I don't get what's so "consistently good" about this place. I've been there a couple of times and it seems that each time gets worse. First of all, it's dark and smelly, the whole mood of the...

 I don't get what's so "consistently good" about this place. I've been there a couple of times and it seems that each time gets worse. First of all, it's dark and smelly, the whole mood of the place is just depressing. On top of that it, the place is FILTHY! I had lunch once with a co-worker and I kid you not, a patron next to us pulled a fingernail out of his fried rice! DISGUSTING! I don't understand the allure of a dank, fishy, dirty, atmosphere in which to "enjoy" food. Please save your money and don't eat here. If I could, I wouldn't give this place a star at all, but I have to.

 

Recently my dad took me to Akira where they serve Japanese food. I have been to Akira and tried the sushi, only California rolls. This time I tried sashimi and other...

 

Recently my dad took me to Akira where they serve Japanese food. I have been to Akira and tried the sushi, only California rolls. This time I tried sashimi and other rolls. We ordered an LPGA roll, tuna tataki, and a sashimi combination which comes with miso soup and sticky rice. We received all that we ordered except we were given a PGA roll with no L. 
            We went around 12:45pm and it was not too busy. We sat at the bar where you can see of the variety of fish and your food being prepared. The restaurant is dimly lit with shaded hanging lights, but is brighter than candle light.   Our drink orders were quickly taken and quickly brought to us. My dad ordered iced tea and I lemonade. The drinks were $1.95 each. We were then given a piece of paper with the selections or you can also write down if you want something different. Tuna tataki was not on the paper, but we were able to just write it down. We ordered a sashimi combination, LPGA roll, and tuna tataki. Then set the piece of paper in front of the chef preparing our food.   We received a wooden tray with wasabi, ginger, and a cucumber and carrot salad. The salad had a nice tang to it. After the salad we received our tuna tataki. The tuna is seared on the outside and cut into about eight pieces. The tuna was served on top of thinly sliced cucumber with pepper, lemon and a spicy red sauce on top. The tuna did not bring any new flavors I have not had before. It tasted a little like chicken and just wasn’t something I would recommend. The tuna tataki was $14.50. There was nothing special about the tuna that chicken could not give you and was not worth the $14.50.
            We watched the chef prepare our next item. He rolled our LPGA roll with bamboo and cut it into pieces. It was not our LPGA roll it was a PGA roll. The PGA roll and the LPGA are much alike in that they both have tuna, albacore tuna, and salmon. The only difference is that the LPGA roll also has spicy tuna. The PGA roll was a little difficult to chew because the seaweed was tough. The roll left you with a lingering spice but it was not uncomfortable. The PGA roll also cost $14.50. I felt the same way about this roll as I did about the tuna, it was not very good and even less memorable than the tuna.
            Next came our miso soup and sticky rice. The miso soup was not anything special, it tasted like every other miso soup. But I love the smell of miso soup, it smells really salty which is a change compared to many of the bland foods served. The sticky rice was only slightly stickier than regular white rice. Then the sashimi combination. There were three slices of each type of fish about four inches long. The fish included albacore, tuna, yellow tail, and salmon. With each of these fish I was given the suggestion to first try it without soy sauce and then with. If your taste it without the soy sauce you get the pure taste of fish. With the soy sauce all of the different kinds of fish begin to taste the same. The Albacore had the best texture it was smooth and melts in your mouth. The tuna tasted most like chicken but did not have any other memorable quality. Next the yellow tail which was my favorite, was smooth and had a buttery taste to it. Last was the salmon which was my least favorite. The salmon was a little difficult to eat because salmon has different layers.   The sashimi combination I would say was the best deal at $19.95. After finishing our meal we were given a half of an orange that was in cut in sections.
            We were then given our check and it was short, the sashimi combination was not on it. We gave it back to our server and he took it up to the front; then we went and took care of our bill. He gave us our receipt back, and the sashimi was still not on the bill; we went back in and paid for it. The total cost of our meal was $57.17, which according to my dad is not that bad for a trip to Akira.
            To give a quick review. The service was quick but not very accurate. The atmosphere was calm. The restaurant was quiet and not very bright. If you like more lighting, I recommend you sit at the bar. I did not like the sashimi that much, but if you do want to try it I recommend the Yellow Tail. If you don’t know what you will like, try one of the combinations that offers the largest selection within your budget. When trying sashimi try it without soy sauce first. There are some items on the menu that are worth the price, but others that are not, but it’s up to your taste buds to determine the difference.
           
