Good not great. Make reservation if you want a table. Counter seating is very claustrophobic We placed our order for hot saki, shrimp and vegetable tempura, maguro sashimi, and miso for two. The waitress came back and said we needed to have an order of $20.00 each. OK we ordered the $10.00 steamed clams...nothing else. The bill was $60.00.+$15.00tip...$20 over the necessary $20.00each. The atmosphere was cold. The chef was very good. Also a bit unwelcoming. The food was good and fresh. Our Osaki restaurant in Santa Rosa spoiled us with great food and all there are very welcoming. read more

Hands down some of the finest sushi you will come across in the area. The care taken into crafting each dish is amazing. It is pricier than most sushi restaurants but if you want to indulge yourself you really should try akaoni. The quality of the fish is exceptional. Fresh, buttery & delicate. Always check the specials board for items not on the regular menu. Reservations are a must, but my wife & I have been able to grab a table on a walk in basis in the past. Explore the menu. Try something new or your go to favorites. You'll taste the difference read more

My favorite place to grab sashimi in town! They have some of the freshest fish in town and its flown in from Japan. The Toro is fantastic and will melt in your mouth. The Aji aka Spanish Mackerel is the best in town. I also love the Ankimo, Uni, the abalone sashimi, live scallop and the house made tofu. Best Japanese place in Carmel! read more

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This place is a small and humble restaurant for Carmel but the sushi is great. We started with oysters. I am not a fan of oysters and thus did not eat them. But my friend said he'd give them a 9 out of 10. So if you're an oyster lover, you (probably) won't be disappointed. We ordered taro, halibut, red snapper and salmon sashimi. All were really good, however I wasn't particularly a huge fan of their halibut; although the rest of the party seemed to love it as we ordered more. We also had 2 tuna/avocado rolls and a rainbow roll. They were good but I can't say the fish was of the same high quality as some restaurants I frequent in San Diego. They lose a star for this reason, not for their mediocre facility. The fish was still good though and I'd definitely go back, just not 5-star worthy in my opinion. read more

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Best sushi in town. Small mom and pop place, authentic menu. Recommend the chirashi as the best value. Also really enjoy their basic rolls (tekka make, negitoro, negihama). read more

Would love to give this place 5 stars, but because of parking and space, I'm very reluctant. This is a hard place to find. Like other reviewers have said, there are no signs or anything. Being located in Carmel-By-The-Sea, parking is horrendous here. Which I can't blame the restaurant, but I think I spent about 45 minutes looking for parking. Make reservations ahead of time! I forgot to do that, but got lucky and was seated in an hour. This is a cozy little place. I think there were only 4 tables and the sushi bar - tiny! There's only one server, one helper, and the sushi chef; so service can be a little slow. The homemade tofu in homemade sauce is a must try! Very creamy and delicious. The sashimi is by far the freshest I have had in a long time and hands down the freshest in the area. If you enjoy the extravagant rolls with tons of sauce and add-ons, this is not the place for you. If you want good, fresh, and absolutely delicious pieces of raw fish, this is a must try. I had the soft shell crab roll and is was "eh~" at best, but the zyo sashimi was so fresh and creamy! I think our bill for homemade tofu, zyo sashimi, chiashu, soft shell crab roll, green onion and hirame roll, and geoduk nigiri (there's a picture) came out to just under $100 after tax and tip. Three people had plenty to eat and left very full. Best part of this whole experience was that they give you a hot towel to clean your hands and a small bowl of (delicious!) edamame to start. read more

Akaoni - Chiashu (top left), soft shelled crab roll,geoduk, green onion&hirame roll (top right), homemade tofu (bot left), zyo sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

OPEN for TAKEOUT during Coronavirus, THURSDAY FRIDAY and SATURDAY evenings. Best SUSHI ever! If you know excellent quality fish, this is it. Small business run by husband and wife team. We have eaten at many of the top rated sushi restaurants in the country and you can't get any better than here. Focus is on fresh fish. If you are looking for fancy rolls that are covered up by sauces to disguise the true quality of fish, then go elsewhere. read more

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This place has gotten terrible, everybody knows the customer service is horrible but now he's raise the prices to a ridiculous level, even if he thinks the quality is good read more

