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Akira Japanese Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
7759 Tylersville RdWest Chester, OH 45069
(513) 755-6800
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Akira Japanese Restaurant
12 reviews in English
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Review from Sheila C.
Cincinnati, OH
8/13/2009
Hands down best sushi place in Cincinnati. Everything is very fresh and authentic.
I have to admit I was skeptical when I first saw it. It's a small little place in a slightly sketchy looking strip mall but once you enter, you are warmly welcomed and the food is to die for.
Must Try: Amaebi, Age Dofu, Sea Salt Salmon, and yellowtail rolls. -
Review from Josh S.
12/29/2011
My friends, in Cincinnati, and I, in Dayton, needed a place to meet last night for dinner. Seeing as I didn't have the time nor the patience to deal with downtown Cincinnati traffic we decided to meet "halfway" in Mason/West Chester area. After having had sushi for the first time in a long time last week I was having the craving again so I looked up a couple of places and Akira was one of them. While the sushi list wasn't extensive and the menu had very little English descriptors it was a great time none the less.
This place almost epitomizes hole in the wall seeing as they are right next door to a big buffet and their sign isn't lighted. It is tucked away in a small little shopping center with fake sushi in the window. If it wasn't for the good reviews on yelp I wouldn't have given it a second thought but figured why not. Not a great amount of ambiance inside with room for mainly smaller tables, a few larger rooms, and a sushi bar for 4-5. Nothing was gaudy or horrifying, although they really should remove the fake sushi as it is just weird.
The menu consists of a good deal of appetizers some that I recognized and some that I did not as well as a smattering of entrees that ranged from Udon bowls to Chicken Katsu at slightly elevated prices to what I have seen in Dayton. While I was curious to try some new things out I will say that I was turned off to most of the apps as they didn't have really any English translation or description and I didn't feel like fumbling through my phone for translation...Maybe it is just me but I would appreciate at least a little description in English.
Three of us ended up ordering a few Avocado, a Cucumber, Eel, Salmon Skin, Salmon, a Super California Roll and a few Tomago nigiri. It was a relatively short period of time before they brought out an order of the Edamame on the house so definitely nice and considerate and bonus points for service. Next up was our order of Sake which we got a large, serves about 3 "shots" / person at our table so it was a nice amount but not too much.
Eventually our sushi came out and it was presented in one large bowl. Cool presentation but didn't really know which was which when it came down to the Salmon Skin and the Eel roll but we kind of just winged it and ate with joy. All the rolls tasted super fresh and the avocado was nice and creamy. The Super California roll was tasty and different but the waitress had a hard time describing it in English but we decided to give it a try anyway. Probably the best Salmon Skin roll I can remember to date. On the other hand the Tomago was probably the weakest I have had as it had very little flavor, was browning a bit, and was breaking apart...would not recommend here. *Caveat to sushi being I only get it like once a month so I don't know what is "good" sushi versus "bad" sushi.
All in all the bill came out to be $56 for the rolls and the Sake that we got. Not bad considering we all left fairly full and had a good casual time.
Service was pretty spot on the entire time with plenty of water refills and the waitress doing her best to try and communicate in albeit fairly broken English. Bonus points for trying at least.
Despite the small bit of communication breakdown and the disappointing Tomago (my favorite Nigiri) it was a pleasant experience and not bad price for three of us. Can't say it was the best priced I have ever had as it was middle to top end but if they did specials I would definitely give it a try if I was in the area.
Give it a try and keep in mind that if you know Japanese you will probably get a long better than I did or if you are more adventurous and just try random things. -
Review from Cat M.
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very fresh, simple and tasty sushi. You will not find your over-Americanized rolls with *gasp* cream cheese and the kitchen sink in them!
Waitress spoke sparse English, somewhat hard to understand, but I'm ok with that. Real Japanese sushi chefs and a room full of Japanese businessmen in the Tatami room, always a good sign. Like I said, the sushi isn't very fancy, but the fresh factor is there and I think that's the most important. The sushi menu isn't very descriptive, you will have to ask the waitress what's in the rolls.
Clean place and fast service. Would definitely return. -
Review from Leslie L.
12/29/2011
The only thing you need to know is that THE SUSHI IS AMAZING.
Nothing else beyond that matters. -
Review from Dave D.
Mason, OH
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good, fresh, authentic Don't let the outside fool you.
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Review from Amy K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/26/2009
So I'm a little embarrassed but I've waited five years to eat at Akira. Five years you say? Yes, last time I was visiting my friend in Ohio they swore to God I had to eat here cause it was the best but alas when we arrived (gasp), Akira was closed... and so five years later I finally made it.
So what did I think? Did its standard hold up to the famous sushi row on Ventura Blvd in famous Los Angeles??? Well actually yes it did!
