If you want authentic Japanese cuisine Aki's is the place to go. This has been a favorite family restaurant of our in-laws for over 40yrs. They are family friends and have watched our family children grow from babies to thriving and successful adults. Aki's food is beautifully presented and tastes authentically scrumptious. This is our go to place whenever our family gets together for special occasions. I now live in another state and was happy to eat here again for Mother's Day dinner. Aki's is a popular spot so you may want to consider making reservations especially for dinner. It's not fancy (reminds me of the many traditional small informal restaurants in Japan... called Izakayas) Recommendation: ABSOLUTELY YES Oishiiii! read more

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My family loves Aki, it's Homestyle Japanese cooking. Not fancy but down to earth good meals. We come here to eat the fried oysters but unfortunately they don't have them now due to the contamination and outbreaks. I hope they can find a good supplier. I ordered the beef sukiyaki instead- very good and filling. It comes with tempura. It's a wonderful family oriented restaurant with decent prices. read more

Aki Restaurant - Tempura that comes with dinner sets. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We came to Aki to celebrate our anniversary and had a nice overall experience. This is one of our go to places on the westside when the traffic is too heavy to drive to Gardena. The food was definitely good and fresh. Though we would have preferred the steak to be more tender, I still enjoyed my meal. That said, the prices are on the higher side for what you get. The sushi portions were smaller, they only come with 4 pieces instead of the more typical 8 pcs. For example, the shrimp tempura roll was $12.50 for just 4 pcs and the spicy tuna roll was $11.50 for 4 pcs as well. I thought they made a mistake when they served our sushi but nope, they only come with 4 pcs. The service is great and for that alone, we would definitely come back. They offer combos as well. The one I got for $39 was 1/2 portions of teriyaki chicken and steak. The combo comes with tempura, miso and rice as well as ice cream for dessert. The ambiance is casual. Parking on the street. They're open for lunch and dinner. Make sure to check Yelp for current hours. read more

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Very authentic Japanese restaurant with cozy ambiance. Service is great, food quality is great. There aren't many restaurants in LA (outside of the South Bay) that have this kind of homey, ojii-chan and obaa-chan's store feel. One of the last of its kind fr. The sushi was fresh and the nabe was so outstanding!!!! The salmon got so tender. Felt like I was eating at home. read more

Aki Restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Aki Restaurant is a home-style Japanese restaurant on the Westside. The service is always friendly and attentive. There's a small paid lot nearby and neighborhood parking. For the food: There's a good variety of dishes from sushi, teriyaki to seafood nabe. They have a la carte and dinner options for all of entrees. The special combinations is a good way to try everything. They're next door to Churros Calientes, so go there for dessert afterwards. Here are my preferred orders: - Sushi Combo A Dinner, sub scallop for yellowtail - Special Dinner - Chicken Teriyaki + Sashimi read more

Aki Restaurant - Sushi A. 13 pieces - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My mom used to love this place. Very homestyle approach with very kind servers. Come here to enjoy Japanese food in the neighborhood.

Always love finding a homey, cozy, real japanese restaurant. This feels like a diner; they have mostly meals that come with miso and salad. There's a basic selection of sushi, nothing fancy, no ramen (thank god) or cream cheese here. Good service. It's a small place so try to reserve if you're coming during a dinner hour especially weekends. read more

Found this place while in the area. I love a mom and pop owned business. The sushi was ok, not amazing. The uni was the worse thing I tried. The toro was good. Surprisingly my favorite thing was the miso soup. It was piping hot and tasty! The best miso soup I have ever had. The thing that puts this place over the top is the service. Everyone that helped us was attentive and kind. You know when you leave a restaurant and you want to give the employees a hug? That's this place! I'll definitely be back when I'm in LA. read more

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This was my first time dining at Aki but, my partner has a long history of enjoying their menu offerings. My chicken teriyaki & shrimp and veggie tempura combination began with miso soup and cabbage tsukemono. Everything was absolutely amazing! The entrees were accompanied by both a green cabbage salad and a flavorful bean sprout salad. So traditional...very refreshing to have an authentic Japanese bento! The service was superb. Our server was pleasant and very attentive. The overall ambiance reminded me of Japanese restaurants of yesteryear which was heartwarming. I'd definitely recommend Aki restaurant! read more

Food quality to top drawer. The family atmosphere is very comfortable helped the the great service!

