Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Akira: The Art of Sushi and Teppanyaki

Prior to visiting this place, I was viewing weird dishes online like the creepy Dancing Squid Bowl in Japan mainly because of my fascination of such exotic dishes. Akira might not have "live" sashimi there but this has to be one of the finest Japanese restaurants I've ever dined in so far! 

Could you imagine that these guys have Tako (Octopus) sashimi readily available? 
Interesting, right? Read more to see what else I've tried at Akira! 

A few days ago I dropped by Akira for some late night dinner. For those who were asking where they could find their 3rd store, it's located in Malugay St.corner Ayala Avenue Extension, Makati City. It's quite tricky to commute there, I suggest searching Alphaland Makati in Google Maps instead.

The place is very cozy, I could imagine myself unwinding here. The interior is inspired by the fall season of Japan where you could see that the orange and yellow leaves are calmly blown by the wind. While the Kawayan Too Chairs on the first photo and the red Yoda chairs on the third photo perfectly compliments the ambiance of the place. Both of which is Kenneth Cobonpue's masterpieces.

One of the hardest things I've encountered while dining here is their menu! I JUST CAN'T DECIDE! Everything on the menu sounds great. I can't believe they even have the highly-prized Kobe Beef here! 
Even my friends had a hard time choosing which ones should we get.

For our appetizer, I got the Foie Gras Chawan
I like that they had Spring Onions, Shitake and Kani inside to make it more interesting. (P348)

The other table ordered the Japanese Kani Salad. It's topped with finely shredded Nori so I'm guessing it must taste like heaven! I wish I tried this one though. (P258)

On our table, Alice ordered the Kani and Pomelo Salad. I'm not really a fan of salads but I find it great that they made it more flavorful and slightly crunchy by using fried Kani as a substitute for basic croutons. (P248)

I have a love-hate relationship with oysters. They're so damn yummy but it takes a special skill to prepare them safely. I had a series of food poisoning before since I really suck at cooking food. But with these Oyster Teppanyaki, I had no severe reactions or anything at all! These are yummy as they are creatively presented. Exceptionally soft despite being fried too. (P248)

These are my favorites for the night! Above is the Mixed Sashimi and below is Akira California Roll. I will tell you right now that you will get what you paid for. The Mixed Sashimi really really made me happy! This set includes 8 kinds of sashimi which consists of Salmon, Tuna, Hamachi, Tamago, Uni, Ebi, Kani and Tako.

The slices of the sashimi are thick. The meat is not frozen to the point of ruining its texture. And best of all, IT IS SO FRESH~! Normally, I would drown everything in soy sauce. But these one I didn't add anything to them at all. I know it's fresh because old Uni aren't as fluffy as the fresh ones. The same goes to the California Roll because you could feel the Tobiko popping inside your mouth. Such a delight! 
Someone, please stop me as I've been endlessly praising these!! (P528 & P368)

Aside from their sushi, Teppanyaki dishes are one of Akira's core products. This is one their Teppanyaki sets which is the Set A - Japanese Wagyu. The following sets are served with Miso Soup and Japanese Fried Rice. All sets comes with Chicken, Prawns and Beef of choice. I believe everything in this set is so tender. The shrimps are perfectly cooked along with the savory beef. Great for those with a heavy appetite. (P1448)

We all agreed hands down that this is the kind of dessert that one doesn't easily get tired of! 
This Ice Cream Parfait is on everyone's favorite list. Will it make it on your list? (P268)

If you're not a dessert person, they also have Cocktail Drinks like Japanese Zombie and Sex on the Beach.
Jessica wouldn't believe me that it was named as such. Lol. (P258~)

I didn't finished everything on my own. These cool bloggers were also present there! 
Alice, Jessica, Ivan and Shawn are so fun to hang out with!

Of course Akira wouldn't be possible without these culinary geniuses next to Marketing Director, Miguel dela Rosa.The Teppanyaki Chef of Akira is Chef Lucky Salcedo and their Head Chef is Chef Tom who spent 20 years in Japan. These people really do take their food seriously. :D



All in all, it was really a pleasure getting to experience one of the finest Japanese restaurants in town!
Hope to visit again soon! Thank you Akira and Ms. Lariza Garcia for having us around!

For more information on reservations for corporate lunches and events, you may call 09177067328 or email Miguel S. De La Rosa, Marketing Director at migs.mktg@gmail.com

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