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I ordered: 1. Katsu Sando - crispy pork cutlet, ocopa sauce, purple cabbage slaw 2. Salmon Truffle nigiri - buttery salmon, foie gras, black truffle, panela 3. Burger nigiri - Japanese wagyu patty, kimchi aioli, pickle, Maras salt 4. Miso & Chocolate Brownie - lúcuma ice cream 5. Hand rolls: Acevichado handroll - Hamachi, ají amarillo, avocado,acevichada sauce / Octopus Anticucho handroll - Tempura octopus, anticuchera, botija olive aioli / Duck Confit handroll - Northern peruvian sauce, hoisin, pickled daikon / Short Rib handroll - Chicha morada nitsuke glazed, criolla salad To try to simplify, flavors across the board were very good. Textures for certain parts were weak such as soggy pork katsu and dry duck and short rib. Brownie was not as moist and decadent as I would've liked. Seafood quality was solid, as it should be. Waiter was very nice and helpful. The dining set up is multiple ~12 seat sushi bars with one chef each. You can imagine how slow that becomes.
This is such a good dinner spot, whether with friends, on a date, or solo dining! The staff is so kind and helpful and the chefs are so fun to watch. We got the 5 hand roll set and my personal favorites were the toro and the scallop hand rolls. The flavors were yummy but nothing that stood out too much to me. Definitely a solid place to come to
Came in for an early dinner with a reservation. Upon entering the restaurant, the ambient lighting and seating arrangement really set an elevated scene. With it being bar style seating, we got to see the chefs make every piece of our meal. We opted for the Guacamole as an appetizer, followed by the 6 piece hand roll set. The Guacamole was a unique take on traditional Guac with fried rice paper as the chips. Every piece of the hand roll was fantastic. The toro was by far our favorite of the bunch. The only reason I'm giving Akiro 4/5 stars is due to two reasons: 1. The sushi chef seemed to miss one of my rolls. This usually wouldn't be a big deal, but when I notified our server, the chef gave me a look as if I was lying. 2. While dining, there was an air vent above us that dripped water on us. Not a huge issue, and management was very apologetic.
Chicago has gotten an influx of hand roll spots, but Akiro bring a Peruvian Japanese flair that is unique enough to make it memorable even among all the sushi restaurants here. Went here with my wife and had a nice dinner. The interior is a bunch of bar areas so you can see the chefs working and preparing all the fresh fish and handrolls in front of you. While you can order a la carte hand rolls and/or nigiri and other appetizers, the best value is to get one of their hand roll set menus with between 3-6 selected rolls, then add on if you are still feeling hungry. All the dishes were well prepared with fresh, good quality fish from the pervian style ceviche appetizer to the assortment of yellowtail, tuna, and salmon hand rolls we got. The cocktails were nice and easy to drink while balancing the alcohol and some sweeter flavors, and the miso brownie dessert with lucuma (a Peruvian fruit with a creamy, almost butterscotch/caramel like flavor) ice cream was well balanced and rich but not too sweet. If you are looking for a nice alternative to your typical sushi night or want to see what Peruvian Japanese cuisine is all about, Akiro is definitely worth a try.
Saw this place on TikTok and I LOVE hand rolls so I had to try! Unfortunately it didn't hit the spot, maybe I'm spoiled since I'm from California but I wanted to find something like KazuNori. We were sat at the bar immediately without a reservation and our server was attentive. I assumed that since most was bar seating they would make the rolls in front of us, but instead they took our order and then it was brought out to us. Not a big deal, but why are we all facing a bar if there's nothing to look at? We ordered several hand rolls which were brought out all at once. I ordered 2 toro hand rolls. The fish itself was fresh but the rice was cold and the seaweed was SO CHEWY. I felt like a cow chewing on grass. I personally would not come back but the fish quality was fresh!
We sat at the bar and i just wanted to try a few things. i really enjoy the vibe in there and staff was extremely nice. when we went, a sushi chef was in training so i feel that quality didn't fully hit but he still did a great job! Usually when i sit at the bar I feel like the chefs are talking and communicating the meal and sharing stories but unfortunately didnt get to this time. the fish tasted very fresh!
