Roka Akor is a contemporary Japanese restaurant that uses the 'robata grill'. '
Robata grill' is basically a charcoal grill, which makes the food have more of a burnt flavor compared to the regular '
teppanyaki', also known as steel grill. We came across this restaurant on
Groupon. I like that it is not a widely spread chain restaurant, making it more unique. In United States, there is one in Scottsdale, AZ and they recently opened another one in Chicago, IL.
The Scottsdale location is in a stand alone building right off N. Scottsdale Road, near the McCormick Ranch Golf Course. Upon entrance into the restaurant, we were greeted and given a choice of sitting at the bar or at the table. As we walked towards the restaurant, we saw that they had outdoor tables and given the nice weather that evening, we opt to sit outside. When we were guided to our table, I noticed that they have an open kitchen setup. It would have been fun to sit by the open kitchen to see all the cool cooking techniques they use.
Roka Akor is definitely the fanciest restaurant I have been to in the States. It is an upscale restaurant where you pay for not only the food but also the ambiance and service. We had a server who was very informative on the dishes and helpful with the recommendations. They were very alert on when we need refills for our drinks and the food came out at the appropriate timing.
The menu is definitely full of unique dishes with the Western-Japanese fusion theme. We wanted to try as many dishes as possible so we opt for a variety of their appetizer dishes rather than their entree dishes.
We started out with the Japanese Shishito Peppers. This is definitely a must try for pepper-lovers! The ponzu sauce (the Japanese version of soy sauce) enhances the juiciness of the pepper that was lightly grilled.
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| Robata-grilled Japanese Shishito Peppers with ponsu and bonito flakes, $7 |
Our server highly recommended their Salmon Nigiri for salmon-lovers. This is the first time I tried flame seared salmon and it has definitely left a mark in my taste bud. The salmon was so fresh and searing is definitely a better option because it cooked the salmon just enough, leaving it still juicy and the melt in your mouth taste. This was my favorite dish of the night.
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| Flamed seared sesame Salmon Nigiri, $11.50 |
Not getting enough of the salmon and of course, how can we pass up sashimi when we are in a Japanese restaurant, we ordered the Chef's Selection of sashimi. The selection was tuna, yellowtail and of course, salmon! The sashimi was served on ice, the proper way, unlike most Japanese restaurant. It is very fresh and the sweetness from the fish bursts with every bite. It is definitely the best sashimi cuts I have had.
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| Sashimi Chef's Selection, 3-pc, $19.00 |
Another fish dish that we tried was the Butterfish Tataki. I don't think I tried butterfish before so this was exciting. This is the most attractive dish - the asparagus butterfish was steamed and served with yuzu, a refreshing citrus flavor sauce. Although this is an appetizer dish, the yuzu sauce was a great transition towards dessert.
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| Roka Akor Butterfish Tataki with white asparagus and yuzu, $11 |
For those who are not a big fan of seafood, they have very tasty vegetable side dishes too. We tried their signature Sweet Corn and Sweet Potato. They are definitely the most expensive corn and sweet potato I have ever ate but the robata grill definitely made a huge difference. The sweet potato is crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. The corn is so juicy it feels like we were eating some kind of a melon instead of corn.
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| Roka Akor Sweet Potato with ginger teriyaki, $4.50 |
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| Roka Akor Sweet Corn with butter and soy, $4.50 |
We ended dinner with their Green Tea Custard for dessert. The custard is not too sweet, which is always a risk when ordering custard, and is great when eaten together with the banana-vanilla foam. I suspected that they have a tinge of pandan added to the custard but since I couldn't remember what pandan is called in English, I didn't ask about it. This combination reminded of the sweet and salty kuih talam. The chef recommended dipping the caramelized banana into the custard but I preferred eating them separately. While it is a tasty custard and definitely made with green tea (rather than flavored), I can't say it is the best dessert I have had.
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| Baked Green Tea Custard with caramelized banana and vanilla, $8 |
I would definitely go back to Roka Akor just for their seared salmon but probably not anytime soon as their pricing is on the high side. But, I do highly recommend it for a pre-dinner place to visit. It is also known to have really good shochu (unfortunately I can't vouch for their quality as we didn't get any alcoholic drinks) so for those who want to get some drinks and light snacks before dinner, it is a great place. Off to think of a special occasion or celebration to go back there…
