Their rolls are extremely small, they inflate prices for their 1/2 off, and they use too much mayo. Mayo disgusts me. Mayo and rice and raw fish is even more disgusting. Their rolls weren't bad, but Durham has enough sushi options that I wouldn't repeat here. read more

This is my second usual haunt around the RTP lunch area - primarily due to another co-worker who loves it here. It seems like I'm oscillating between Papa Mojo's and Akashi any given day I forget my lunch and decide to eat with the work crowd! Decor is simple and the menu is diverse....enough. I've heard terms tossed around like "Best sushi in the Triangle" when referring to this place. All I can say is, "Dear God, I hope not." This is definitely not the best place I've eaten sushi. I don't think the quality of fish is that great just sitting at the bar and looking at the prepared fish within their glass managerie. BUT I don't think it's bad for the price. I kind of think of this place as a bargain bin one stop shop place for cheap sushi rolls - probably a step below or near (in quality) to the places out west where you could get all-you-can-eat-made-to-order sushi buffets. They seem to have a good selection and their gimmick of half price rolls seems to be working - the seats always seem full when I'm here. For the price...(we usually end up spending $12-15/pp which equates to ~4 rolls for 2 people)...I think the portions are fine. I somehow always end up full and even a bit stuffed. So for sheer quantity and price, it's not a bad deal. If you're a fiend for quality, I would really consider eating elsewhere. To put things into some perspective on the quality/price issue, I'll give two cases. We went back to Houston a month ago and ate at a local sushi restaurant. I paid twice as much for the same or less quality sushi rolls we had there. When we had dinner at another local place (An), I thought fish quality was way superior at An, but the prices were so off-putting that I didn't really enjoy the meal near as much. Since the owner is Vietnamese, there are some Vietnamese-inspired dishes on the menu (e.g., curry, etc). I also swear I saw someone eating a bowl of Pho here once, but was never able to find it on the menu on subsequent visits. In fact, I know so, b/c I took his bottle of Sriracha and hoisin sauce after he left to spice up some of the sushi rolls we ordered! Maybe someone can confirm this? All in all, I really love the service here. It's always been fast and courteous. They refill drinks quickly and almost with ESP-like precision. The turn around time here can be blazingly fast - almost ridiculously fast if you sit at the bar. So, cheap sushi, so-so quality and quick, great service makes this place A-OK. Def. worth a visit if you're in the area and just need that quick fix. read more

A friend of mine recommended this place after hearing me rave over Shiki. She claimed it was much better than Shiki. I can't say I agree with her. The food was good, but not great and the service is good. However, there's just nothing about this place that was super impressive to me. I would go back if Shiki didn't exist not too far away. If you are looking for good sushi but don't like Shiki for some reason, give it a whirl. read more

First of all, let me say that out of numerous visits over the past couple of years, we have only had one not-so-great experience with Akashi. It was a Saturday night with very few customers and sushi chefs we didn't recognize. They are closed on Sundays, so earlier in the week is better. That aside.... We have tried a variety of foods at Akashi including appetizers, bento boxes, and sushi. The value is incredible compared to many other restaurants with comparable foods. They even have Inari (sweet tofu) and Tamago (egg omelt), which is hard to come by most of the time. Special requests are always followed, and it is some of the best tasting sushi and tofu I have had from somewhere that doesn't pretend to be gourmet. "Jackie" is one of the friendliest and most knowledgeable servers around. If you have a question, she has an answer and can explain why it's so. Most of the sushi chefs are pretty skilled when you consider they probably aren't traditionally trained. My 5 year old always sits up at the bar to watch, and they gladly entertain her. Give it a try. It might become your new favorite as it is ours! read more

The sushi here is great and the prices are pretty affordable (half price!). They do a good job of bringing your food out fast too (especially when you're there for a lunch break and you don't want to use most of your time just sitting around). The only reason I'm knocking off the 2 stars is because of the rudeness. I got a shrimp tempura roll which was $8 but since it was half off, it was only $4. WHILE I'm eating my food, a waitress comes up to me and asks me if I have cash because they don't accept credit cards for something that only costs $4. I was so surprised by this. Then before we could even speak, she just went ahead and combined mine and my co-workers order together without even asking if it's okay or not. Eventually my co-worker put it on his card and I paid him cash. First of all, no where is there a note of this anywhere in the restaurant. If there was, that would have been okay. Secondly, if you want to tell me that I have to pay in cash, tell me before I eat or after...not WHILE I eat...I mean how more rude could she have been? Two thumbs down for the attitude and the rudeness but I will visit again for the sushi, especially because it's cheap at half off. read more