We made reservations 2 weeks in advance for a Friday night. The restaurant was classy and sleek. The service was great. You order by marking what items you want on the menu. It was difficult to tell what order the sushi chef was serving the sushi and can be difficult to hear what he was saying. The sushi quality was top notch and the handrolls were creative. The ceviche is a must and she scallop was super fresh.
Interior is comprised of 4 bars, so it's quite intimate. Very beautifully designed with very kind and helpful staff. They normally don't do stuff to go, but I had a friend in town who didn't have time to stop by, so I asked if they could help me pack their miso caramel brownie to go because it was THAT good. Very tasty hand rolls too!
This is a Peruvian Japanese handroll bar. It's mostly chef counter seating but you can also sit outside with a reduced menu. There's more than just hand rolls. Some appetizers, sashimi and nigiri and dessert. The drinks were great! I recommend the pisco sour. The pricing was just right and the food was delicious. Service was also fast and nice. Very vibey for after work dinner or drinks.
We had a solid experience at Akiro. The ambiance is solid and the restaurant is massive. They are running multiple separate sections of sushi bars and it was one of the largest sushi restaurants I've been too. Service was really attentive and every bar section comes with their own dedicated chef. The room themselves were pretty subpar. I think if you like spicy mayo then these would be good. The fish was rather low quality and mostly masked by every roll having the same sauce. The chef was also pretty sloppy, dropping a ton of stuff and knocking things over as he made our rolls. In general it's worth a try in this hand roll trend but not sure I'd go back. The hand roll sets are a pretty good deal. I found the quality of the hand rolls
Akiro Hand Roll Bar is the first Nikkei hand roll bar in the U.S., blending Peruvian flavors into Japanese dishes and it was SO good. The vibes were great and sitting right in front of the sushi chef made the experience even better. 9/10. Service was good. Our server didn't check in as often, but we could easily flag her down and she was super nice and helpful with recommendations. 8/10. For starters she recommended the tuna tiradito which was super fresh and flavorful. 9/10. For nigiri, the squid was INSANE. Literally melted in my mouth like butter. 9.9/10 and I would go back just for that. The toro was great, especially torched. 8.5/10. Salmon didn't stand out much but had a cool green salsa. 7/10. The salmon truffle was delicious. 8.5/10. Unagi lowkey tasted like dessert with that sweet chocolate shaved on top. 8/10. A5 wagyu was also amazing. 9/10. For hand rolls, the acevichado was my favorite. Super unique flavor I've never had before. 9/10. The short rib hand roll was also amazing with perfect texture. 9/10. The rest were more mid. Tuna 6/10, ebi furai had too much spicy mayo 5/10, toro 7.5/10, scallop 7/10. The tres leches with matcha was the perfect ending. Dense cake, cream at the bottom, and barely any matcha flavor which I actually loved. 9/10. Cocktails were AMAZING. The lychee martini was strong, sweet, and didn't taste like alcohol at all. 10/10. The matcha sour didn't really taste like matcha but was still a great sweet drink. 8.5/10. Overall... best sushi in Chicago so far. Highly recommend.
Ambiance - modern, intimate, offers a really casual and relaxed atmosphere Service - our server was nice but it was really hard to get her attention & for us to pay the bill; the thing that really threw me off is during the middle of dinner when I was chatting with my cousin, someone just cleared out my area (plate, chopsticks, spoon, soy sauce) but I still had 2 more hand rolls coming out Food - Tuna Tiradito - too salty, can't even taste the tuna Hamachi Ceviche - too sour Hand rolls - seaweed was crispy and fish quality was cold/fresh
FINALLY! After 4 1/2 years in Chicago, I found a Japanese restaurant that can stand up to my old home in the San Fernando Valley, California. My 4 1/2 year search is finally over. Akiro, just north of Riverwalk is making amazing NIKKEI, SASHIMI, NIGIRIS and HAND ROLLS that (now) rival the one hundred Japanese restaurants on Ventura Blvd. from spanning from Studio City to Woodland Hills. Tonight (finally) was like a breath of fresh air! What was also very exciting was our favorite restaurant in Chicago was Pistores that recently closed and now houses Akiro; I call that karma. The redo at this address was fantastic. I felt like I was in the Ginza in Tokyo; that was pretty cool. Akiro was packed this Saturday night at 7:00 - that was a very good sign of things to come. I ordered their Five Hand Roll Set with: Salmon Toro Tuna Scallops Eel all were very very good. Unlike the S.F. Valley there was no wasbi or ginger, but their incredible (I'm sure home made) soy sauce made up for that. It was definitely NOT Kikkoman! It had this syrupy quality that caught my attention. I ended this extravagant dinner with shrimp tempura that just "wowed" me. I need to mention that the price of this dinner was not overpriced like many of the sushi restaurants I've experienced here in Chicago. The staff was very well trained in the art of making your meal a terrific experience and the ambiance was a quiet almost "zen" feeling. I know when my wife reads this review (she's in Los Angeles tonight) that when she comes back to Chicago, this will be the first place she will ask me to take her to - and I will, happily.
