Sushi and More at Akita

By Jun Wang

Akita Sushi
Location: 456 Holland St. W, Bradford, ON L3Z 0G1
Phone: 905-775-1688
Offers: Dine-in, Take-out   
Cuisine: Japanese Cuisine
Year of Establishment: 2009

Located in a shopping plaza in Bradford, Ontario, Akita Sushi is a pleasant surprise. It has an unpretentious yet stylish décor, creative and colorful menu, and a bounty of scrumptious Japanese offerings. Qi Dong, the restaurant’s manager, has helped the staff endear itself to customers by training them to provide friendly and attentive service; in essence, treating every customer like a good friend.

Mr. Dong opened the restaurant in 2009. When planning the interior he opted to go with a simple yet fancy look. The soft, subdued lighting, and soothing traditional Japanese music add an extra tranquil vibe to the laid-back setting. Accompanied with a plethora of flavor from the kitchen, the restaurant is a place many consider perfect for sharing great food and laughs after a long day.

Akita offers a stunning menu featuring modern Japanese dishes with a ceremonial flair. The easy-to-decipher menu, categorizes the restaurant’s offerings into different groups. And so, even with so many selections, you’ll still be able to easily find what you want whether you crave shrimp tempura, miso soup, or one of the delicious sushi and special rolls that account for half of the sales. Rounding things out are also various desserts and wine options that are available to complement the beautifully presented and palatable dishes.

A memorable dining experience at Akita may begin with savory appetizers or classic Shrimp Tempura, along with a hearty bowl of miso soup, before moving on to the restaurant’s astonishing array of sushi choices.

Mouthwatering Menu

Akita Sushi’s menu is almost as mouthwatering as the food. You will see extremely detailed pictures of the food offerings helping you pick just what you want without being surprised later by something that doesn’t resemble the menu pictures. Each dish is an amazing combination of Japanese ingredients and exotic flavors, served with a modern twist. The uniquely contrasting flavors and textures always astonish diners and ensure a memorable experience.

Akita has balanced innovation with selection. The varieties include spicy tuna, squid, salmon, snapper, octopus, mackerel, and unagi (eel). The sushi here is so fresh and delicious that one would think that it had just been harvested from the ocean only minutes beforehand. Its freshness is not only due to it being made to order, but also how the dexterous chef makes sure that every cut or slice is perfect. It is known that it really takes a lot of effort to keep sushi fresh. Mr. Dong has acquired his knack for the craft through constant consultation and exploration.

“We buy ingredients everyday, and we are very strict in terms of the selection process,” says Mr. Dong.

The Sushi or Sashimi A La Carte menu provides you with even more choices, ranging from traditional appetizers—gyoza dumplings, tempura, grilled squid, deep fried soft shelled crab; to sushi and sashimi combos, teriyaki and more; all served with soup and salad. If you can’t decide what to order, make sure you get recommendations from the attentive and knowledgeable staff.
 
Japanese food fans will be glad to find that Akita also offers an all-you-can-eat dining option. Diners can choose from more than 150 dishes at $12.99 for lunch and $18.99 for dinner.

Another bargain is the traditional Japanese Bento Boxes. The large selection of sushi, tempura, teriyaki, soup, salad, and rice combinations can satisfy even the most jaded customers.

Like Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine places a strong emphasis on accompanying sauces. At Akita Sushi, the owner himself has come up with many sauces to complement the different dishes. He draws from years of expertise on Japanese cuisine when selecting what sauces accompany which dishes. Staying up to date with current trends, he reads recipe books and newspapers to keep abreast of what’s happening in the world of fine dining. Combining local taste preferences with a classic Japanese cooking style, the dishes at Akita Sushi are wonderful interpretations of East meets West fusion.

If you like sushi, you will definitely have a craving for the creative rolls. At Japanese restaurants, rolls are often given attractive names, such as the Snow Roll, Snow Mountain Roll, or the Hawaiian Roll which may conjure up images of the sandy beaches of Maui; it is the same at Akita. When you enjoy these yummy and creative rolls, you will be amazed at the chef’s seemingly endless well of inspiration.

Even if you’re not a big fan of sushi, you will be after dining at Akita Sushi. Akita will teach you how to eat and love sushi. New enticing tastes are always added to the menu, and there are always new ones to look forward to. If you can’t find your favorite on the menu; don’t worry, the chefs also enjoy preparing custom rolls.
 
Pairing Food with Drinks
Akita also offers a lengthy drink list featuring sake, wine, and beer as well as soft drinks, which are really a perfect accompaniment to any dish. After a hard day’s work, customers flock to Akita Sushi for sushi or sashimi, along with fragrant sake and the restaurant’s wine.

Japanese interiors and cuisine require fine attention to the tiniest details, and that is no exception at Akita Sushi. Always attentive but never intrusive, they keep an eye on the dining area at all times in case customers need them. Customers looking to be served are always happy with the speed of which the staff responds. On top of great service, the restaurant’s interior is always well maintained. Each area is well-scrubbed, especially the kitchen.

Having worked at other restaurants in the past, Mr. Dong has a wealth of experience under his belt, and knows how to keep the customers coming back. One way, he says, is to keep a clean and spotless restaurant. “We clean the restaurant on a daily basis, and the staff does a good job,” he says. “It is all about treating customers like they deserve to be treated.”

Whenever you dine at Akita Sushi, you will find the staff busy racing about the 3000 square foot restaurant, greeting the customers, refilling drinks, taking orders, and cleaning the tables among other things. Akita’s staff is attentive and knowledgeable, coming to work with the goal of providing every customer with a happy dining experience.

Akita Sushi always greets the customers with its arms open. Why not try for yourself the scrumptious food offered at this elegant and comfortable restaurant? You won’t be disappointed.