Wow, that was bad. Like really bad. The rice tasted like soap and the sushi smelled and tasted fishy. They had no idea how to slice it and the pieces I actually ate were full of fat and tendon. The noodles came with only black pepper and oil on them and for some reason the wasabi would not dissolve in the soy sauce. Not at all. Overall a very weird and unsatisfying experience that has me feeling impending diarrhea. The best part was the Michelob ultra. read more

I can't believe I haven't tried Akashi yet, small place that gets quite good business on Saturday nights. I'm definitely going to recommend this as a lunch spot. Udon noodles were fantastic. Noodles were the perfect consistency, and the right amount of flavor without being too salty. Airport roll exceeded expectations, it wasn't complex justshrimp tempura, salmon on top with spicy mayo. Dynamite roll was fully cooked tempura with salmon, certainly a different taste for a sushi roll but it was very good. I didn't care for the spider roll the crab tasted a bit old, won't be getting that one again. read more

This sushi is good for the price (1/2 off all rolls if you get two or more), but maybe not as good as you would get at a more expensive place. The staff is really friendly, though, and the service was relatively fast over the busy lunch hour. read more

Akashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Akashi has gone down hill. I hope they get better one day. It was first opened by a Vietnamese chef that worked at Sushi. Dyung I think was his name.. He was meticulous about the sushi quality. It grew and it got sold to another Vietnamese family. The new family found ways to cut costs, and fish quality plummeted... this was a few years ago. I've gotten sick off the sushi a few times but I've also been about 2 times a week on average for the first few years it was open... then every week for the next couple... and now not at all. Through all of this the service has always been good... but sometime around when the whole building got painted black, things went down hill. But why the dramatic cutback? The fish never really tastes good anymore. The place is kind of dirty. The sisters that run it now are a bit pushy at times also.. Also, they used to make a Pho soup that was divine.. just heavenly. It now tastes like a mix. I feel certain they stopped making their own broth and went to bullion. It tastes like it to me. When the sushi stopped being good, I went their just for Pho.. but now there is nothing left for me. It's too bad, I miss what it was. If you are new to sushi and want to try something cheap and slightly risky, go for it. If you have a refined palette or are expecting Japanese...anything... prepare to be disappointed. I always wished they would've re-themed the place to be what it really is, an Asian diner... and serve sushi plus traditional Vietnamese food. They are business first people though.. and not so passionate about food I think. As an alternative... Shiki sushi has better fish but their restaurant is kind of weird to me... but it's worth the weird to get good, high quality food that doesn't make me sick. I absolutely loved Akashi once upon a time. I do hope the owners realize that high quality fish and cleanliness make a good sushi restaurant. If they really want to go nuts, do a facelift too. read more

You probably wouldn't expect much from a strip mall painted black, fire engine red, and dijon mustard yellow, but don't pass it up! I hadn't ever eaten at any of the restaurants in this strip mall until yesterday when I went to lunch with some friends at Akashi. As per usual, I stuck to sushi because I'm obsessed and can't get enough...I'm just waiting for the mercury poisoning to set in =) That being said, I ordered the sushi deluxe lunch platter with 7 pieces of chef's choice nigiri sushi and the tuna roll. It was outstanding...you know how sometimes you can go to a sushi place and they cut the nigiri all wrong and you get the stringy pieces and it's tough to eat? Not here! It was cut perfectly, and the pieces were very generous in size. The platter included miso soup and salad...I'm not a fan of miso soup I got double salad instead (I know, I know, I'm just so healthy)...the ginger dressing was very good, with a milder flavor than others I've had. So don't be scared off by the condiment-colored building...let Akashi speak for itself. read more

Japanese restaurant has no taste of Japanese food at all!!! My udon not hot hot at all. Spicy tuna rolls like the one I can get from gas station. So disappointed read more