 
 

 

I went to Akira for the first time with a friend; I loved it and decided to come back with
my family, and...

 

I went to Akira for the first time with a friend; I loved it and decided to come back with
my family, and again later with some friends. My family and I went around 1:30 right before
they closed for lunch; so there was plenty of parking. As soon as I opened the door the aroma of
cooking meat, sauce, and vegetables hit me in the face. The inside of the restaurant was themed
well with the Japanese menu. The windows were covered so the only things visible were the
trees and sky outside. The sushi bar looked like a Japanese hut with small barstools surrounding
it. There were Japanese paintings on the walls, the music was Japanese, and almost all the
waiters were Asian. The waiters and cooks had matching Japanese uniforms and knew the menu
well. The atmosphere was calm and the noise level was low. The food on the Lunch and Dinner
section of the menu was reasonably priced $8-$15 or so for a meal, however if you are eating
sushi it’s a little more expensive. When I went with some friends Teppan was $80 for four
people, that is a little pricey for me, but I guess it depends on the person. People eating from the
lunch and dinner menu are seated on the right side of the restaurant. People eating from the
“Teppan” section of the menu are seated on the left side of the room; where each table has chairs
around a flat stove and your food is cooked in front of you. I was expecting Akira to be one of
those restaurants with servers that have such a heavy accent you can’t understand them, due to
my impression from the outside of the restaurant, but I understood my servers fully and they
were very knowledgeable.
The first time I ate at Akira I had the chicken teriyaki. The meal came on a traditional
Japanese plate with a few pot stickers, soup, a small salad, and breaded fruit and shrimp.  The pot
stickers tasted like any other pot stickers, but the breaded fruit was delicious; it combined the
taste of something fried and the sweet taste of an orange. The food was relatively healthy and
perfectly proportioned. I was almost full but satisfied. The service was fast and attentive. The
second time I ate at Akira I ordered the beef and chicken Teppan, and my mom ordered
vegetables. I was very adequately fed; I was stuffed. The first thing we ate was a salad with
lettuce, carrot strips, and a thick, gingery, yellow, sauce. The salad was plain but not bland. It
had a gingery spice to it. The second thing we ate was soup with tofu. The soup tasted like
watered down teriyaki sauce with spices, but it was surprisingly good. When the cook came out,
he poured us some mustard and ginger sauce. The mustard sauce was disgusting. It tasted like
hummus, mustard and wood mixed together. However, for some strange reason my mother loved
it.
 On the bright side, our cook was friendly and conversational, and he showed us some of
his cooking tricks, which he said he only uses at dinner time. Every time he used oil or any
spices he twirled the bottles and hit it against the stove to a beat. Everything he did had rhythm.
The first thing he did was clean the stove. Then he poured oil on the stove, and it exploded with
fire. He put the meat in the corner to cook and started on the rice. He then moved some of the
fire with his hand towards the vegetables. The coolest trick he did was with onions, and he called
it “the volcano.” First he cut the onion and piled the onion slices in the shape of a volcano. He
then poured soy sauce in the middle and it exploded out like a volcano.  The convenient thing about having your food cooked in front of you is being able to tell the cook whether you want butter or oil in your food, or how much you want, etc. The food was full of flavor and was the
farthest thing from boring. I normally don’t like mushrooms or zucchini, but they were soft and
flavorful, and I ate everything on my plate. The meat was well done and cooked exactly the way
I like it; almost crunchy at the edges and covered with sauce. I think it’s safe to say I am now
officially an Akira fan.
 

 

Love this place and their sushi. They have recently exanded with more room for teppan cooking. If you like teppan and steak and chicken and rice, then try it. Taste great. However, I go for...

Love this place and their sushi. They have recently exanded with more room for teppan cooking. If you like teppan and steak and chicken and rice, then try it. Taste great. However, I go for their sushi, which is about average price for sushi and comes with some good cuts of fish. Their rolls are good, too

Akiras has been my favorite Japanese restaurant in Bakersfield for years, and it continues to please.  I'm not a Teppan person, but the sushi and sashimi are great, always fresh and...

Akiras has been my favorite Japanese restaurant in Bakersfield for years, and it continues to please.  I'm not a Teppan person, but the sushi and sashimi are great, always fresh and artistically presented.  A winner!

