Aki Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi

I’m very particular when it comes to Japanese food and tend to shy away from chain restaurants. For more than a year I have been driving past Aki Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi restaurant, saying to myself, you need to see if they are any good. My dilemma is that they are really good, but they are also a chain restaurant. Where I normally do not review chain restaurants, Aki is worth reviewing and better yet visiting.

Have you ever asked yourself what is the purpose of appetizers? They say that an appetizer is supposed to whet your appetite. Appetizers can also build anticipation of the pending meal. From the first bite of Aki’s Tempura Shrimp, Every bite had me anticipating my next bite, the Tempura Shrimp was really good. The tempura batter did not overpower the shrimp. You actually got shrimp with every bite. I would recommend sharing due to the pieces are large. Needless to say; I couldn’t wait for my meal.

To start with, there is a lot to be said about Aki’s presentation. I’m always impressed when a restaurant takes the extra steps to set their meals apart from their competition. I have reviewed Katsu Chicken in the past. One of the differences with Aki’s Katsu Chicken vise other places I have reviewed is the size of the portion. I was not expecting two large chicken breast patties. The patties generously covered with the panko breadcrumbs and deep fried to a golden brown. I did find the patties a little dry and I felt with such large patties, they should have been a little more generous with the Katsu Sauce. They didn’t have any problems bringing me more sauce.

Overall this was a very good meal. If anything, I was disappointed in myself for not leaving room for dessert. I saw on their menu they serve deep fried ice cream. I will definitely come back so I can try their Teriyaki Steak. if you are looking for dinner and a show, they do offer Hibachi Dinners prepared in front of you and your guest.

If I had done a little research in advance, I would have known that Aki Steakhouse and Sushi restaurant is a chain, with roots back to Japan. I don’t usually research, it defeats the purpose of discovery. I recommend Aki if you are looking for a good Japanese restaurant. Have you been to Aki or do you have a favorite Japanese restaurant’ leave your comments below.

Author: jpmason2022

I am fortunate to have had a full life. I spent 20 years in the Marine Corps, serving this Country all over the world. I can say Japan has to be my favorite country outside the United States. Australia is a close second. In my professional life, I work in Aerospace. My academic pursuits have led me to Graduating from St Mary's College of California with a degree in Law Studies and I earned a MBA from Golden Gate University. My interests outside of work is eating. It has been said I can't pass up a dive. In my defense, the best food is cooked with love from the heart. View all posts by jpmason2022