We made our first visit to Akashi last night. We were greeted by a very smoky smell at the door which we didn't notice after we'd been inside for a couple of minutes, so it wasn't really a big deal. Perhaps an isolated event? I really love the paintings inside. Large, colorful, so beautiful! The menu is great! So well organized, makes it so easy to find what you're looking for. I love the little symbols that denote spice level, what takes longer to prepare, etc. Thanks for helping a still-developing sushi connoisseur make great choices. I opted for the bagel roll and the golden gate roll. Tasty! Next time, I'm going for the rainbow roll. (My friend had let me try a piece. Yum!) What makes it even better? Rolls were all half price. None of this buy one get one but you can't split a check baloney. My only complaint? There was apparently one server for 6 tables of customers. Our drinks were slow being refilled. But she was nice, so I won't ding them too much. We'll definitely be back. read more

Stopped by on whim for lunch around 12:30 on a Tuesday. No trouble getting a seat at the empty sushi bar. The server was a little slow to get to me, but the sushi came up quickly once I put my order in. The presentation of the three rolls I selected was good. As is typical for me, I can't remember exactly which rolls I ordered. A few others reviewers have mentioned their menu system as a big plus, and I agree. Seeing the icons next to the rolls to indicate spice level, or whether it is cooked or not, along with the categories of rice inside, outside, fish outside, etc. was very helpful for me to choose. That would make this a really good spot for someone new to sushi rolls. read more

Tonight at about 8:30 I was hit with the sudden craving for sushi but having moved from Chapel Hill to Durham (hwy55) my options were limited so I hopped on yelp and came across 2 sushi spots. One I had tried and thought it was good but over priced and then there was this place. I thought.... Man I wish I had time and energy to drive to Chapel Hill for sushi at Kurama but I'll roll the dice. As soon as I walked in I was greeted with a giant smile. It was my favorite chef from my favorite CH sushi spot! Here! On HWY 55! It was like a miracle. He had told me he opened his own place and I was filled with delight! I ordered a volcano roll which was covered in loads of crab and a second roll (I've forgotten the name) that was so light and refreshing. It's 9:30 at night and I've been made to feel so welcome and have had such yummy food that I don't even want to leave. Sadly, the place isn't super busy. So please! Come try this place out. This area needs to support our local businesses and this is one that deserves every bit of support. Try anything, you'll leave happy. read more

Akashi - Good amazing - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Great place for lunch and not bad for dinner. They get really busy during lunch time...so either go around 11:30 or go around 1:00. Noon is the worst time to be there....it's busy and your food can take a while. The price is very reasonable, staff are very friendly, and fishes are fresh. I love that there are so many variety sushi roll to choose from. The sushi rolls are not like those fake imitation BS you get at Harris Teeter. My ultimate favorite are the spicy tuna hand roll, watermelon roll, and red dragon roll. All my visits were pleasant. I have been here numerous times and will continue to. read more

Not the best atmosphere, but not ridiculous prices for food either. They recently started serving Pho and its really good. Want good food at a reasonable price without the glitz, this is the place. read more

We called for a takeout order at 5:53pm, and were told it would take 30-40 minutes. We get there at 6:35pm, only to find out that the person who took our order over the phone never put the order in. Seriously? We finally got our food at 7:06pm. The owner graciously removed one of the rolls on our bill (though it was already 50% off, so we saved a whopping $8). Maybe next time will be better. read more

Very nice little restaurant. Friendly service. Food was very good.. you could taste the freshness in every bite. Nice Friday night crowd. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. read more

Akashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We woalked in.. it was 6 of us and the place looked jammed, even though it was very big on the inside, but they found a table for us in the back of the room. I had sushi and the others had the variuos hibachi options. my friends all enjoyed the food very much. The sushi seemed fresh and made just right. The hibachi food they said was great. The service was good. They quickly refilled our glasses of water or soda when it was done. It is definitly a good place. They were quick and attentive. read more

My wife and I just came once again to eat a great food and the prices are reasonable. Very happy to recommend this restaurant.

