I Think I’m Turning Japanese!
At Newburg and Six Mile, in Livonia, Michigan you’ll find a rather sad looking, half abandoned strip mall. Not visible until you actually enter the parking lot is Akasaka restaurant. Inconspicuous looking as it is, this small space is seriously discredited only by its location.
Akasaka serves American- friendly Japanese cuisine in a traditionally decorated setting. Complete with shoji screens (white paper walls/ dividers) and exposed wood, the décor is pleasantly lit and is adorned with oriental flower table cloths and decorations. While there are regular tables and chairs for guests to sit at, there are also privacy rooms that are made to be in traditional Japanese style where one removes their shoes and sits on mats on the floor at a low table to eat. To dine in these “VIP” rooms the party must consist of at least four people an each guest must spend a minimum of $25; Reservations are not required here aside from these rooms. There is also a sushi bar that has seating, 
where guests can either watch sushi chefs prepare their dishes or some television.
Overall, the dining area was clean and comfortable. The atmosphere was quiet but very friendly. While my guest and I sat at a table near the sushi bar and were able to have an enjoyable conversation over dinner, the mood at the bar seemed a lot more lively with its company watching t.v., drinking, and chatting up the chefs. Our waitress was very attentive; however she did give us the feeling of being a little rushed. Toward the end of our meal, on the other hand, our waitress was very accommodating, when she helped box up our leftovers and was not at all annoyed when I asked her questions. 
My guest and I started off with appetizers of shrimp tempura, (fried shrimp which also came with fried asparagus, zucchini, and red pepper)and yakitori, skewered chicken, onions, and green peppers. The tempura was tasty in its simplicity. It was just fried shrimp dipped in Akasaka’s own mixed soy sauce, but it had plenty of flavor. The fact that it was fried and crunchy made it slightly messier than I would have liked. My favorite part of the yakito
ri was the sauce. With almost a barbeque sauce taste it was complemented nicely by the taste of the sweet onions and hearty green peppers. The portion of the sauce they gave was just right to be tasteful and not overpowering. Although delicious, I did find that it was a little difficult to get the chicken off of the skewers.
I ordered nabiaki udon noodle soup as my entrée. The thick wheat noodles absorbed the salty flavored fish broth very well and had a chewy/ squishy texture that was exciting to eat. Complying with the Japanese custom, I slurped these noodles as a sign of approval of the dish, wh
ich made it even more fun to eat. The mushrooms in the soup were way too bitter for the taste of the soup and I even ended up taking them all out. There was also a jumbo shrimp tempura floating in the soup and by the time I ate it, it was very soggy and falling apart. I did let my American palate get the best of me by declining the fried egg that also floated in the middle of my bowl of soup. A salmon dish was my guest’s choice for his main course. He said the fish wasn’t flakey or overcooked and he expressed a liking for the skin saying it was “salty and a little oily in a good way,” and that he appreciated that it wasn’t smothered in a sauce. As a personal preference my guest bypassed the green beans that were one of his side dishes but said that the creamy pasta was a nice surprise of taste because it oddly had the flavor like that of potato salad. At the end of our meal we enjoyed some fresh green tea that was a cleansing and relaxing post- dinner refresher.
While I was thoroughly proud of myself for using chop sticks instead of silverware throughout my entire dinner and ended up being very satisfied with the taste and service of my meal, there was one thing I left not as content with, the price. Appetizers were between $4 and $15 dollars, while the entrées were anywhere between $8 and $26. The food was good but as for the overall dining experience I felt that it could’ve been a little more reasonable. All together I would recommend Akasaka restaurant to others if they felt like spending a little more money.
18 comments:
I have been to Akaska many times and like your experience, mine was about the same. It was a place my grandmother was told about but we ended up driving around the strip mall for about twenty minutes until realizing it was way back in the corner. The way you desccribe the restaurant is perfect in the way I remember. I like the traditional Japanese rooms because it reminds me of my trips to Japan. The way you described the food was mouth watering and made me a bit hungry.
This resturant sounds beautiful and authentic. The way you described all of you dishes was very good and with alot of detail; i could picture almost exactly what they would have looked and tasted like. I also like how you pointed out that it could seam a bit pricey to americans that are used to paying $5.00 for McDonalds, but it seamed like it would be worth it for a nice meal. The only spelling error i noticed was newburgh, you forgot the h on the end. Overall this really gave me a good idea of what this resturant has to offer.
I absolutely love Japanese food! The description made it seem to be a must dine at experience. The pictured showed just how genuine the restaurant looked and I would love to dine in one of the VIP rooms. The food descriptions were great and were making me crave the food. I will definitely be trying this restaurant out!