Should be a NEGATIVE 5 stars! DO NOT COME HERE. THEY ARE DISCRIMINATORY AND NOT WORTHY OF OUR MONEY!! Just walked in when they opened the door at 5:30pm and the hostess asked if we had a reservation. Unfortunately this visit was on the whim since we were in the area and did not call to make a reservation. We then asked her how long the wait is for 2 people and she said that they were all full. I asked her again as I did not believe she understood my question, but she all she said was that they were all full. I looked around and there were only two tables that had "reserve" signs. There was a couple behind us and they heard the hostess say that they were full, and the couple sighed and and grumbled in disappointment. They turned to leave from the entrance. With no hope, we aslo turn at the door to leave. As we exit the door, the couple that was behind us enters and the hostess sits them immediately. I did not hear her ask about their name or about a reservation. The hostess just sits them at a table next to one of the reserved tables. Hmmm, why would they sigh and grumble in disappoint if they "had reservations"?! It was so apparent. As we walked to the car around the corner, we decided to call to make a reservation. The same lady that told us that they were "all full" for the night said that they have the sushi bar open and asked for a name to put us down for 2 at 7pm. What in the world? We feel that we were completely discriminated against. Completely absurd that she would say that they are all full for the night. She didn't even bother to help us when we were there and automatically gave a table to the couple behind us!? Will not support such a business and will not support people that holds judgment against me or my family. Again, DO NOT COME HERE. THEY ARE DISCRIMINATORY AND NOT WORTHY OF OUR MONEY!! read more

Delectable, fresh-tasting fish. Cozy, calming, relaxing atmosphere with a serious Chef at work in this tiny little restaurant. (I could have done without the fairly loud airing out of dirty laundry by fellow diners -- but I suppose this comes standard with every meal in Carmel. I couldn't fit a word in sideways into my own conversation because we would have had to shout over our neighbors' discussions of medication cocktails and the unfairness of specific divorce settlements so both of us just gave up and focused on the food.) Fellow obnoxious patrons notwithstanding, our dinner was absolute perfection on a Friday night. This place beat out my go-to sushi spot in the Bay Area by a significant margin with the quality of every item that we had last night, from miso to tempura to two kinds of sashimi and the perfect rainbow roll. Those complaining about perceived rudeness of staff: perhaps consider examining your biases and the kind of cultural exposure you have had in your life, if your take on the operations of this restaurant boils down to statements about rudeness. Service is as efficient and as attentive as it needs to be. We will be back and bring others. read more

My girlfriends and I read all the anti-asian reviews against this gem so we came in expecting the worse, however, we received the best. We're all VERY ASIAN and got EXCELLENT service so I am quite upset that there are this many reviews regarding such a controversial topic. From our excellent experience, I can only say these are angry comments from one large, fussy group or one is known to not tip well. Fish was so fresh aji and ankimo were some of the best I've ever had. The one star deduction wad only because we we came here for the sb uni and sweet shrimp but they had neither tonight. :( still awesome and if I lived in the area, this would be my go-to sushi place for sure read more

Akaoni - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

One of the best sushi my husband and I have tried! And we eat sushi every week and have checked many different places.

The only reason I'm giving them 4 stars is because the sushi was amazing!! But only the Sushi! Little on the pricey side but worth it. When you walk in it's very small. You can call and reserve a table. It's also very quite. We felt like we had to whisper because if you spoke in your normal voice it would've sounded like you were yelling. There's one chef and one waitress. Supposedly they are husband and wife. They are miserable. Neither one of them smiled nor were they friendly. Unpleasant experience minus the sushi being awesome! Ended up going to Sushi Heaven after and "J" was awesome!!!! read more

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2nd visit here and I was not disappointed. I ordered the agedashi tofu and chirashi sushi. My friend ordered the fresh house made tofu in sauce and chirashi sushi as well. The agedashi tofu was fried a bit differently from how I'm used to but it was good nonetheless. The house made tofu is a soft, silky tofu that comes with a strong (but not overwhelming) sauce. I liked the flavors and textures, I just wish the sauce was warm since the tofu was warm; it was slightly distracting to have warm tofu and cold sauce. The chirashi had a good variation of fish. It's important to have a good balance in the fish served for chirashi, you don't want flavors to compete or overwhelm. The sushi chef here tends to go light on rice, but I'm ok with that, you can appreciate the flavor of the fish more. read more

