We (two of us) had a sashimi entree, a sushi entree and a Shabu-Shabu main with rice. The entrees were really delicious although we felt the portions were a little small for the price. But the main definitely made up for it. The beef was excellent! The owner (I'm guessing) even came out to teach us how to cook it. The goma sauce was soooo good! Best of all, we paid only $60 for it. Great place for a nice, couple-ly dinner.
At first Akita seems like a hidden gem until you realise that it's a weekday evening and the restaurant is packed (a couple without a reservation were regretfully turned away because there wasn't enough room).
I have been to Akita several times and agree with previous reviewers that the best experience comes from ordering off the specials menu. The soft shell crab seems to be a favourite with regulars, the tempura is lightly battered and delicious, and the swordfish is amazingly soft and buttery. The steak was a rare miss for me, though others at the table seemed to enjoy it. Every dish is beautifully presented. The service is low-key but attentive - our empty plates were quickly removed and our water glasses were kept full all night.
Without wine our meal usually comes to slightly over $30 a head. Tonight we took our family, went all out on the specials menu and ordered a few bottles of wine, and it came to around $55 a head.
Loved the fresh and tasty sashimi. We ordered the beef tataki which was dressed just right so that the vinegarette did not overpower the taste of the beef. The grilled salmon was soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. The tempura was the best I've had in a long time which came covered in a light coating of japanese breadcrumbs over the batter.
The only dish I didn't love was the deep fried eggplant which was half an eggplant with strange sweet paste on top. It very oily and soggy which didn't sit well straight after the tempura dish. My partner and I ordered too much food so we were surprised the meal only came up to $75.
We noticed many of the other tables ordered sukiyaki or shabu shabu which we would like to try next time. Lovely to find an authentic Japanese restaurant in Melbourne for a change!
Restaurant is a bit dated, but part of the experience of dining at Akita. We enjoyed wonderfully fresh sushi and the sashimi was amongst the best we have eaten. We left the rest of the selections to the owner "Toshi" and asked him to choose 4-5 entree "specials" for us and we were delighted with his choices! Great way to sample Akita's wonderful food! Highly recommended! They have now won us as regulars!
Our last restaurant for our long weekend in Melbourne before return to Sydney. My fourth visit and my first for lunch. This place is excellent and for our meal we chose a selection of entrees from their main and specials menu. A very low mark up on the wine list ensured good value before 3 of us left for an easy drive to the Airport.