Wonderful handroll experience at Akiro! Food: We had the 6 handroll set, Hamachi Ceviche, and Tuna Tartare. Everything was amazing and fresh. In the handroll set there were more traditional japanese flavors with some peruvian inspired flavors (spice, citrus, etc.). Outside of the set there are some more creative handroll options such as fish and chip and short rib. We tried both of these a la carte handrolls and thought the fish and chip was slightly better. The ceviche and tartare were great appetizers but I felt the ceviche was more unique. Service/Ambiance: The staff here was very kind and attentive. The restaurant is decorated beautifully and I love that most of if not all seats are bar seats so you can see handrolls being made. There is a really nice modern and elevated ambiance. We made a reservation in advance so we did not have to wait Price: For 2 people we spent about $125 each after entrees, apps, and drinks. Considering the quality, ambiance, location, etc. I would say this is a strong value read more
OVERVIEW: 3.5/5 - a modern and simple sushi hand roll experience that combines Japanese and Peruvian flavors and techniques. The menu is heavily focused on hand rolls (duh) and offers some nigiri/sashimi as well as appetizers. I thought it was good overall but nothing particular stood out to me, and I felt it was a bit pricy for what you get (in comparison to similar restaurants). Reservations are highly recommended, as there is limited seating indoors at the sushi bar or outside on the patio. Service was great - our waters were constantly filled and everything you order is pretty efficient! My favorite hand roll was the wagyu one ($24). They recommended the Fish and Chips roll and I tried it, but it's basically a glorified fish stick in a hand roll. This was probably my least favorite dinner when visiting Chicago! read more
food: good flavors and great quality but not that filling for me for the price, i got 5 handrolls and was still hungry after service: nice staff and cool to see the sushi chef in front of you ambiance: very nice interior and silverware read more
I ordered: 1. Katsu Sando - crispy pork cutlet, ocopa sauce, purple cabbage slaw 2. Salmon Truffle nigiri - buttery salmon, foie gras, black truffle, panela 3. Burger nigiri - Japanese wagyu patty, kimchi aioli, pickle, Maras salt 4. Miso & Chocolate Brownie - lúcuma ice cream 5. Hand rolls: Acevichado handroll - Hamachi, ají amarillo, avocado,acevichada sauce / Octopus Anticucho handroll - Tempura octopus, anticuchera, botija olive aioli / Duck Confit handroll - Northern peruvian sauce, hoisin, pickled daikon / Short Rib handroll - Chicha morada nitsuke glazed, criolla salad To try to simplify, flavors across the board were very good. Textures for certain parts were weak such as soggy pork katsu and dry duck and short rib. Brownie was not as moist and decadent as I would've liked. Seafood quality was solid, as it should be. Waiter was very nice and helpful. The dining set up is multiple ~12 seat sushi bars with one chef each. You can imagine how slow that becomes. read more
This is such a good dinner spot, whether with friends, on a date, or solo dining! The staff is so kind and helpful and the chefs are so fun to watch. We got the 5 hand roll set and my personal favorites were the toro and the scallop hand rolls. The flavors were yummy but nothing that stood out too much to me. Definitely a solid place to come to read more
Came in for an early dinner with a reservation. Upon entering the restaurant, the ambient lighting and seating arrangement really set an elevated scene. With it being bar style seating, we got to see the chefs make every piece of our meal. We opted for the Guacamole as an appetizer, followed by the 6 piece hand roll set. The Guacamole was a unique take on traditional Guac with fried rice paper as the chips. Every piece of the hand roll was fantastic. The toro was by far our favorite of the bunch. The only reason I'm giving Akiro 4/5 stars is due to two reasons: 1. The sushi chef seemed to miss one of my rolls. This usually wouldn't be a big deal, but when I notified our server, the chef gave me a look as if I was lying. 2. While dining, there was an air vent above us that dripped water on us. Not a huge issue, and management was very apologetic. read more
4 months ago