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We sat at the bar, and other than the chef taking our order there was no "sitting at the bar and chatting with the chef" experience. The server was pleasant. I had a Saba bento box; the saba was well cooked, generously portioned, and quite tasty. It came with 2 spicy tuna roll pieces, 2 cucumber roll pieces and 2 tuna roll pieces. The salad that came with it was wilted and sad, and the miso soup and big chunks of tofu and seaweed. My friend liked his rolls, I didn't try them. It's hard to find, as you walk up mission toward sixth, heading away from ocean, it's on your left past sixth. There is not a visible sign but you will recognize the Asian decor of a sushi restaurant. It's not the best sushi I ever had, but it certainly isn't bad. If you want to avoid chit chat with staff and focus on your food, it's the place to go. read more

I can't speak to the food but the staff person I encountered could not have been more nasty. I walked in as a solo diner around 8pm and asked if they could take me. She barked at me, almost yelling, "No!!! Not without reservation!" Uh... ok... My goodness. Fine if you're booked but there is absolutely no reason to act like that to a potential customer. Why?! It was extremely unpleasant and frankly a little bizarre. A couple patrons turned and stared. read more

Decent sushi shop as i went here before, but rude attitude. Trying to call at 5:20pm to see if there is availability. The waitress said no availability at 6 nor 7 pm. I asked when do you have availability, she said NOW. I said we can come in few minutes, already parked downtown, then she changed her tone. She said not few minutes, not enough time and hung up. What is up with that attitude? They are decent but not good enough to put up with this attitude. I will put my money somewhere else. read more

I walked into the restaurant excited to try Akaoni for the first time. There were many seats available both at the sushi bar and empty tables. I was told they were all taken with future reservations on a Tuesday night. Although I live in Carmel, it appears I did not have the proper android look to join the cult. Find another sushi bar!! read more

Decent sushi but worst possible service I have ever had in my entire life. Usually my par on service are pretty low. I don't need to be attended at all time. As long as I can have get what I need, I'd be happy with the service but here is just so bad that I felt I'm not welcomed. Don't think the food quality can justify the bad experience and the high price. Would not recommend to any one. read more

The female waitress was profoundly rude and disrespectful. She will treat you a certain way depending on your race, status and appearance. I was so disappointed to see how she disrespected me as I was rejected even though their were more than 6 seats available. She stared at my appearance from head to toe and made a quick decision to not accept us. I gave her the benefit of the doubt since perhaps those empty seats were reserved in advance. As a result, I made reservations for the next day; however, we completely got lost in time and failed to cancel the reservation in a timely manner. Although I apologized, the waitress yelled in a very frustrated manner that "I was very RUDE" without bothering to understand the reason. I never felt so disrespected as a customer. Her behavior was very unprofessional.. how can she behave in such a way when she is running a customer centric driven business? If you are this caliber of a sushi restaurant in Monterey where each table bill runs a high price tag, couldn't you act more professional or have a better call back process to confirm the reservation to better control their loss in revenue instead of simply blaming the customers? No matter the quality and taste of the food at this restaurant, I will never go back as their actions and behavior really made a bad impression on me that was completely unacceptable. Sadly they are a disgrace to the restaurant business, the culture and type of cuisine. There's so many places better than this place can possibly offer. read more

We called to make a reservation but they told us First Come First Serve. However, once we got there, the chef and waitress told us they were fully booked tonight. It's totally nonsense! read more

I was excited to try this place as I prefer "traditional" style sushi. I arrived at 5:30 on June 28th. One couple was in front of me, no one behind me. I asked for one spot at the sushi bar, was asked if I had a reservation, I said no. She said no room, next available is 7PM. She said sushi bar was reserved for a party all evening. I asked if I could make the reservation for 7PM, she just stared at me. Didn't appear to want my business?! I went next door, had appetizer and a couple of beers. Walked by the sushi bar at 6:30 - nearly empty. 3 people at sushi bar, 2/3 of tables empty and not dirty. WHY THE ATTITUDE AND REJECTION? read more

We come here almost every thursday, food is delicious but the only thing that gets me is the owner/waitress unfriendliness, no hi or hello whatsoever shes just plain rude. read more

I've gone here many times and know the reputation of mean service. My 11 year old son really wanted to go, so we did everything in our power to make it happen. Started calling hours before but no answer. We then went in person 45 minutes before open. Continued calling. Even saw the owners inside and they could see me outside waving and phone ringing but they refused to answer. We then were first in line at opening. Owner starts putting reservation cards on all the tables and asks do you have a reservation? I say, you saw us outside and we even waved at you. We were calling non-stop and you would not pick up. She had no response. The counter/bar was open and so I said since you did not answer phone or acknowledge us we will sit at bar. She looks at my son and says, no kids at bar. I ask why, is that a state law? She says no, my rule. SO I ask her blank, you are not going to serve my son who has been waiting for you. She says NO. NO apology, nothing. It is crazy how heartless they are. My son started crying in the entrance (I don't blame him). All the other clientele just went around us because they didn't want to lose out. I am just dumbfounded. Carmel may have some over-rated eats, but at least everyone is friendly. Not Akaoni. They have hearts of stone. Never again. read more