20/10 food. Fish was so fresh, and the tonkatsu perfectly fried without being dry. They do charge a little more if you want to do all salmon as the sashimi option but the prices are pretty reasonable here. The interior design is very beautiful despite being a little bit old. Very cozy. Our server was perfect too she checked in with us just the right amount of times. Will definitely love to come back again. read more

Aki Restaurant - Special dinner (with Tonkatzu and all salmon sashimi) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Wonderful Japanese restaurant with very home-y vibes!! Service: amazing! No complaints! Waitresses were very kind, checked up on us a few times. When we asked for a to go box for our leftovers, they gave us extra rice which was not expected. Food: I absolutely loved the Miso Cod. It's one of their specials and not on the physical menu. It was extremely tasty - enough flavor so each bite was satisfying but not too overpowering where it was salty. I would pay $20 for this cod over and over compared to other places I've had it from. The tonkatsu was delicious as well. I like their sauce. The meat was on the thinner side though. My least favorite, albeit still enjoyable was the sushi combo. I've had better quality fish elsewhere so if you're looking to eat sushi, other spots may be better. Though, I will say - it wasn't bad, just not as good as the other times on their menu. I've been here a few times already and will happily come back for authentic japanese food. read more

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"Cash only for the day" the waitress said as we came in. The waitress's service was attentive, courteous, and totally non-intrusive. We got the lunch specials. I believe this is as good as it gets for LA in terms of lunch and value. (Still my heart for Japanese food is from the Bay (Sushi Sam, Hatsune). Ambiance, there were a few guys drinking Asahi and watching the sports channel near the bathroom chatting and chuckling quietly among themselves but not unpleasantly. read more

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The food is excellent, I ordered yellowtail sushi appetizer and salmon dinner following. The main plate was very large and healthy portions! Same can be said for the fried pork cutlets. The service was excellent and very friendly. Relaxed and authentic atmosphere, nothing fancy but the food! It's nice to see a place like this in Los Angeles that is still family run and the difference is apparent compared to other more trendy spots. read more

Aki Restaurant - Inside seating and sushi bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

YUMMY BROTH!! I got the chicken sukiyaki, and it exceeded all expectations. It's chock full of veggies and tender, juicy meat. The glass noodles help soak up some of the outstandingly flavorful, and addicting soup. Wow! read more

Came here on a Friday night, party of four. No wait to sit at the sushi bar after nearby Sawtelle / Santa Monica restos gave us long wait times Aki is a breath of fresh air by being old. Not trying to be trendy. Or hip. A solid neighborhood joint. Clearly have some long time patrons that add personality and texture to the place. All of that is secondary to the food though. And the food delivers. It's very good, priced reasonably. We ate mostly sushi but the kitchen items also looked tasty. We liked and would come back. read more

Went with a small group of friends and was pleasantly surprised. I got the sashimi combo which came with salad, tempura, and sashimi and the salmon was particularly good. It was a very casual relaxed spot and our server was fast and attentive. The restaurant was pretty full but we didn't have to wait long at all. read more

We went 1st time with recommendation. Sushi very disappointing, very little fish with too much rice on the rolls. Cooked food is good but atmosphere, ambience is dingy. read more

It seemed like a really sweet spot. Very authentic and great neighborhood vibes. We sat with little over an hour till we had to be at a movie. They seemed very busy. We had our beer and Sake and patiently waited on our food. If it wasn't for the movie we would have stayed but we had to go before it arrived. They were very kind and the food that we saw looked great. I would recommend if you have the time read more

