akai hana

best sushi in town!. akai hana has the best sushi in town. you must order carryout 45 minutes ahead because they are so busy. the dining experience is great the prices are little on higher end but once you eat there you will never eat sushi from any other place with exception of grocery store next door. i would bet they are run by same owners. love it!

cold soba noodles. all i wanted were a few plates of cold soba noodles with dipping sauce for lunch and they denied my request. they pointed out several alternatives on their menu and said they could not honor my request because it was not an "official" entree. i asked to see the chef who angrily came out to meet me. at this point, i did not even want to make a special request fearing what might happen.

the atmostphere was enchanting, however. i'll be back.

cheap? no--but very good.. i'm not sure about these headings that say "cheap" because that totally wasn't my impression. delicious indeed, but if you have eaten a boat load of sushi from california and high end restaurants, this is a bit overpriced. other items on the menu listed under $10 were probably a much better route to take. trouble is, for rolls that are $7 and $8 apiece, miso soup should be free. i have never had to pay separately--kind of insane if you ask me.

columbus’ closest thing to a little japan is definitely x, a strip mall in the suburbs where a cluster of little japanese restaurants, shops and tea shops are clustered. the fine dining option of choice among these is definitely akai hana, a decidedly dinner destination where japanese specialties, including some things unusual in american restaurants, can be found. want to get a good, authentic taste of the food you might try on the streets of tokyo? this would be a good place in ohio to give it a try, for the good food and formal, cozy setting that is perfect for a date, gathering of friends, or something similar.

akai hana was a wonderful experience and i cannot wait to return! the service was excellent and the flavors are to die for. best sushi in columbus!

without question, the best sushi restaurant in columbus. freshest and widest selection of fish, executed by highly qualified sushi chefs and delivered by extremely efficient, attentive and seasoned staff who put the customer first. i've been a sushi fanatic for over 30 years and have dined at highly-rated japanese restaurants in many parts of the world, including japan, and can state that columbus is very fortunate to have an authentic challenger among the best anywhere.

i arrived with a party of 9 at 5:00 pm. after about 20 minutes we had just received our drinks and management asked us to move to another table to accommodate another party with greater privacy needs, which was a hassle. we did not receive entrees for 75 minutes, and it took another 15 minutes to deliver the last entree. 90 minutes to get an entree. by that time our group needed to leave, so i did not eat my entree. it took another 15 minutes to pay the bill. there were no apologies, no offers of discounts other than they removed the one entree we didn't eat, but that was only because we demanded it be removed. there was a total lack of acknowledgement that the service was exceptionally slow. the party we moved for didn't arrive until 6:30. if they had delivered the food in a reasonable time frame, it would not have been an issue for us to have remained at our original table. it was an incredibly annoying and frustrating and dining experience. the management should be ashamed of themselves. if you want to be in the hospitality business, you should act like it and treat your paying customers as guests, not as a nuisance to be ignored and dealt with only when required.

damn fine sushi. definitely the best i've had in the area. fish is fresh and flavors are excellent. the place can run on the expensive side, but well worth it for top-notch sushi.

this is the best place in columbus for fresh sushi, hands down! growing up in a coastal region sets the standard high, but these guys well exceed expectations. try them, you won't be disappointed!

the sushi and sashimi are the freshest we've ever had in ohio. it was relatively pretty expensive but well worth every cent! besides the super high quality ingredients the presentation was top notch and sevrice was simply excellent. quick, efficient and friendly! of less importance is the decor and ambiance which are just fine on their own merits. warm inviting atmosphere, well lit and clean. this is a bit over 100 mile drive one way for us but we'll definitely be back here next time we are in the area.

i love this place! it's great for lunch or dinner. for lunch i usually order the chirashi with tempura shrimp udon. it's a lunch special at a reasonable price. chirashi is a bowl of thinly sliced fish and other colorful accompaniments such as salmon roe, fish cake and tomago served over seasoned rice. traditionally served at special occasions and festive events, this dish is simply excellent any time. with it came a hot bowl of udon soup with shrimp tempura. also great. my wife had the lunch box special which changes daily. she really enjoyed it. if you're in for dinner, be sure to try the hamachi kama. it's yellowtail collar grilled until the skin is super crispy and the meat inside is just cooked. i'm telling you folks, it's the best part of the fish! the meat is very succulent and juicy and the skin is crispy and charred. i love it! go try this place. you won't be disappointed.

*slow service
*sushi was good, not great

*they forgot our appetizer
*menu was out of a few things, server didn't know until after we ordered

went here the other day, and it was a great spot. awesome sushi, definitely some of the best i've tried in columbus. also got the komo soba, it was very flavorful. everything was priced well, and i will be returning very soon!

it may be a serious want for quality sushi, but it may also be that this is a strong japanese option in the chapel hill/carrboro area among many contenders. fur a shall restaurant, turnover is high and service is just paced quickly enough, but still showing a relaxed atmosphere. the sushi bar is ached to view much of the restaurant, but also enjoy the rolling taking place behind it's display of fresh fish.
the shrink shumai guy the spot, soft and filled with tender shrimp, a generous portion too for ~$6. the signature rolls are unusual and do speak to the restaurant's creativity in personalizing what can become common dishes. the red flower roll, with cream cheese crab stick and tuna isn't one of usually choose but was quite delicious, and something if order again.
what really drew me in on this first visit was the carrboro small plates crawl, showcasing in this case a diverse set of unusual fishes. the rare treat of monkfish liver may turn some off but it's delicate flavor and texture were as enjoyable as i'd plating. authenticity, extravagance, and a great value: sushi haven.

best sushi experience. recommended by a friend and wasn't dissapointed. had to wait 1 1/2 hours but it was well worth it