard rolls like spicy tuna, yellowtail scallion, and salmon left a lot to be desired. As I picked through the rolls I sought the help of sriracha sauce and an assortment of Asian sauces and condiments I didn't think would leave my refrigerator door shelf until L. Ron Hubbard came back in his spaceship to gather his Scientologists and blow up Earth. But hey, that's me, and I digress.
If not using soy sauce is a sign of quality sushi, sushi that begs for it is a sign you might want to try the Japanese fusion menu. -
Review from Nilette G.
Philadelphia, PA
10/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm not your typical sushi lover, but when I get a craving- I NEED a lobster mazy roll from AKI. If you can put sushi down like nobody's business, do the all-you-can-eat- menu bc the regular rolls are pretty good (usually get the shrimp tempura- best ones in the city- and the yellowtail and scallion) and for an extra 5 bucks each you can add specialty rolls like the lobster mazy (to die for). If you're doing a light meal, make sure you get the avocado salad with ginger dressing. I'm almost positive there's crack in the dressing- yes its that good. This place is also great for date night (red comfy couch type booths) or group outings (dark wood tables). The place has a nice ambience with dim lights. Overall, a great sushi spot. Only things that sucks is there's never any parking, but there is a lot across the street.
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Review from Cyrus B.
Philadelphia, PA
6/26/2011
I arrived here for a friend's birthday celebration the other evening. I was fairly impressed with the style and ambiance of the restaurant. They appeared to have a halfway-decent bar toward the front, with the greater part of the restaurant devoted to tables (as you would expect). The service was mostly attentive, and polite. The bathroom was clean.
On to the not-so-great stuff. The sushi seemed overpriced, hurriedly slapped together, and rather meager in terms of the size of the individual pieces. Perhaps this was due to the size of our party (about 15 people), or the fact that I only ordered off the "a la carte" sushi menu. Either way, I was not particularly impressed.
Perhaps their other dishes - hot dishes, soups, sashimi, or dinner packages - are more exciting, but I cannot speak to that. This place is good, but not great. Considering the large number of excellent (4+ stars) sushi restaurants in the area, you would probably be better off trying another place. -
Review from Jessica M.
Woodbury, NJ
11/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
My husband and I stopped in on a Sunday afternoon for some lunch. The decor is cool, and it looks inviting from the street. My husband expressed some concern that there was no one else in the restaurant, so I pulled up my Yelp app, saw that it had 4 stars, and we decided to go ahead in.
Eh. There was nothing outright terrible about Aki... we just really weren't impressed.
I ordered the 2 roll special: a sweet potato roll and a tuna/avocado roll. The sweet potato roll came out hot, at which point it was tasty and crunchy, but as it cooled down, it became flavorless and chewy. The tuna in my other roll lacked its typical dark red color and was instead on more on the red-brown side. It smelled okay, and the two bites I tried tasted alright, but still... it made me nervous and I stopped eating it.
Service was friendly, but slow.
Aki served up a pretty unmemorable experience. I doubt we'll bother stopping in again. -
Review from Anahi B.
Philadelphia, PA
3/7/2011
I have been to Aki a few times, and it is a decent option for sushi, especially if, like a few people I know--ahem!-- you need an all-you-can-eat option, because you can put away legendary amounts of sushi and you're not a millionaire.
The rationale for my four-star review is that although the food in general probably won't knock your socks off, the sushi is good. The fish is fresh and the rice is made well, and those two things count for a lot in my book.
I am also a big fan of the lunch specials. At a recent outing there, I opted for two lunch entrees-- an unagi don and a sushi roll special-- instead of the all-you-can-eat the rest of my party was getting, because I knew I could take home my leftovers. (Total win, btw!)
The seating area is decorated in dark, warm colors, the booths are comfortably plush, and I love the mini water wall by the bar. Beer is a little pricey, but just par for the course in Center City. (Five bucks for Yuengling? Really? They should get Kenzinger at least!) The wine list is sort of blah, but is sake is your thang (like it's mine), they do have a fairly good selection of cold sakes. -
Review from Schuyler L.
Philadelphia, PA
6/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I hated sushi when I was 10 years old. So I was forced... by a girl, to try it again. Turns out i kind of like it. I'll keep this short because I have no basis on which to compare this sushi restaurant. For my first time (in a long time) trying sushi my only disappointment was the fact that we had to choose the sushi. I wish I would have had a sushi chef in front of me rolling the best sushi possible for a person who is unsure whether or not he likes sushi. Overall the staff was very attentive and friendly, no pressure. The prices seemed fair... I think (I'm not really in tune with the market prices). Lastly, there was an error on our bill and Nick, our waiter, caught it before we had a chance to say anything, well done sir.
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