Driving down the pike with a grumbling stomach is never a good idea. Actually, driving on the…read morepike is never a good idea, but I digress. I admit, I pulled into the first plaza I saw that was easy to get in to find something, and wound up at Akira. I've had their ramen before at other locations, but this was my first time at this one. The place had a little bit of a crowd in it, but I was quickly seated. The Rockville location here is perhaps not the most beautifully decorated, with some rather odd ornamentation (like an actual, possibly functional, payphone? ), but it's still a nicer spot than a typical lunch counter. Okay, confession. I have no idea what the different ramens are. I always just kind of pick one randomly, and I've never met a ramen I didn't like. This time, I got the tantanmem. Of course, picking randomly, I picked one that used ivory soap as a topping -- or as you fancy people call it, "cilantro." Realising my error, I quickly caught the waitress and asked for it to be omitted. Akira actually skipped it! YAY! Thank you. I cannot tell you the number of times that request gets met with a "no problem" only for my dish to be overflowing with soap bubbles later. The broth had a little bit of a spice to it, not much, which was delightful. Everything was well cooked, and it really hit my hangry spot. My only small complaint was that my egg was still cold -- but, also, the bowl was set in front of me, and I simply hit the "ON" button and vacuumed it in.

Before checking out with online order make sure you check out the auto tip ( that's on me 12 sec…read morelater) like this place and the employees are nice BUT pay your employees more upfront OR make this a giant optional screen for takeout. I'm getting Pho next time of walking into my other Ramen spot next time. It cost me almost 45% more and I'll order in person next time.

Haven't been here for a while. Went for a lovely Friday lunch. They have good lunch specials…read more (Mon-Fri) Their sushi plates we have had are really tasty compare to many in the area. Their service is always pleasnt. The prices are very reasonable for the quality, quantity, taste, and service. Parking can be tight when busy. The ambiance is casual and atmosphere can feel small when busy. Otherwise, our experiences have always been excellent.

What we got:…read more Yakitori - 3.5* only docking 0.5 points because of price ($5 for 2 skewers). Taste was pretty good! Gyudon (donburi) - 4* I wanted it to be just a tad saucier,l but other than that it was good flavour. Spicy bulgogoi (donburi) - 5* great as always!

Definitely one of my favorite spots in Rockville! The restaurant is quite small so be prepared for…read morea wait during busy days. Staff was friendly and it felt like I was at a home kitchen because it felt cozy and welcoming. I ordered the katsu don and agedashi tofu. I loved how the tofu was slightly fried and the sauce complimented it very well. This appetizer felt light and made me crave for it more. The katsu don felt very comforting and was flavored nicely. I did add some togarashi for some spice. I would definitely come back to this place! It reminded me when I visited Japan because of the atmosphere and food.

If you want some home-y and authentic Japanese food - look no further. Amazing fish quality in…read moresashimi and sushi. Great traditional Japanese fish! And love their tonkatsu curry and eel don. Cant wait to return and try more. For the mackerel - - I recommend squeezing the lemon over it, adding a piece to your dish & add radish (white stuff) and soy sauce over it for the perfect bite!

Joaquin and Jen were great!! love the service and the ramen was delicious - I really enjoyed the…read morenoodles and the soup base! the vibe was also very nice

A restaurant the whole family can enjoy! The little pickiest one tried ramen and LIKES IT. We…read moreenjoyed the outside seating in the large pagoda and good service. It wasn't too busy (we went when they first opened to avoid the crowds) so it was pretty peaceful despite the busy streets. We also enjoyed some mocktails and highly recommend the strawberry mint one! I also love how at this location they give you garlic cloves and a press at the table so I can put ALL the garlic in my ramen. So good!

My current go-to Akira order - Karaage Ramen and the Salmon Lover roll! The karaage at Akira is…read moreactually sooo good and getting the ramen version is a great deal because they actually give you a decent amount of meat compared to the usual to tonkatsu ramen. The salmon lover roll was fine but nothing super special. It was a good complement to the ramen!

Solid ramen spot in Gaithersburg. Perfect for a cold day or a comforting bowl of ramen…read more Ordered their tonkotsu ramen, chicken karage, and okonomiyaki- all delicious! They also have a really good sake selection - one of our favorites was on the menu and it was delicious. The service was decent and the vibes were chill. Would recommend for a casual date or hang with friends!

Delicious vegetarian ramen First time there. I'll be back. Nice service. Busy…read more Casual no frills ambience

Came here for dinner with my husband tonight and was blown away. The edamame was perfectly salted,…read morethe shrimp shumai were flavorful, crispy, and so fresh I was willing to burn my mouth each time I shoveled one of those pockets of joy in, knowing full well that they were way too hot to eat. The California roll was the best I've ever had, the spicy tuna roll was delicious, and the volcano roll was incredible - perfectly rolled with the exact correct ratio of different fillings and incredible texture from the tempura shrimp. We ended the meal with a sort of doughnut hole rolled in sesame seeds and filled with a ganache, and as someone who does not like sesame, I ate my entire dessert and was thrilled with the flavor they were able to create with the different components melding together. The service was wonderful, the restaurant was spotless, and I can't wait to go back. Honestly, I wish I had ordered more so I could enjoy my leftovers while I sit here salivating and writing this review. I would post photos, but I ate the food too quickly.