Ok let's set this straight! Akaoni has the best sushi in Carmel. There is no close second. BUT the waitress is curt and the chef is focused. So throw out the warm and fuzzy expectation. The food is worth it I promise you. When friends come from SF they ask to go here. If you are there for the food you will give it 5 stars too! read more

Amazing is all I can say, live abalone, uni, and live spot prawn alone. I was so happy to get a chance to sit at the sushi bar, with a reservation. I will defiantly be back, service was efficient and friendly. read more

Akaoni - Live abalone - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

Wish it could be no stars. I went there in the evening with my 12 year old because she wanted some miso soup. I wasn't very hungry. But, we ordered more food than we needed to be nice. We had no idea about the $20/per person minimum, there were barely any customers in there, no restaurant name, and it smelled like old fish. However, the rude waitress told us we didn't order enough food, and said we had to leave!!! But first, leave 3 dollars for our tea, which we never had a chance to drink! I have never been told to leave ANY RESTAURANT, much less an old, smelly, hole in the wall with only a few people in it. Don't eat there!! read more

If you are looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience, look no further. We had the cucumber sunomono with octopus. It was tasty and different. We stayed with the usual rolls for dinner: spicy tuna and California rolls (boring!). They were very good though. We had the kids with us so we couldn't delve out of the normal. This is definitely not a kid friendly place, if your child does not like seafood then do not bring them here. They also close right at 9:00, so get there in time. Food was good but I recommend being a bit more adventurous when eating here. These are authentic dishes that are worth a try. read more

Akaoni - Mask hanging over the entrance/exit - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

After reading the less-than-favorable recent reviews about Akaoni being unfriendly to Asian customers, I entered the restaurant last Friday for dinner with my two fellow Asian friends from NY with a fair amount of trepidation, but found the place to be quite friendly after all. Yes the waitress seemed a little reserved with us at first (perhaps because of the recent negative reviews from Asian customers?) but she warmed up to us quite a bit as we went through our plates of sushi, frequently coming to our table to make sure everything was okay and asking us if we needed anything. The chef seemed to be a typical Japanese sushi maestro, quietly crafting his masterpieces behind the counter. And the sushi was one of the best I have had in long time. A little on the expensive side, yes, but they have to pay the sky-high Carmel-by-the-Sea rent somehow! read more

Akaoni - Red snapper head! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

Been going to Aka Oni's since they were in the basement on Dolores Street. Shin-san is an excellent sushi chef and takes great care in selecting his fish. He has an excellent provisioner who gets him choice cuts direct from Japan. You will never go wrong eating at Aka Oni's. Make reservations though - it can be hard to get a seat. read more

First off fish quality was outstanding. My mate and I had chirashis split a rainbow roll and split an order of the live abalone sashimi (abalone was for the novelty as neither of us had tried it before) Fish all had the right taste, rice wasn't fishy, service was good, spot is small so noise was minimal and you could easily talk and listen to the music play. The abalone was nothing special, though it was definitely live as we watched the chef shuck it from the fish tank behind the sushi bar - very cool. The rainbow roll while not big was satisfying in it's assortment of fish and avocado on top. The chirashi was wonderful, the assortment of fish all having the correct unique flavors that each fish has was truly a delight. The complimentary edamame was a nice touch as well. The place is pricy, if there is a downside I guess that would be it. 20 bucks for the chirashi is actually quite average, so if you like your fish uncooked, fresh and delicious hit up Akaoni and try some local fish and fish from Japan. read more

Akaoni - Live abalone sashimi! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