Aki Restaurant - Hot sake, Asahi, dining room, waiting on food :). Good neighborhood vibes in here - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I last reviewed Aki and gave it 3/5 stars just over five years ago. I'm happy to say it's gone up after my visit there today... Had a delightful chicken katsu dinner with the 9 piece sashimi side, miso soup and pickled salad ($35) and shared a large Asahi Beer with my father after a movie at The Nuart Theater just a few blocks away. The place has gotten busier and for good reason: they've taken measures to make it feel Covid-safe in their otherwise old-school interior and the service - now a mix of young and old Japanese waitresses - was spot on... The chicken katsu was perfectly fried, nice thinly pounded breast meat, not greasy whatsoever and the brown hoisin style dipping sauce was just right. My sashimi was better this time than the last time I had it with the pork tonkatsu version of this dish. All in all, I was just so happy to see the lovely wait staff at the venerable Aki doing what they do best, serving quality Japanese staples to the elderly folk and families that have patronized them all these years... let's hope they are around for decades to come. read more

Aki Restaurant - Chicken Katsu w Sashimi Dinner Combo, comes w miso soup and pickled salad too ($35) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Went for lunch The lunch specials were delicious and the service was extremely attentive read more

Great neighborhood spot with authentic food and sweet service. I love sitting at the bar and trying whatever's on the specials

The service is impeccable but most importantly, and I'm a sashimi snob, the sushi is thick and high quality. I'm glad they only have 2 rolls on the menu as rolls are an American thing. There are no rolls in Japan and it's not authentic. I've been to every sushi spot on Santa monica Blvd and this place is the best. We'll be returning! Scott was also the kindest and most humble server! We want to come back because the entire staff is beyond kind and joyful! ALSO! The red bean ice cream is FIREEE! read more

Aki Restaurant - Yellowtail baby! Look how thick this is. The tuna was also amazing but we ate it too fast! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Aki is a casual Japanese restaurant with high quality comfort food. One of my favorite Japanese restaurants here in LA. The portions are very big and depending on what you order it'll come with rice, tempura, miso soup, or sashimi, if you do the sashimi dinner with your combo. I usually get the fried oysters + sashimi dinner. The sashimi is very fresh! Other highly recommended dishes would be the tonkatsu and beef teriyaki, which are both amazing. Service is also great as the staff are very kind. read more

Aki Restaurant - Tonkatsu + sashimi dinner - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Very authentic home style Japanese food. Would very much recommend reservations. They were quite full when we got there

Solid tempura, fair prices, cozy family-owned joint, friendly service. Would come again. read more

Aki Restaurant - Tempura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Saw the doc, Free Chol Soo Lee, at the Laemmle with friends, then we had a delicious Japanese dinner of tender chicken and beef teriyaki, fresh sashimi and a chirashi bowl. Everything was delicious! The place was packed. Wonderful family-owned restaurant since the 1970's. Highly recommend it! read more

Aki Restaurant - Chicken teriyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

LOOOVE THIS PLACE!!! Always consistently good Japanese food in a REAL Japanese restaurant. I've been coming here since I was a child and it never disappoints! read more

A Sawtelle institution, Aki is an old school Japanese spot that has been around since the '70s for good reason. They're definitely on the more expensive side of normal sitdown restaurants, but the quality easily matches places that charge much more for half the portion size. The sush is simple and absolutely top tier. (Classic sushi, no Americanized rolls beyond the California roll.) The fried foods are consistently light and crunchy. The bento never disappoints. And the staff are extremely friendly (if a bit understaffed at times). Do the neighborhood and yourself a favor and try them if you haven't before! read more

PRE-COVID19 3 1/2 STARS I LOVED THEIR NIGIRI! Since I couldn't find any prices for this place, as all the menus were old, I ventured over here and had dinner a couple of months back. For a very .. non-updated restaurant I though my some of the items were a bit overpriced. I've posted the menu for Jan 2020. We walked in and there wasn't anyone to greet us! We waited a few minutes and then finally our server came and sat us- she's doing both serving and hosting and the restaurant was packed. I didn't notice too many Asians though. Our food was good, the chicken katsu was decent but the nigiri was fine star. I think if I come back I'd only get nigiri. I think with the money they make they can definitely update the restaurant a little! read more

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Easily one of the best sushi restaurants on the westside. Not much to look at inside, but the food is very good, service was excellent, lunch specials are especially fantastic and the portions are bigger than any other sushi restaurant I've been to in LA. read more