Chicago has gotten an influx of hand roll spots, but Akiro bring a Peruvian Japanese flair that is unique enough to make it memorable even among all the sushi restaurants here. Went here with my wife and had a nice dinner. The interior is a bunch of bar areas so you can see the chefs working and preparing all the fresh fish and handrolls in front of you. While you can order a la carte hand rolls and/or nigiri and other appetizers, the best value is to get one of their hand roll set menus with between 3-6 selected rolls, then add on if you are still feeling hungry. All the dishes were well prepared with fresh, good quality fish from the pervian style ceviche appetizer to the assortment of yellowtail, tuna, and salmon hand rolls we got. The cocktails were nice and easy to drink while balancing the alcohol and some sweeter flavors, and the miso brownie dessert with lucuma (a Peruvian fruit with a creamy, almost butterscotch/caramel like flavor) ice cream was well balanced and rich but not too sweet. If you are looking for a nice alternative to your typical sushi night or want to see what Peruvian Japanese cuisine is all about, Akiro is definitely worth a try. read more
4 months ago
Saw this place on TikTok and I LOVE hand rolls so I had to try! Unfortunately it didn't hit the spot, maybe I'm spoiled since I'm from California but I wanted to find something like KazuNori. We were sat at the bar immediately without a reservation and our server was attentive. I assumed that since most was bar seating they would make the rolls in front of us, but instead they took our order and then it was brought out to us. Not a big deal, but why are we all facing a bar if there's nothing to look at? We ordered several hand rolls which were brought out all at once. I ordered 2 toro hand rolls. The fish itself was fresh but the rice was cold and the seaweed was SO CHEWY. I felt like a cow chewing on grass. I personally would not come back but the fish quality was fresh! read more
We sat at the bar and i just wanted to try a few things. i really enjoy the vibe in there and staff was extremely nice. when we went, a sushi chef was in training so i feel that quality didn't fully hit but he still did a great job! Usually when i sit at the bar I feel like the chefs are talking and communicating the meal and sharing stories but unfortunately didnt get to this time. the fish tasted very fresh! read more
We made reservations 2 weeks in advance for a Friday night. The restaurant was classy and sleek. The service was great. You order by marking what items you want on the menu. It was difficult to tell what order the sushi chef was serving the sushi and can be difficult to hear what he was saying. The sushi quality was top notch and the handrolls were creative. The ceviche is a must and she scallop was super fresh. read more
21 days ago
Interior is comprised of 4 bars, so it's quite intimate. Very beautifully designed with very kind and helpful staff. They normally don't do stuff to go, but I had a friend in town who didn't have time to stop by, so I asked if they could help me pack their miso caramel brownie to go because it was THAT good. Very tasty hand rolls too! read more
This is a Peruvian Japanese handroll bar. It's mostly chef counter seating but you can also sit outside with a reduced menu. There's more than just hand rolls. Some appetizers, sashimi and nigiri and dessert. The drinks were great! I recommend the pisco sour. The pricing was just right and the food was delicious. Service was also fast and nice. Very vibey for after work dinner or drinks. read more
We had a solid experience at Akiro. The ambiance is solid and the restaurant is massive. They are running multiple separate sections of sushi bars and it was one of the largest sushi restaurants I've been too. Service was really attentive and every bar section comes with their own dedicated chef. The room themselves were pretty subpar. I think if you like spicy mayo then these would be good. The fish was rather low quality and mostly masked by every roll having the same sauce. The chef was also pretty sloppy, dropping a ton of stuff and knocking things over as he made our rolls. In general it's worth a try in this hand roll trend but not sure I'd go back. The hand roll sets are a pretty good deal. I found the quality of the hand rolls read more
Akiro Hand Roll Bar is the first Nikkei hand roll bar in the U.S., blending Peruvian flavors into Japanese dishes and it was SO good. The vibes were great and sitting right in front of the sushi chef made the experience even better. 9/10. Service was good. Our server didn't check in as often, but we could easily flag her down and she was super nice and helpful with recommendations. 8/10. For starters she recommended the tuna tiradito which was super fresh and flavorful. 9/10. For nigiri, the squid was INSANE. Literally melted in my mouth like butter. 9.9/10 and I would go back just for that. The toro was great, especially torched. 8.5/10. Salmon didn't stand out much but had a cool green salsa. 7/10. The salmon truffle was delicious. 8.5/10. Unagi lowkey tasted like dessert with that sweet chocolate shaved on top. 8/10. A5 wagyu was also amazing. 