Akiko's Restaurant

From the moment you step into Akikos, you're enveloped in an ambiance of refined elegance. The sophisticated decor, paired with soft lighting, creates an intimate and inviting atmosphere that sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience.

The food at Akikos is nothing short of exceptional. Each dish is a testament to culinary artistry, with flavors that are both bold and nuanced. The sushi, in particular, is a revelation--fresh, delicate, and exquisitely presented. The quality of the ingredients shines through in every bite, making each mouthful a delight to the senses.

Complementing the outstanding cuisine is the impeccable service. The staff at Akikos are attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about ensuring each guest has a remarkable experience. Their warm hospitality adds a personal touch that elevates the dining experience to new heights.

Akikos is a sanctuary for those who appreciate the finer things in life. It's a place where every detail is thoughtfully considered, and every meal is a celebration of flavor and elegance. Whether you're a sushi aficionado or simply looking for an extraordinary dining experience, Akikos is the place to be.

I recently took my wife to Akiko's Restaurant to celebrate her birthday, and it was our first Omakase experience. We were both excited and a bit curious about what to expect, and I must say, Akiko's did not disappoint!

From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was elegant and welcoming, setting the perfect tone for a special evening. The staff was incredibly attentive and made us feel right at home, explaining the Omakase experience to us with enthusiasm and expertise.

Each course was a delightful surprise, showcasing the chef's remarkable skill and creativity. The freshest ingredients were used to create beautifully presented dishes that were as pleasing to the eye as they were to the palate. Every bite was a revelation, with flavors and textures that danced together harmoniously.

The highlight of the evening was seeing the joy on my wife's face as we experienced this culinary journey together. The personal touches and attention to detail made her birthday celebration truly unforgettable.

Akiko's Restaurant exceeded our expectations in every way. We highly recommend it to anyone looking to enjoy an extraordinary dining experience. We will definitely be returning for another Omakase experience!

We were looking for a celebratory spot for lunch and decided on sushi. Took a recommendation from a foodie friend and decided to check it out. We came with a reservation on a weekday when it opened. All of the staff was warm and friendly. They all acknowledged our celebration throughout the seating which was nice and helped us stay in the spirit of our special lunch. There was only one item on the Omakase menu that day that we weren't into and they had no problem with it. Each item was very satisfying, even the ones that weren't as outstanding as some others, mainly because there were flavors that were above what we would have gotten had we chosen to visit our "go to" sushi spot on the other side of the city. After the Omakase, we tried some of the other options that we don't normally come across. We decided the cheapest options were pretty basic and the pricier bits were worth it. I won't comment on anything specifically because the menu seems to rotate in whatever is fresh or that the fish supplier has special. As with any Omakase, you need to go in with trust and we're glad we did.

Since this was a weekday lunch, it was nice and low key. We had fun, felt comfortable, and felt like we had treated ourselves. Can't wait to celebrate there again soon.

Have heard such great things about this place but a bit of a let down. Went with the traditional omakase menu. It was pretty small in terms of amount of dishes. Didn't emit much wow factor.
I've been to a handful of omakase in sf and the Bay Area and this was not bad but for the price I hoped for better.

I was curious to try the new Akiko's on Folsom St. Akiko's used to be on Bush St and was a sushi classic in SF long before the omakase trend. Now they only serve an omakase menu and the place is clearly more high-end.

First of all, the restaurant is splendid. Some might however regret that the added space makes it a bit less intimate than before. The bar is bigger and there are actually several of them.

I ordered the $250 menu. The menu is really impressive. It starts with 6 otsumami, followed by 10 nigiri, and finally a dessert.

otsumami:
* osechi: tako, herring roe, black beans
* sashimi: akami, mako garei (turbot), and another white fish (hirame?)
* robusuta & chawanmushi: lobster with shaved truffles, chawanmushi with crab and lobster gravy
* cioppino: lingcod, ikura, clam
* shokupan: shokupan served with toro and golden kaluga caviar
* sunomono: giant clam, cucumber, pear, raspberry

The menu listed shirako for the sashimi, but they replaced it with a white fish (probably hirame) since they were out of shirako, which I preferred since I'm not really into shirako. The lobster was very good, as was the chawanmushi. The shokupan with toro and caviar is one of their signature dishes and it was absolutely decadent.

nigiri:
* zuke hon maguro
* kawahagi (trigger fish)
* ji-kinmedai
* aori ika (bigfin reef squid)
* nama hotate
* umi masu
* kamasu (barracuda)
* uni
* toro
* anago

The nigiri were served directly on the counter, not on a plate. This isn't uncommon for a high-end omakase restaurant, but it would have looked nicer on a plate.

The menu listed kohada, but since I don't particularly like kohada, they kindly replaced it with kamasu.

The nigiri selection was perfect: hon maguro, kinmedai, hotate, uni, toro, anago, all the classics of a good omakase were there. Everything was excellent.

For dessert, a scoop of black sesame ice cream.

In summary, a wonderful experience at the new Akiko's.