Definitely a local's find. The outside is unassuming, but it hides a truly delicious restaurant inside. Went there with my parents and had incredible sushi and tempura. Waiter was friendly and patient with my parents who always have questions. Looking forward to going back! read more

A very homey, hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant! I came for dinner earlier with friends. One of my friends asked if they could make eel on rice even though it wasn't on the menu so the waitress went to check with the chef if it was possible and they were able to accommodate his request! I ordered the dinner special with mixed sashimi (9 pieces) and fried oyster, and it came with a salad, miso soup and rice. Really good value for $25 and I was able to eat most of it. The sashimi tasted pretty fresh too - I had my doubts when coming to this restaurant about the quality of the fish but it was good. The menu is a bit limited, since they mostly have appetizers, a la carte items and some combos but the food is delicious and reasonably-priced. Really good service too, since the waitress gave us a lot of rice and asked us if we wanted more rice. There's no parking lot, so look for street parking. read more

Aki Restaurant - Sashimi and fried oyster dinner special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I ordered Niku Dofu. The Beef was thinly sliced, and Brown Onions, Green Onions, and Beef Broth were all well cooked and tasted Delicious!!!! read more

The gyoza was some of the best i've ever had!! The food felt authentic and the waitress was kind and attentive. Also, the decor and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very nostalgic. As soon as I walked in, I knew the food was going to be good. It was a welcoming environment, and was perfect for a quick meal. read more

Aki Restaurant - Gyoza, Steamed Rice, 13 piece sushi a la carte - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Located off the 405 in west la is one of the best Japanese restaurants imo . My mom and her friend Kathy first took me here years ago and I'm forever grateful . The food at Aki is amazing . My go to is the Aki Golden dinner which is beef teriyaki ,mixed sashimi and tempura. It's accompanied by rice , sunomono salad , miso soup and ice cream for dessert. Sushi and sashimi quality also never disappoints .Tbh everything here is superb and that includes the staff , chef and sushi chef . FYI they are only open for dinner and since the pandemic , sundays may still be takeout only . The restaurant itself has a nostalgic vibe , almost a throwback to another era . Personally I love this about them and I hope they never change . FYI parking is street or lowkey in the B of A lot. Itadakimasu ! read more

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First time trying here and I will be back! The restaurant is small and can be easy to miss but it is next to the Bank of America. The tables are a little too close to the other patrons, but I understand their restaurant is small. I ordered the beef teriyaki with sashimi combination. You get 3 salmon, 3 tuna, and 3 yellowtail and a nice medium cooked, tender beef teriyaki. The meal comes with cabbage salad, miso soup, rice, and salted cabbage. The servers were nice and friendly. While on the pricier side, I enjoyed the quality of the food! read more

Aki Restaurant - Beef teriyaki plus sashimi combination ($28) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

One of my top favorite restaurants in LA. Super authentic and delicious food. Service here is amazing and ambiance is casual. The quality of the sushi is excellent and they are super consistent. I always order the beef teriyaki dinner, can't go wrong. read more

Aki Restaurant - Beef teriyaki dinner includes sashimi and tempura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

5 stars is not even nearly enough to describe how great this place is. Food- from hot food to actual sushi, both 10/10! Hot food: must try the seafood Nabe hot pot Sushi: holy cow, everything's good. We always go for Uni, Toro, Halibut, Aji, amebi... etc, freshest of the fresh or they won't even sell it to you. Ambience: traditional authentic Japanese restaurant, so cool Service: 10/10! I highly suggest for you to sit at the sushi bar and meet Dean, the coolest elder human being on earth. He is just so cool and we always have a great time chatting with him to just have a fun time! There are a lot of great sushi place at the west side, but honestly nothing compare to Aki. Out of all of the greatest restaurant in Los Angeles, Aki is one of our top 5. I read some of the negative reviews before me complaining about wait time of 10 min, honestly you are at one of the hottest traditional spot that isn't in and out, if you can't afford to wait you shouldn't and don't deserve to eat here. Chill out. read more

Great sushi spot! Fish quality always consistent. Saki selection is good! Ask Scott for saki recommendations. read more

Aki Restaurant - Special Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California