9/10. For hand rolls, the acevichado was my favorite. Super unique flavor I've never had before. 9/10. The short rib hand roll was also amazing with perfect texture. 9/10. The rest were more mid. Tuna 6/10, ebi furai had too much spicy mayo 5/10, toro 7.5/10, scallop 7/10. The tres leches with matcha was the perfect ending. Dense cake, cream at the bottom, and barely any matcha flavor which I actually loved. 9/10. Cocktails were AMAZING. The lychee martini was strong, sweet, and didn't taste like alcohol at all. 10/10. The matcha sour didn't really taste like matcha but was still a great sweet drink. 8.5/10. Overall... best sushi in Chicago so far. Highly recommend. read more
7 months ago
Ambiance - modern, intimate, offers a really casual and relaxed atmosphere Service - our server was nice but it was really hard to get her attention & for us to pay the bill; the thing that really threw me off is during the middle of dinner when I was chatting with my cousin, someone just cleared out my area (plate, chopsticks, spoon, soy sauce) but I still had 2 more hand rolls coming out Food - Tuna Tiradito - too salty, can't even taste the tuna Hamachi Ceviche - too sour Hand rolls - seaweed was crispy and fish quality was cold/fresh read more
FINALLY! After 4 1/2 years in Chicago, I found a Japanese restaurant that can stand up to my old home in the San Fernando Valley, California. My 4 1/2 year search is finally over. Akiro, just north of Riverwalk is making amazing NIKKEI, SASHIMI, NIGIRIS and HAND ROLLS that (now) rival the one hundred Japanese restaurants on Ventura Blvd. from spanning from Studio City to Woodland Hills. Tonight (finally) was like a breath of fresh air! What was also very exciting was our favorite restaurant in Chicago was Pistores that recently closed and now houses Akiro; I call that karma. The redo at this address was fantastic. I felt like I was in the Ginza in Tokyo; that was pretty cool. Akiro was packed this Saturday night at 7:00 - that was a very good sign of things to come. I ordered their Five Hand Roll Set with: Salmon Toro Tuna Scallops Eel all were very very good. Unlike the S.F. Valley there was no wasbi or ginger, but their incredible (I'm sure home made) soy sauce made up for that. It was definitely NOT Kikkoman! It had this syrupy quality that caught my attention. I ended this extravagant dinner with shrimp tempura that just "wowed" me. I need to mention that the price of this dinner was not overpriced like many of the sushi restaurants I've experienced here in Chicago. The staff was very well trained in the art of making your meal a terrific experience and the ambiance was a quiet almost "zen" feeling. I know when my wife reads this review (she's in Los Angeles tonight) that when she comes back to Chicago, this will be the first place she will ask me to take her to - and I will, happily. read more
9 months ago
We visited Akira Chicago during Chicago Restaurant Week. The service was excellent throughout our visit. The staff were attentive, friendly, and made great suggestions from the special menu, which helped guide our choices and made the experience feel welcoming. The ambiance is warm and inviting. Everything we tried was tasty! The flavors were balanced and thoughtfully prepared, and the dishes felt fresh and satisfying. It was easy to see the kitchen's attention to detail and care in execution. Overall this was a solid Restaurant Week stop. read more
Every once in a long while I dine somewhere I dream of returning to even before I exit the front door . Thai happened tonight at Akiro and definitely wins for my favorite dining experience so far for 2026. Bar seating only so not the ideal place for a group. Go with a friend or date . The food is outstanding- Every bite . Got 4 hand rolls and loved all with the tuna being the standout of the night ( although my teen and husband would argue the Ebi tempura for the win ). Didn't love the scallop which had a tad too much mayo for my liking. This Japanese / Peruvian hand roll / sushi spot is their first location in the US with multiple locations in Spain and Italy, Service was solid too. Don't miss it if you are a fan of raw fish . A plus !!! read more
9 months ago