Great food, mid service. But at this price point it's not just about food.
Their menu is split into small plates and nigiri, so although we sat at the counter, the first half was served by another server instead of made in front of us by the chef. There's overall a lack of explanation for what the dish is, how it's designed, what went into the ingredient choices, etc. It might be fine for the small plates but for the nigiri I do expect a conversation with the chef, similar to what chefs are other omakase places do. Our chef seemed very inpatient, he just told us the name of the nigiri and immediately went away, reluctant to say another word. They also put nigiri directly on the table top (unlike most other places put the food on a plate or directly hand it to you).
So good food but you can probably get the same from other places with same price but better service.

Loved my experience here! I came here for a late valentines dinner and it was absolutely wonderful.
First, the concept of the open kitchen when walking in is so nice and refreshing to see. The architecture and interior of the restaurant is also very tasteful and intimate. The lighting inside was dimly light, perfect for a date, with the centerpiece the open concept kitchen. We were sat promptly by the bar and presented with the set menu for the night. For omakase, I typically prefer being sat at the bar as it gives more of a show and has an entertainment aspect while watching the sushi chef work! It's also always great conversing with them. The head chef was super kind and funny, we loved talking with him and watching him perform his art!

The menu for that night included ostumami, nigiri, and dessert. This was comprised of 7 appetizers and 10 pieces of nigiri and a dessert. Each appetizer was so delicious and very thoughtful. I appreciated the staff service as well as every time a dish was presented, it was followed by a quick explanation of the contents and their recommendation on how to consume.

Highlights of the ostumami for me included the Louie salad, chawanmushi (which was one of the best I've ever had), and sunomono. The Louie salad's contents were selected carefully and each vegetable was so fresh and crunchy. It was a great clean start to the meal and I appreciated that this was the starter. The chawanmushi was amazing! Loved that they used lobster gravy and it was so smooth, no bubbles in it which showed the care put into making it. Lots of umami flavor in that dish. The sunomono was a nice palate cleanser to me before the nigiri began and I didn't know giant clam could taste so refreshing!

The nigiri was also amazingly prepared and I could tell the source was high quality. Their dry aged fish was also a delightful surprise to my tastebuds as I've never tried it before. Apparently, all of their fish are sourced from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo! The head chef explained to me how he goes and selects the fish with the owner. Honestly, watching him curate each nigiri with such care seemed to make it taste even better! Knowing the food was handpicked and crafted with so much knowledge and care made me appreciate it more.

Some honorable mentions would be the drinks we had ordered. The cocktails were delicious and definitely had a kick to it.

The perfect ending to tie up the night was the hojicha ice cream. I wish there was a tub I could buy because I really liked it. Not too sweet and very smooth.

Overall I cannot recommend this place enough for a memorable dining experience! Would definitely come back :) (I wish I had pictures of the nigiri, but I was too busy grubbing!)

AKIKOS may have moved locations, but the food and service haven't changed a bit. The restaurant over delivers on both fronts. If you're looking for an incredible omakase experience, look no further than AKIKOS.

Our menu consisted of:

1) Osechi - tako, herring roe, blackbeans
2) Sashimi - akami, shirako, makogarel
3) Robusută - lobster, leek, caviar
4) Chawanmushi - egg custard, duck liver, king crab & lobster gravy
5) Cioppino - cod, tomato & clam sauce
6) Shokupan - milk bread, toro, golden kaluga caviar
7) Sunomono - mirugai, pear, raspberries, muscat, cucumber
8) Zuke - soy cured bluefin tuna
9) Kawahagi - trigger fish
10) Ji-Kinmedai - goldeneye red snapper
11) Aori Ika - bigfin reef squid
12) Uni - sea urchin
13) Buri - matured yellowtail
14) Kohada - gizzard shad
15) Kamasu - young barracuda
16) Toro - bluefin belly
17) Anago - wild sea eel
18) Dessert - White sesame

We also ordered an additional serving of Hotate (scallop) nigiri.

I came here on a Thursday afternoon to celebrate my friend's birthday and try their omakase menu. My first impression is that the restaurant's interior is beautiful. I loved the atmosphere and the staff was extremely welcoming. We had reservations so we got seated immediately at the bar. We then got offered either still or sparkling water and a hot towel for the hands.

The menu consisted of 13 items for $150. The standouts to me were Robusuta, Chawanmushi and Kurodai. The nigiri's were all pretty good, but the pieces were on the smaller size compared to other omakase spots I've been to. Note that you can order more pieces after the set menu is finished for additional cost. At the end, we were served with a white sesame ice cream for dessert which I didn't find to be too special.

Overall, I did enjoy this place (food, service, ambiance) but I do think the price is a bit steep for what you are getting.

The space is interesting - you enter a cute room and then as they seat you - walk towards the back into the main dining area. I like the wooden decor. Both my friend and I got the omakase - he wanted to try the sake pairing and I a couple of cocktails. I'm not a sake expert - but I tried them and they were a mixture of flavors but all smooth and complex. The service was great - knowledgeable and attentive but also not in your face. In my humble opinion the omakase leaned more contemporary/innovative than classic. The (light) treatment of each piece of sushi was excellent and there were no bad bites.