My friend describes the sushi as fat, succulent and glistening on the rice and I have to concur. It really was very good not to mention served by some of the nicest sushi chefs around. This is really a family style restaurant, kind of like a "Cheers" where everyone knows your name. At any moment I expected Norm to come out of the corner and swill a beer and have some peanuts...
I ordered a variety of sushi: yellow tail, salmon, octopus, eel, ikira, spicy scallop hand roll and a few others but mostly pure sushi (I'm a purest like that.) The yellow tail was excellent and I had to go back for seconds. The chef thought I was ordering a regular scallop roll and accidentally gave us that instead to begin with but it was good as well and so we ate that too. I tried to turn my friends onto unfiltered cold Saki which is my favorite back in LA and which they never heard of but the restaurant didn't carry it so we settled on the regular rocket full and went to a lovely place after a long day.
Akira has excellent sushi for any place around and you can be sure of good quality at a medium price point. -
Review from Megan G.
9/2/2009
Way to make me feel like a jerk, Akira. I hate bringing down the average for this place, but it really is just "A-OK."
I've grown tired of eating in chain restaurants when I visit Cincinnati for work, so I turned to Yelp for suggestions near my hotel (side note: it really does take only about 15 minutes to get 8 miles here. Being from Chicago, I've grown used to scoffing at Mapquest's anticipated travel times). Akira had great reviews and sushi sounded great, so off I went.
At first I was sure I had the wrong place; Akira is tucked inconspicuously next to a Big Lots in a strip mall. Sure that Yelp would not lead me astray, I parked and went in. Akira was pretty empty at 7:30 on a Tuesday and I was seated immediately. The hostess was very friendly, though her English seemed a bit limited. I ordered the spicy tuna and shrimp tempura maki rolls. I'd have liked to have some tempura as a appetizer, but all of the tempura appetizers ran from $8-$12 which seemed excessive to me. Maybe the portions were very large, but since I was dining alone that wasn't a selling point.
The rolls came at a leisurely pace, which I really appreciated. It gave me a chance to relax and drink my green tea. The rolls were fine. Not bad, not exceptional - pretty much what I'd expect at any mid-range sushi restaurant in Chicago. At $10 for the shrimp and $6 for the spicy tuna I actually thought the prices at Akira were a little high, especially for Cincinnati.
I do really like the atmosphere - laid back and I never felt rushed. The hostess and sushi chef were both really friendly. I dunno, maybe the bar for sushi is a little lower in Cincinnati? I liked Akira, but it's definitely not a five star establishment.Listed in: I put the Sin in Cincinnati!
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Review from Craig P.
Arapahoe, CO
2/16/2011
We're visiting from Denver and stumbled upon Akira. Excellent, authentic Japanese. You know it's good when everyone eating there is Asian. Now, I know what you're saying, what does this guy from Denver know about sushi? Well, I lived in San Francisco for 3 years and grew up on the east coast, and while I'm no fish monger, I did appreciate the authenticity and flavor Akira brought.
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Review from Jenny A.
Chicago, IL
7/24/2007
I love sushi. I also love ramen. Any place that has great sushi AND great ramen? Awesome in my book.
The sushi here is very fresh and very tasty. I could easily fill up on it if I weren't so addicted to the ramen. The bowls are huge, and if you get the seafood ramen, it's like having a little treasure hunt for awesomeness. In between slurping down those noodles, there's octopus, shrimp, and all sorts of ocean goodies. I like mine spicy, but there's regular available as well.
My little brother won't eat anything but the Chicken Katsu. He's totally missing out. -
Review from Diane H.
Montgomery, OH
12/10/2010
We found this restaurant to be very authentic. We had the agedofu, sea salt samma, tempura udon, and sashimi dinner. We found all to be excellent. It's good to find a place that tastes like home.
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Review from Sarah B.
4/7/2010
I went to Akira with my boyfriend and one of his friends from work and his wife. The last time they went it was pure hibachi, but since then they've remodeled and turned it into a lovely little sushi joint. The decor was nice and relaxing. I can't remember exactly what I ordered, but it came in a sweet box and had chicken, sashimi, seaweed salad, tempura, and rice. It was delicious. The other couple got basically the same as I did, with steak and california rolls instead, and it was also fantastic. The bf got a tempura platter which he loved. So everyone was happy and well fed. Plus you get the salad with ginger dressing and miso soup. I'm just sad I'll probably never get back there, since I live in Chicago and the boyfriend is moving back to the Detroit area. We'll miss the good food and friends.
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Review from Jason K.
Wausau, WI
12/28/2009
Best sushi place that I've eaten at so far!
Everyone is right it is tucked away in a strip mall but don't let that fool you.
The sushi chef is so friendly and fun to talk to that I always sit at the sushi bar.
The only way to describe Akira is that it really is more of a dining experience than just someplace to eat. I can't remember a time when I've not walked out completely satisfied with my entire meal.
Big fan of the yellow tail rolls here.