I'm glad I got to try Akiro during restaurant week and made the time for lunch. It's a very cute spot and I like how everyone gets to see the hand rolls made. It is a bit tight when sitting down, but it's for the view of the making of the hand rolls. Our waitress was very nice and cleaned out sets and spilled food before each course. For restaurant week lunch, my friend and I ordered the shrimp tempura and tuna Tiradito as the apps, the tuna, salmon, and hamachi for the hand rolls, and we got our own miso & chocolate brownie. All of this was $30. We also ordered a Toro hand roll ($9) to try as we both love Toro. Our favorite hand roll was the Toro. Both appetizers were delicious, but they were not wrong in that they were small. For the dessert, we could not tell what the ice cream was supposed to taste like. I also felt that it needed to be a little soft to eat with the brownie as the brownie itself was a little dry. Overall, we enjoyed trying Akiro and had a good experience. read more
Tried Akiro for restaurant week and was definitely not disappointed! I got to try their torched toro and scallop nigiri, both of which were very nicely made. Fish was fresh and the garnishes/seasonings were well done. The hamachi handroll that we got for the third course was especially memorable. Nice and light flavor with a hint of tanginess from the lime. I also got the crab handroll but found the filling slightly under seasoned. Would've liked a more peppery kick. The matcha tres leches was a lovely way to end the meal - not overly sweet (though could use some additional matcha to the cream) but very nicely soaked in the milk-based syrup The only ding on the meal would be the rice - not super well cooked/maybe the quality was mediocre? The rice was felt meal-y and almost sandy on the tongue Ambiance was great, nice set up with four "stations" each with a sushi master making nigiri's and rolls for the customers. Overall great experience! read more
I'm typically not super impressed with the quality of food in River North, but this place is worth the hype! All the fish and flavors were super fresh and delicious. The hand rolls are also a great bang for buck - they're definitely not skimping out here. My favorite bites were the Scallop Nigiri, Burger Nigiri, and Salmon Hand Roll. It's also super aesthetic inside and roomier than it appears at first. Most seating is at one of the two bars which are in front of the sushi chefs which is a cool experience to see your bites being made! read more
Atmosphere: -Gorgeous interior. There's at least 4 "sushi bar" areas with about 12ish seats per bar, so the place is bigger than you think. -Not too loud or dark, so perfect for a good yap session. The lychee martini was balanced and not too sweet. I think every girl ordered this specific drink in our area. Drinks: -Decent selection of wine, but do not get the Sancerre - it's very buttery and does not taste like your traditional Sancerre. The Albariño is the way to go. Food: -6 hand rolls for $39 and the nigiri pieces ranged from $5-$18, so they are on the pricier side and were fine, nothing to write home about. -Best bite was the tuna tiradito. The miso and chocolate brownie with lucuma ice cream was a bite I'd remember. It tastes like caramel or butterscotch, so good. TLDR: -great atmosphere for a girls night or date night -get the tuna tiradito, drinks, and dessert -good but not out of this world hand rolls (the set menu is a better deal than a la carte but if I'd had to pick: the toro and acevichado were the best bites). You won't be that full I promise! read more
11 months ago
Came here for a relaxed dinner and really enjoyed the experience. The restaurant has counter seating and the space feels modern and clean. It was not too crowded or loud, which made it easy to actually enjoy the food and conversation. Our waiter approached us pretty soon after we sat down, walked us through the menu, and gave thoughtful recommendations that ended up being spot on. We started with the hamachi ceviche. The fish was very fresh, though the sauce was a little too sour for my taste and slightly overpowering. We also ordered the tuna sashimi, which again was super fresh and clean. For nigiri, we tried the toro, salmon, scallop, and salmon truffle. I usually prefer my sushi pretty traditional without a lot of toppings, so I was a bit skeptical when I saw aioli being added. To my surprise, it worked really well. The fish was torched perfectly so the fat rendered nicely without overcooking the fish. The flavors were unique but balanced, and the nigiri honestly melted in my mouth. We then moved on to the hand rolls, and the fish to rice ratio was perfect. It did not feel like I was getting filled up on rice, and once again the fish was fresh. The Peruvian flavors were unexpected but worked surprisingly well. We ordered the crab, scallop, toro, and acevichado. The panko in the crab hand roll added great texture, and the crab itself tasted fresh and real, not imitation. The acevichado was the most unique and ended up being my favorite since it was really refreshing. We finished with the matcha tres leches. It was not too sweet and I loved the texture of the cake, though I wish the matcha flavor was a bit stronger. Overall, a really enjoyable meal with thoughtful service and creative flavors that still respect the fish. Would definitely come back. read more