The 50% off rolls when you buy two or more rolls for lunch is a great deal. The sushi tasted very fresh, I would definitely recommend this place. read more

The half price sushi menu is what drew me to this location for lunch. I was disappointed to discover that while the restaurant boasts half-price sushi for a few hours at lunch, that not ALL of the sushi is included in the sale. A select few (less adventurous) rolls are available, but certainly nothing spectacular. The sushi was mediocre when it finally arrived at my table nearly an hour after ordering. There was something about it that didn't taste quite right, so a large portion was left uneaten. It was like pulling teeth to get chopsticks, have my water refilled, and then to get the check so I could leave after my 2-hour lunch. If you're willing to wait a long time for your sushi and don't mind the poor service, it's at least worth a shot. read more

I ordered a takeout for a co-worker and myself for lunch. It was excellent! It took 15 minutes after ordering when I walked in the front door. I ordered 4 rolls and all were fabulous! We cant wait to return for another lunch. We plan to go down the entire list of specialty rolls! I was pleasantly surprised. read more

Unfortunately, i havent been to Akashi in over a year, but I love this place and make a point to go when I'm in town. Their sushi is always great, (they have YUMMY unagi) and their tempura is equally delicious. I love sushi, but unfortunately 99% of my friends do not. One of the things that makes Akashi one of my favorite places is that they also serve really great Thai food and teriyaki dishes. So you can have your awesome sushi and your friends can have an awesome meal as well! Get the green tea! Check the time you go, HALF PRICED SUSHI ROLLS!!!1!11 read more

The sashimi was not high quality fish. It actually tasted like the fish had been submerged in dirty dish water. The rest of the table enjoyed the sushi rolls more than the nigiri and sashimi. read more

I brought the family here early on a Saturday evening. It is very nicely decorated, the wait staff is attentive and the food was very good. We ordered: avocado roll vegetable roll vegetable tempura Mercury Rising Roll California Supreme Roll Kid's shrimp hibachi My wife really liked her veg rolls. I enjoyed my fish rolls and my daughter loved the tempura and the hibachi shrimp. I definitely recommend this place. I docked one star because the sushi is not of the highest high quality but it is sufficiently good to hit the sushi-craving-spot. Good place to bring the family. read more

Giving a four star cause finding Asian food in North Carolina that isn't a PF Change or Panda Express can be a bit challenging to say the least. This place will do the trick if ur looking for a good fix at a reasonable price. Just try to get over the combo of Japanese and Vietnamese. The sushi is quite good and the pho is just as good as I get in LA. Granted the sides that go with it are lacking but that's what you get when you cross two Asian cultures. read more

Akashi - Chicken pho - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Didn't realize this was here. Great spot for sushi. There was no wait for a table. We had shrimp dumpling appetizer and edimame as we decided on sushi selection. The service was very attentive and prompt. Ordered the Mary, Oyster, and Volcano Roll. We also ordered yellowtail and bluefin tuna. They have fresh wasabi for $2 which was well worth it. Everything was fresh and high quality especially the bluefin tuna. Did I mention the bluefin??? So good. Glad we stopped for dinner. The only negative might be the dining room decor, but that didn't bother us. I would definitely go back. read more

Great choice of sushi and very reasonable prices for lunch. We have tried a range of things with scallops, tuna, and some tempura prawns. The service is friendly, and pretty good considered they're usually slammed at lunch time. read more

I was traveling in the RTP area for a business trip and craving sushi and found this little gem. Very quiet and small restaurant but they have wonderful service. Very quick and efficient as well. I thought the prices were very reasonable and if you purchase 2 or more rolls they give you half off. I got the Yellowtail Roll, the Albacore Special Roll and the Atomic Tuna Roll. All were delicious :) read more

Akashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My family and I come here about twice a month for sushi and we love it! All of their sushi rolls are fresh and there's such a large variety to choose from. The owner and waitstaff are very friendly and attentive as well. We've tried several other Japanese/sushi restaurants before but we always end up back here! read more

Akashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I have been to at least eight other sushi places in the triangle area, and this one is, by far, my favorite. The roll selection is HUGE, the prices are amazing (half price sushi all day every day) and it is delicious. I am sure someone who is used to actual two-miles-from-the-coast sushi would not think the fish was ultra top notch, but I think it's delicious and fresh! My only negative is that some of the servers do not know the proper way to pour a beer, and at peak times (just like any other ethnic restaurant) service can be a little slow. If you're going for a fancy-schmancy evening of sushi, this isn't the place for you, but if you're up for great and inexpensive sushi in a chill atmosphere, check it out! read more