This is a unique restaurant which offers the best sushi in the area. The fish is top quality, preparations are traditional and very well executed, and the service is excellent once you are seated and dining. The environment is unassuming and pleasant. The true gems are routinely the specials. Check the board and enjoy. For the uniqueness: It can be difficult to get a reservation, and my best success comes from the local advantage of walking by and asking for a date (while getting a look that very much indicated I will not be seated in my dog walking or sweaty jogging state). Substitutions or modifications are not allowed, so trust the chef. Lastly, they value the experience of the restaurant as a whole over any single diner, and I think are more willing to be confrontational over rude behavior than the average American expects. Many of the 1 star reviews give me the impression of unpleasant people who were surprised to see their attitude reflected to them. The bad: yes, it is hard to get reservations and their very small staff will prioritize work in the restaurant rather than answering the phone. I'm not sure what interactions the racist allegations in some of the reviews sprung from, but I have not seen that sort of thing while dining (caveat being I am a white male local). read more

My second time here and I love it. My last visit I ordered a couple of nigiris (Tamago & Unagi) and croquettes to offset my horrible sushi experience at a place called Sushi Heaven also here in Carmel. Today my foodie bff & I decided it was a chirashi kind of day and decided to splurge at Akaoni. We had the homemade tofu & the agedashi tofu. It was tofu overload, but I like my tofu though. The Chirashi was pretty good, I'm not a fan of tako (octopus) but this had a sweet taste to it. My palette was definitely challenged with the mackerel but that's just me. Everything else, was delightful. I recommend this place if you are really a sushi person, by that meaning not into the froufrou rolls drenched in different sauces that drown out the simple, clean, fresh taste of a properly prepared sushi. Give it a try! read more

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My goto spot in carmel for over a decade it feels like. No other place in a 20 mile radius comes close to the authenticity and freshness.

Akaoni has really gone down hill. Service is sulinattentive and they don't regularly answer the phone which makes making a reservation very difficult. I tried to make a reservation earlier and got a recording that "they were not accepting calls at this time". Totally ridiculous. Don't waste time on this place. read more

Seldom have I ever had this kind of experience or had to leave this kind of review. We walked in and despite it being a small place there was still about 50% of the seating available. As I approached the waitress and pointed at an empty table I was just told "No". Giving no explanation she just turned and walked away. I assumed that the tables were booked so I asked about the bar seats. She and the sushi chef were clearly trying to ignore me. When I didn't leave they each said "NO". Clearly they were being very rude and I suspect this was racially motivated. So I started speaking in Japanese and asked if we could make a reservation. The response was cold and in English "Dinner Only". Well if that's true the tables definitely weren't booked. No explanation only clamshell coldness and rudeness. Unfortunate but true. Save your time, money and energy. There are so many great amazing places to enjoy the magic of Carmel! Don't let this demonic (nb: akaoni is Japanese for red demon) place sour your experience. read more

Typical Japanese restaurant. Service is terrible. If you go there right before they open lunch or dinner, Waitress will stare at you and she does not seem to be happy with her job. Friendly service with smile is always important to show to customers. I would not recommend this place read more

Such a cute little place with some fantastic sushi! I've been several times (most recently: last night), and have always enjoyed the food. Great quality fish and rice, and very well crafted. The service is always great too. The highlight of our meal was definitely the uni! Melts in your mouth. I look forward to coming back! read more

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The service here is absolutely horrible! It seems the server and chef are also the owners. They are very rude. No smile or greeting as I walk in. The server basically makes me walk to her at the back of the restaurant to request takeout. While I am talking to her, she shouts at me, "SHUT THE DOOR" because it was left ajar by accident. So I shut the door and walk back to her. She hands me a menu and literally, as I was flipping it open she tells me to order. Ummm...could I have a minute to decide? I apologize for inconveniencing you! She takes my order with an attitude like she's doing me a favor and tells me it will take 25 mins. We decide to check into our hotel and my husband runs out to get the food. When he gets back, we discover that one of the items we ordered for our son is missing and replaced with another item we did not want. My husband runs back to the restaurant and the server claims that no, this is what we ordered. We would have to wait again for the item to be made. No apologies or efforts to fix their mistake. We decide to pass, it's not worth it. Overall, Akaoni was a terrible experience. The food tasted decent but then I got a bad stomach ache afterwards. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. read more

I was really nervous going here because of the bad reviews on their customer service. I'll start by mentioning my husband is Chinese American and I'm Japanese American. We went quietly and respectfully into the restaurant for lunch. I admit the service wasn't outgoing and over-the-top, but they were respectful back to us and they were friendly. The Japanese waitress asked us how our meal was, and while we were leaving, the sushi chef and waitress both told us "thank you." It was a way better experience than what I had expected. The food of course was awesome. It was the best saba I have ever tasted. The sushi was also fresh and clean. I would definitely go back there next time we are in the area. read more