Akiro has a clean, modern ambiance that instantly sets the tone for a great meal. The ingredients are incredibly fresh warm rice, crisp nori, and fish that tastes clean and vibrant. The scallop and toro rolls were the standout, with a melt in your mouth quality you don't find often. Service is friendly and well timed, giving the experience a relaxed, curated feel. It's a bit on the pricier side, but the quality and atmosphere make it worth it. read more
1 year ago
Another day, another handroll bar. My college roomie is visiting from Boston, which already has amazing food options. What I guaranteed she didn't have though, was America's first Nikkei handroll bar, which is Peruvian Japanese fusion. This restaurant is famous in Spain, so the owners brought it to Chicago. They are also sister restaurants with Matilda and Kayao. We started with the tuna tartar, which had a nice yuzu kosho emulsion with thin wafers. The wafers compliment the tuna well, and the creaminess worked so well with the raw fish! We opted for their largest Handroll set which comes with 6, each served separately. You can watch the chef make it in front of you, and we were seated right next to the bar. The bartender was friendly, so that was a huge plus! This included the salon, toro, tuna, scallop, acevichado, and the ebi furai. All of them were amazing, but I was genuinely so stuffed afterwards. These were the largest handrolls ever, and every piece had such a huge piece of quality fish. None of it was minced up, but rather made whole. Now this is a FUSION restaurant, so if you want a no frills experience with just fish, you might not love this. Each roll contained extra flavors like like scallion, aioli, togarashi, avocado, or aji Amarillo. However, the flavors were never repetitive, and each roll complimented its added ingredient super well. The only gripe I have is that the seaweed was not the most crisp that it could be. They also have a few nonalcoholic cocktails that we thought were delicious with a little twist! The blueberry mule was so refreshing. read more
Yum! Overall, Akiro is one of the best spots I've tried recently. The vibe is great. Everyone sits around one of four chef's counters, watching the chefs prepare rolls right in front of you. Be warned this place is definitely not great for groups. There are some places where the counter curves where you could, I guess, sir a group of four but it would still be difficult to have a conversation. For drinks, I loved the lychee martini. It was absolutely delicious. For food: 1. Tuna Tartare: The sauce on the fish was delicious, but the cracker it was served with didn't make much sense to me. 2. Tuna Sashimi: Perfect. 3. 4-Piece Hand Roll Set: All the rolls were good, but the tuna was my favorite. The combination of tuna and the crunch of jalapeño was chefs kiss. I've seen some complaints that the rolls are too rice-heavy, but I don't agree. While they're not overloaded with fish, they feel well-balanced. read more
Walked in on a Friday night and was able to grab a seat at Chef Raul's counter. We each did the 5 hand roll set, the ceviche app and then grabbed some nigiri at the end. Fish was fresh, flavors were great and service was attentive (shoutout to David). David explained that they're a Japanese and Peruvian fusion Nikkei spot and you can definitely tell with the amazing flavor profiles. Highly high recommend the ceviche. Perhaps one of my fave ceviche in a while and a great example of their fusion flavor. Hand rolls - all were great but my power ranking would be the scallops, toro, ebi furai, tuna and then salmon but would definitely get any of them again and some of the a la carte sounded fun. Nigiri - the toro with caviar and bone marrow is so good and presentation was so fun! Hubby tried the burger and it was so cute and unexpected flavorful. Chef Raul also had us try chuturo and otoro and it was just melt in your mouth delicious. Will definitely be back to try more. Amazing service by chef Raul and David. read more
Absolutely fabulous! Full disclosure: I don't eat raw fish so this review only covers veggie/meat options. The short rib and avocado hand rolls were to die for! I also tried the duck which was good but not as good. I'd say about 3-4 hand rolls per person is good depending on how much nigiri you order. The burger nigiri was a delicious little bite, but arguably not worth $8. The service is good. The rolls and nigiri are made right in front of you and are plated up as soon as they're ready. The chef is preparing for the entire table so it does take a bit of time. read more
