Akashi Restaurant @ Vivocity



My impression of Akashi is cold, uppitty and expensive thusfar. Could be due to its positioning all along..being located at Orchard Parade Hotel, Paragon, Tanglin Shopping Centre..mainly the higher end of eating districts.

Set dinners galore, it amused my companions how there's a different price for lunch and dinner. According to the Akashi regular, the portions are bigger for dinner. The menu isn't extensive but it leaves you spoilt for choice. Cha Soba, Sushi and Tempura were my cravings for the day and it's a pity they didn't have a set offering all three, at best two.



Complimentary endamame beans, lightly salted just the way I like it.



We gave fried white bait and grilled eggplant with miso a go. The fried white bait was crunchy and not salty but had more batter than required.



The eggplant was a wrong choice made. It arrived looking dowdy and dry, upon tasting..it's slightly raw and tasted more like banana than eggplant.



I ended up with a set with Cha Soba and Tempura ($20) and stole a piece of tuna sushi from the gf. The Cha Soba's smooth, runny and delicious!



Comparable with Shimbashi's. I avoided the quail egg though, after the gooey fishy combination I ended up with after experimenting it at Hanabi once. The tempura's lightly fried, no traces of oil...2 prawn tempuras, 1 sweet potato, 1 salmon, 1 brinjal. Impressive ebi tempura, the prawn was fresh, no hint of bicarbonate! My brinjal tempura tasted more like brinjal than the grilled one! The tuna sushi's very fresh, a rolled ball of rice with a thick slice of tuna sitting daintily atop. My first attempt at sushi with more ingredients than rice..yums!

Service is alright, food is not too bad..probably be back for sushi and sashimi. I'll remember it for the yummy ebi tempura, tuna sushi and cha soba. The dinner sets are value for money...I didn't find it outstanding. My prior impression of Akashi is partially accurate..it lacks some warmth about the place, not quite the friendly Waraku nor aloof Tonkichi..somewhere in between. Uppity and expensive it is not quite, prices are average.

Akashi Japanese Restaurant
B2-07-09
Vivocity

Comments