Did a quick order to pick up for my friend and I. They're known for their soba noodles but to be…read morehonest if you don't eat it right away foods gets really cold. So carry out isn't the best option. I like the classic and they give you a good portion of food (but you can always add more toppings if you want). It's really busy on the weekends for dinner so not an ideal time to go. Lunch or week day options might be better.

It's my first time to dine here. I loved the menu. It seemed simple and manageable. It was quiet…read moreand peaceful. The service was very attentive. I ordered the TONKOTSU ramen original noodle soup, Karrage deep fried chicken, Sukiyaki Don beef with rice. The noodle soup was light, the fried chicken was tender, and not crispy to my surprise. Sukiyaki Don beef with rice is my favorite dish. The black sesame cake is terrific!

It was a particularly cold day when I stopped in, which made a hot bowl of ramen all the more…read moresatisfying! I usually order tonkotsu and am hesitant to try others since the broth makes all the difference but I ordered the shoyu ramen this time and it was delicious! Lighter than tonkotsu broth but still super flavorful. And the noodles had that good chew/mouth feel which makes all the difference. I also ordered the house black tea with boba and cheese foam which was also oishii! I appreciated that they had brewed tea options since often find milk tea to be too much with food. Sometimes places that do both boba and food nail one, but not the other but this place was great on both fronts! Service was quick and friendly as well.

I had no idea how amazing soup could be. Oishii ramen is my go to for comfort, especially when I've…read morehad a bad day, feel under the weather...or pretty much anything else. The pork broth is standout, but I absolutely dream about the spider ramen. Named for the fried softshell on the top (which you can ask to swap for more shrimp), has a tom yum-like flavor. Creamy, spicy and slightly acidic, the broth could be poured on cardboard and I would eat it. Noodles are always perfect and the seafood is present, but not a huge portion - so you can focus on the broth. My only complaint? The lobster broth in the spider ramen dish is not listed as an option for the "make your own" bowl...which would allow me to perfectly customize it. I will regularly order the spider bowl in the meantime with no softshell, extra shrimp, and if I'm feeling down additional noodles and broth (allowing me to indulge for multiple meals) . Bubble tea is tasty - especially the rose milk tea. This place has a counter with a handful of seats and two tables for 4-6. After waiting for a table, we decided to mostly do takeout. We can order online. Would be great if they had a spot out front for takeout pickup as parking around the restaurant can be hard at times.

We came back tonight for the AYCE. You order from an app that you connect from your phone. The…read moreordering was easy and each person in the party can order items at the same time. There's a limit on nigiri/sashimi to one piece per order. What that means is that, when you put in your first (and subsequent orders), you can order one tuna, one salmon, etc nigiri/sashimi. That is a lot better than what I originally thought, which was one nigiri/sashimi total for each round. The variety in the AYCE is impressive. Lots of sushi, sashimi, nigiri, salads, soups, variety of appetizers (not all fried stuff!) and hibachi (beef, chicken and shrimp). Tonight, the food arrived pretty quickly after we put in an order. There was an issue toward the end of the evening when the app stopped working at our table and the table next to ours. The Staff did what they could to fix things; it did take about 20 minutes, though. I'm assuming this isn't typical. Staff did say that this does happen from time to time and the customer needs to exit the app and reorder. Except for the 20 minute delay, things worked fine. We placed at least 12 small orders during our meal. The staff was very good about filling water glasses, bringing our food and taking away empty plates. Really - high praise for the staff. The restaurant is very pleasant to sit in. It has Asian motif and nice music playing over the PA. The only issue was with the ordering system, which, as I said, I'm thinking was unusual. Ice cream and soft drinks included.

Finally came to try this spot after driving by a hundred times . It was so tasty! AYCE for $36 is a…read morepretty good deal especially with sushi and hibachi. Did I mention ice cream and Pepsi products are also included ?! Our waitress was very friendly and explained the menu very well, and I appreciated it a lot . I noticed she was the only one on the floor the night I went on a busy Saturday night! What a badass, she was very quick. The decorations were really nice and the restaurant was very clean. It was divided between hibachi dining room and regular dining room. Keep in mind that they validate parking at the metro parking lot !

I went here in celebration for my birthday. Let me just say it was amazing!…read more The server Juan was so nice and helpful explaining the menu to us. The food was so fresh and amazing my kids enjoyed it so much. The flavors and the presentation with all the small dishes is absolutely amazing.. For a busy place, I loved how it was not extremely loud. Everyone was very respectful, which made it so much more enjoyable..

Second visit. We tried this a year ago and had a nice dinner. We stopped in for lunch this time and…read moreit was... weird. The hostess just stared at us when we walked in. Then silently walked us to a table and then... nothing. No service, no one walking by and a co fusing menu. There was an iPad. I checked and it loaded your basic ipad screen. I guess I could have checked my email? Anyway, we left after almost ten minutes. The hostess stared at us blankly as we walked out. I'm not even sure now if it really happened or if it was a weird dream.