Wow, that sounds like a very good place to eat. From the way you describe it, it sounds like a good place to get a taste of a traditional japanese meal. I really liked how you described your meal. You really didn't even need the picture, because I could almost see it without the picture. Those VIP rooms sound like they would be a lot of fun to eat in, if you didn't have to pay.
The first thing I noticed, was your clever and amusing title. It really captured my attention and interest to read on. Your descriptions were well worded, but pictures are always helpful. I also liked how you defined some words, such as "shoji screens" in the second paragraph. If you didn't define it, then I would have been confused as to what they were. Money wise also didn't seem too bad; you gave a clear view on what to expect. Overall, I loved your review! I started craving some japanese food and the pictures only aided to the desire.
The opening sentence was great, and described that strip mall perfectly. While I know where Akaska is located, I have never dined there, but after reading this think that I may give it a try. The descriptions of the food were great, and really helped me to get a mental image of it. I liked the sentence describing the sauce, but noticed that you needed a comma after the first "taste." Apart from that, i didn't really notice any other spelling or grammar errors, and thought that the paper really accomplished your goal. Good job.
I love Akasaka! I went there before homecoming last year and I had a great experience. Your paper made me want to go back with the detailed way you described the interior of the restaurant and the food. I had the chicken katsu when I was there and I thought it tasted great. I really enjoyed reading your paper and it made me want Japanese food.
I have never been to Alaska, nor have I heard of it, and I am from Livonia, so I especially like your description of the vacant strip mall where it's hard to notice because obviously that's true. It seemed like a very fun place to go to if you want to sit Japanese style on the floor or slurp noodles to approve of the meal. It was very helpful the way you described the place and I may have to check it out. I honestly think you did a very good job on writing this paper. You just have to proofread it a little for a few typo errors - second paragraph "an" should be and.
This place is a bit too pricey for me, but the way you described it I really want to check it out. I really liked how you put so much detail in to your descriptions and how you told us the Japanese name of the dish wit the American name on the side. It gave me a better understanding of it. I also really liked how you said that you let your American palate get the best of you. This sounds like a really authentic place and it was cool that you don't have to comply with ALL of their customs in order to have a good time.
One thing i enjoyed most and noticed right away while reading the review was the well thought out placement of the photos, and the photos themselves. As I would read the well detailed descriptions of the wide array of things you talk about, there would be a picture right along side it to solidify the idea and feeling in my mind. The review was very descriptive of the interior and the food and it seems like a nice place to try.
I really couldn't find anything wrong with your essay. The description was great, and the pictures complimented it greatly. It sounds like a really fun place to go, and I think eating in the traditional rooms would be really cool. I've never had Japanese food before, but you made it seem really good!
OMG!I was surprised to see that you wrote about this restaurant. I used to go here very often with my japanese family when I was younger. I liked how you mentioned that slurping your food was a good thing. I didnt know too many people knew that. Your experience seemed neutral. Giving good and bad aspects of your food. I only noticed one error, which was a misspelled word. But overall, very good!..You really set me back and I definitely have to visit here again soon.
I think you did really well with describing the decor and food details. I think it would be really cool to sit in the private room. I love the pictures too! The place looks really nice and bright. I will definately try to check it out! The only thing I would suggest is your comma use. There were some sentances that needed commas.
This place sounds awesome. I love sushi, i did my restaurant at a Japanese restaurant as well. You put alot of description in the food and I really knew what you thought about the food. Plus you had plenty of pictures that really helped out alot. It does suck though that japanese places seem to be so expensive, but this place sounds like its worth it.
I love asian food, but Japanese has been one I have yet to try. From your description it seemed like you had quite a treat. You integrated the bullet points into a nice smooth flow along with your own perception of the experience. I also liked the pictures of Japanese styled rooms you have an option to dine in.
I really liked your description of the restaurant in your review. The details you used made me think of a traditional Japanese restaurant you see in movies. The details you used while describing your meal were very apparent in your pictures. The way you described the restaurant made me think the prices would be a little cheaper, but in my opinion the prices weren't unreasonable.
I love the pictures you used for the review. It made me want to go to the restaurant and order some of their food. I thought that you described the restaurant well in your review. Other than a couple of grammar errors, you did a good job with your review.
I have never been to more than a couple Japanese restaurants, but this one seems unique. I like the private Japanese-style rooms. There was some repetition you could have avoided and some missing punctuation, but it was an overall good review. I like how you put the picutre of the green tea at the end; you had it at the end of your dinner and placed it at the end of your paper.
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