1 year ago
If you're a sushi lover, Akiro Hand Roll Bar is an absolute must-try in Chicago. From the moment you sit down at the sleek bar, you can feel the attention to detail and freshness that sets this place apart. Every roll was perfectly crafted right in front of us -- flavorful sauces, crisp hand rolls, and the freshest fish you could imagine. Each hand roll was a little piece of art -- especially the tuna caviar and short rib rolls -- they literally melted in my mouth. You can tell they take pride in quality over quantity here, and it shows in every bite. Yes, it's a little on the pricier side -- but honestly, it's worth every single dollar. You're paying for premium ingredients, artistry, and that elevated omakase-style experience that's hard to find anywhere else. read more
So glad to have another hand roll place in town! The bar style seating arrangement is nice (although typical for handroll places so you can see the rolls being prepared) and service overall was friendly (they had opened just two weeks ago). Very calm atmosphere inside! We ordered a selection of apps, nigiris, hand roll set and some hand rolls a la carte: Apps - Edamame, tuna tiradito, tuna tartar, hamachi ceviche Nigiri - unagi, scallop, wagyu Handrolls - short rib, tuna, toro, ebi furai, salmon, scallop They were all very delicious! Seaweed paper is nice and crisp as they should be. Unagi with dark chocolate was a surprising combo and highly recommended! It was a great first experience at Akiro - delicious food and pretty decent price point! I'd recommend! read more
1 month ago
This place was so good. Absolutely loved the hand rolls and nigiri choices and many options were affordable. We got their 6 hand rolls and a scallop, tuna and otoro nigiri which was filled with flavors. I would say when we walked in, the person at the front could have been a little more nicer but overall our waiter was so nice. He gave us the rundown of the menu and gave us time to look over the menu. The ambiance inside was really nice and I enjoyed how we can see the hand rolls being made. The lychee martini was good. Such a great place for a date night or catching up with friends. read more
We came here for my 10 year anniversary with my wife, and it was simply incredible. We first heard of it actually on a trip to Madrid, Spain, where they have their other restaurant. The line was out the door there, so we knew there was one in Chicago that we had to check out. Every single thing on the menu is so uniquely, flavored, and filled with culinary experiences. We've never tried in our life. The ceviche was very potently, flavored, with a nice smooth aftertaste. The Nigiri was overflowing with flavor, particularly Toro tuna with the bone marrow. The short rib hand roll was perhaps the greatest piece of sushi I've ever had in my life, and sushi cuisine is one of my wife and my favorite, so this definitely says something. Incredibly kind service, and a very cool cozy ambience on the inside. It's a little pricey, but as I mentioned it some of the unique flavors I've ever had at a sushi restaurant. read more
Sit at the chef's counter. Or don't. But if you don't, be jealous. This place is basically the tapas bar of sushi! It provides small and perfect bites that keep showing off. Hand rolls with zero fluff. Think of it as my fancy hot dog era, but make it elite. The octopus stole the show and the scallop nigiri was unique for me. Loved the vibe. read more
I came here for an early dinner this past week and because of the holidays, the restaurant was pretty open. The decor was minimalist but sleek, and the waitstaff was nice and attentive. I had the miso soup, toro nigiri, scallop nigiri, salmon/tuna/ebi hand roll set, fish & chips hand roll, and the miso and chocolate brownie. Everything tasted delicious and fresh. I think my favorites were the nigiri and ebi hand roll. The brownie was good and not overly sweet. I'll definitely have to come back to try out the other types of hand rolls. read more
9 months ago
9 months ago
Wonderful first restaurant week brunch with besties..... really high quality hand rolls the matcha pisco had. A nice balance but I wish it had more matcha read more
What a stunning restaurant! Perfect for date night or an elevated small group GNO! All seats are bar and are situated around the chef stations so you get to watch them create your meal which was sooooo cool! Elevated atmosphere, food and service! Our waiter, I think Jonathan ?? Was lovely! Everything we ordered was 10/10 but of special mention is the tiradito, burger nigiri, salmon truffle nigiri and the fish and chips hand roll! YUM YUM YUM ! read more
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