Had high hopes and was not disappointed. When we arrived, at 7:30, there weren't many people inside and this scared me a bit but we ordered anyway. So glad we did. The Godzilla roll and Godzilla's eye were both awesome. The beef bento box was so tender and wonderfully seasoned. A must try if in the area. read more

Akashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The sushi was wonderful and the roll too. We had the ultimate rainbow, which had a nice texture, as well as the crunchy spicy salmon roll, which was very nice. We had a sushi deluxe along with the two rolls, so I was a bit worried maybe it was too much. But I just couldn't stop and am craving for more. The servers were very nice, which completed our dinner so wonderfully. Definitely will come back when I'm in town. read more

Akashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The quality of the sushi is slightly below average, but saved from 1 star because of the surprisingly delicious bowl of pho in a sushi restaurant. The waitresses were impolite and not courteous with our table service. Lastly, the menu is immensely confusing and the half-price off sushi special is overrated (the final price of each roll after the discount is essentially similar to a normally priced sushi roll). Overall, we enjoyed their bowel of pho more than sushi / service! read more

Its not a fancy shiny restaurant you might be expecting, considering other famed sushi establishments around the area. However, Akashi's quality of sushi is good for a good price. There is wide selection of traditional and unique rolls, all for 1/2 off all the time. The variety of rolls I've had have been good, fresh, and tasty. All the nigiri have been generious cuts and good. Service was solid upon entering. The waitress was quick to greet me. Upon sitting at the bar or booth, the service was prompt to take my order, refill, and for general followup. They were friendly and helpful. It made Akashi feel more local, especially when several repeat customers were greeted on a first name basis. Overall, Akashi is a good quiet place to have good sushi for dinner or lunch. Good food, well priced with solid service. read more

Very friendly and efficient staff and excellent sushi. I have fallen in love with the Rainbow Dragon roll! Prices reasonable - BOGO rolls. We had a nice dinner for 2 with the large Saki for under $50. Will definitely go back. read more

I've been to Akashi for lunch a lot. I am in the area throughout the work week and it is a decent place to go earlier in the day because of the variety of asian food that they serve. I can't say its my favorite asian place to eat but it is convenient. Akashi has a wide variety, including sashimi, sushi rolls, bento boxes, and hibachi. Rolls are BOGO and most meals come with miso soup and/or salad. As previously mentioned, I will surely be back but i don't see myself coming to eat here anytime other than lunch throughout the week. read more

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Unlike most of the other reviewers, I've always been pleased with the quality of sushi from Akashi. This, along with the value, is what has kept me coming back in spite of the often sluggish service. When it comes to the food, I tend to find that Akashi has a better selection of particular rolls that I like. Two of my favorite rolls - the Wolfpack and the Romeo - won't be found on the menu at some other pretentious, "hip" sushi joints (Shiki, I'm looking at you). As for the quality, I've been to Akashi probably a couple dozen times, and only once have I ever gotten a roll that tasted less than fresh. Every other time, I've received tasty, high-quality sushi. Even the rolls that I tried and didn't particularly like were well-prepared and the ingredients were fresh. Costwise, Akashi offers a great value. Most of their rolls are half-price all day, which begs the question: why don't they change the menu prices? Only the special rolls and nigiri/sashimi are exempt from the discount, which can make for a very reasonably-priced sushi outing. Akashi is definitely not for the see-and-be-seen sushi crowd. Recent renovations have actually improved the interior appearance, but the decor is still not quite up to the ultra-chic crowd. But, if you're someone who loves good sushi and good value, and who has time to spare, I'd recommend you try Akashi. One final note: if you go at lunchtime on a weekday, you'd better be an RTP executive because you'll be taking at least a 2-hour lunch. Akashi is VERY popular among lunching RTPers and there is often a wait between about 12 and 1:30. read more

When it comes down to it, in the circles I run in, the best sushi in Durham is either here or over at Shiki. While I prefer Shiki, I've never been disappointed here by the rolls or the service. Really, the staff here is probably better than who you'll find at Shiki on any given night. Also, this has probably recently become the cheaper night out, if that has any bearing. You'll lose out on some of the la-di-da, but that should rarely matter on an evening out (unless you're looking to impress someone). Base purely on sushi, though, this place is quite good. Enjoy the moshi ice cream after dinner. Or just go to Shiki, since I'm here to tell you that it's still better. read more