Best Japanese restaurant in Bakersfield, hands down. Their sushi is to die for (Jason is an awesome sushi cook). The service is great, though some of the waiters/waitresses can be hard to...

Best Japanese restaurant in Bakersfield, hands down. Their sushi is to die for (Jason is an awesome sushi cook). The service is great, though some of the waiters/waitresses can be hard to understand. The teppanyaki is fun for the family, and they serve just great food with it. I've gone there many, many times because you just can't get enough!

The best Japanese food in town....LOVE IT!!!!!!

The best Japanese food in town....LOVE IT!!!!!!

I think this place is great. I have been two times and sat at the teppan grill each time. The steak has great seasoning and the rice is delicious. Go hungry because you get alot of food and it is...

I think this place is great. I have been two times and sat at the teppan grill each time. The steak has great seasoning and the rice is delicious. Go hungry because you get alot of food and it is so good, you will want to finish it. Lunch is pretty affordable, too!

With all of the new sushi places popping up around town, Akira's is still consistently putting out great food and keeps me coming back for more. Good food for lunch or diner... entertaining...

With all of the new sushi places popping up around town, Akira's is still consistently putting out great food and keeps me coming back for more. Good food for lunch or diner... entertaining atmosphere (although sometimes a little hot in the summer)... and service always with a smile.
Skip all of the newbies and stay with this Bakersfield original. Love the Las Vegas roll & the Spider... but plain old spicy California hits the spot too.

Always a great show, and PLENTY of food. (almost too much, but more is better than not enough)!!

Always a great show, and PLENTY of food. (almost too much, but more is better than not enough)!!

Akira provides good quality Sushi, no doubt, but there is a lot lacking. The rolls that are offered are basic. They don't offer a "house" roll that will bring you back. They are inflexible with...

Akira provides good quality Sushi, no doubt, but there is a lot lacking. The rolls that are offered are basic. They don't offer a "house" roll that will bring you back. They are inflexible with substitutions and the wait staff was suffocating.

The sushi offered at the quickie place in the Marketplace offers a better selection at better prices.

Between the hodge podge decor, limited menu and staff that won't go away, I will try another of the ever increasing multitude of Japanese restaurants for my next fish fix.

If you love entertainment with your food, then you must give teppan a shot. Akira's is the standby in Bakersfield for teppan grill, where the chef/entertainers prepare your meal while doing a...

If you love entertainment with your food, then you must give teppan a shot. Akira's is the standby in Bakersfield for teppan grill, where the chef/entertainers prepare your meal while doing a variety of tricks with knives, eggs, fire, bowls, and cracking well-rehearsed lines. The experience always seems fresh, perhaps because you're seated with strangers (I've never met an unpleasant person at a teppan grill). My most recent meal at Akira's was a mixed experience. The shrimp were large and fresh, and the veggies, rice and noodles were cooked to perfection. But the steak was a tough cut, the worst I've had in awhile. I didn't leave hungry by any means, but hope the butcher rebounds during my next visit.

We have never had a bad meal here. The food they serve is excellent and always fresh.

For a fun "date night" dinner try Akira's. Akira's is also kid friendly.

We have never had a bad meal here. The food they serve is excellent and always fresh.

For a fun "date night" dinner try Akira's. Akira's is also kid friendly.

Another one of my favorites. Good sushi, the Las Vegas is my favorite and the fried rice seems to be exceptionally good here, too. A+++

Another one of my favorites. Good sushi, the Las Vegas is my favorite and the fried rice seems to be exceptionally good here, too. A+++

Excellent food and entertainment. A great dining experience that gives you an opportunity to dine with strangers and make new friends. The newly expanded area is a huge improvement over the...

Excellent food and entertainment. A great dining experience that gives you an opportunity to dine with strangers and make new friends. The newly expanded area is a huge improvement over the original tables, hope they remodel everything soon. Very nice bathrooms.

One of the best restaurants for sushi in Bakersfield. The staff is generally friendly and ready to please. I try to go here once every week. Sushi is fresh but at times they get a little skimpy on...

One of the best restaurants for sushi in Bakersfield. The staff is generally friendly and ready to please. I try to go here once every week. Sushi is fresh but at times they get a little skimpy on the cut.

Good tempura yet is stillmiss the days of Shimura in Colonia square. They had the best tempura anywhere.

Love this restaurant, very good service. They do need to expand as there is usually a wait.

Love this restaurant, very good service. They do need to expand as there is usually a wait.