akiba

did a road trip to canberra and we walked intoakibaat 8pm as it was loud, packed and looked like fun.
it was exactly that- cocktails were great, food was fun, and those vegan laksa xiao long baos were awesome.
price for 3 including heaps of cocktails was approx $70 each. i rated this place a 4/5 not because the food was exceptional but rather as it was a memorable place with top notch ambience, food was easy, drinks were fab and staff were funny. great place to take a group of friends or colleagues.

after our afternoon at bentspoke brewery we went looking for somewhere for dinner and luckily were able to get a table outside at akiba, which was obviously a popular spot for a saturday night feed!akibadoes modern asian food and is matched by an impressive drinks list including some very tasty cocktails (which we only sampled two of!).

food was good and alcohol selection better. a modern japanese izakaya feel.akibahas a very good vibe and is a bustling place on friday and saturday nights. so make sure you book ahead!

we dined atakibafor lunch on a hit and run visit to canberra after seeing some favourable reviews.

we elected to go with the feed me option which consisted of 8 servings made up of a combination of smaller and larger plates and a dessert.

the food is best described as asian fusion and follows on the same path as a number of these types of restaurants that are prevalent in sydney and melbourne. living in melbourne i would compare it to rice paper scissors.

from the menu we had the king fish which was delicious, the prawn fried rice and prawn/chicken dumplings which were serviceable, the pork belly bun which was rich but tasty, the kimchi pancake which was unusual but ok the beef short rib which was a bit bland and a disappointment and the chinese broccoli which was ok. we also had the tofu dessert which was average.

my wife did have the lychee martini with popping candy which she really enjoyed. the general look of the restaurant was very modern and cool and i suspect has a nice atmosphere for dinner service. the staff were courteous and attentive and food was served promptly.

all in all it was a pass but i must admit my expectations were a little higher based on past reviews. definitely worth a look but maybe a once in a lifetime experience.

他们对辣白菜是不是有什么误解？ 我的辣白菜泡饼 竟然是中国式的酸菜 。。😂😂😂😂哈哈哈哈 我真的也很醉。 但是叉烧面 还是不错的呢！ 额 我说的是叉烧而已。 面嘛 就还好啦。
不过很好的是 他们还有送一张明信片剩下的字我是瞎打的。
啦啦akiba还行 一半就给个3分吧。

when you’re in a new place and you don’t know where to go-akibaoffers a great vibe, food fun and just an all round great night.

we only arrived in canberra on friday for the weekend and hadn’t made any bookings, so when we came by at 8:30pm- we could see that the place was jam packed. luckily, for a table of 2 we only had to wait 20min for a seat.

the point ofakibais to try lots of different drinks and dishes to share- and they even had a yum-cha style trolley offering off menu dishes that the chefs had whipped up to use customers as taste-testers.

food and drinks were tasty and definitely a great japanese fusion style, it’s not a cheap eat- but it’s not extortionate either. as long as you’re looking for a restaurant/bar with pumping tunes, loud vibes and everyone (staff and customers) shouting “eyyyyy!” when the kitchen drops a plate - then you should definitely checkakibaout.

akiba sits on bunda street, canberra’s main shopping strip. it presents youthful, contemporary pan-asian dishes, from a raw bar, barbeque and dim sum kitchen. it reminds me a bit of manly’s daniel san, though i’d argue the dishes here are slightly better.akibaalso wins on the friendliness of their floor team, who take the time to make friends, as well as serve. we’re seated on comfortable stools at the raw bar. with a large function coming in at dinnertime, the chef is rapidly breaking down whole fishes. it’s clearly a space and menu designed around doing volume, which makes me suspect it isn’t the owner's first restaurant. my inquiries uncover that the harrington brothers, peter and michael, own akiba. they’re second-generation restaurateurs with sage and kokomo (a neighbouring 600-capacity canberra hotspot) also under their wings. drinks are obviously a big focus here, so we double-park with the ultimate boiler maker ($38). it teams my favourite japanese beer, echigo koshikikari rice lager, with a mild, dry wakashika ‘blue bambi’ sake cup. to avoid fomo (fear of missing out) we create a second boilermaker ourselves by teaming...

so i am anakibadevotee since they opened doors but went last night and it was actually the worst service ever. more interested in covers. food great as always but i booked, arrived on time and was rushed the entire time. "a 1.5hr cap" which i've not once been informed about, is apparently "normal service. the 'manager' came over to "make me feel better" by rapidly talking at me not with me for 10 minutes and taking no feedback or ideas with any grace. telling someone who has been a regular since they opened what he thinks 'normal' service is, left me cold, #akiba. the bit about being authentically hopspitable in hospitality, was utterly missing. eventually arrogance kills any great product or service offering and yes, i have worked in hospitality and know how tough it can be. in this town it's also fiercely competitive. this is #tough love for #akiba.

dinah and i visitedakibaa couple of weeks ago to check out their expanded food menu now, and had a great time sitting in front of the sashimi bar and chatting with the new apprentice sashimi chef.

great food, service was poor, my water was never refilled even though i was sitting at the bar - had to request a second drink by waving down staff. we booked for our anniversary so i thought that we would get table seating but unfortunately we got the bar, maybe i needed to request a table ?? the icing on the cake was being told by the bartender that australian wines are not good hmmm.
i have recommended many businesses and personal friends toakibaand will continue to for the quality and experience of the food.

went toakibafor dinner and opted for the $49 feed-me options. staff were great and changes to the courses catered to the table's dietary requirements. 

we definitely got some tasty asian fusion however no memorable dishes to mention.

i've heard many good things aboutakibaand it sure lived up to the hype. the setting is a modern take on japanese fusion street food. it's cool but inviting, along with the staff who were all friendly and knowledgeable.
we opted for the feed me option, at $49 per person menu. the food kept on coming and coming. we were very full and super satisfied. i couldn't fault it. i cannot wait to come back again!

if you're visiting canberra, this is the place to try. i could see whyakibawas voted number one restaurant for sure. our table of three came here for lunch on a saturday as dinner was fully booked out. to start, we had a couple of the fancy cocktails which were a bit on the pricey side but tasted pretty good. as the place wasn't busy, service was quick and staff were helpful and friendly. the decor was hip and funky with a great atmosphere.

all the dishes we had were share plates so this is perfect for big groups too and means you can try lots of tasty little dishes. for entrée we had the tuna ceviche which was really fresh and delicious. we also had the raw kingfish which was the unanimous favourite of the group. it had a nice kick to it and yummy coconut dressing. we also had the pork belly and slaw buns which were a bit too sloppy and creamy for me but the prawn and chicken dumplings were top notch.

for mains we had the supercharged japanese fried chicken which were covered in parmasan cheese and came with mayo and sriracha sauces. deliciously crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. we also had the short beef rib - super soft and tender it just melted in your mouth and had a nice sauce.

overall, we were stuffed with delicious food and totally worth coming here. it cost us just over $150 for 3 people for 6 dishes and 3 drinks.

as the dear luncher strikes off yet another reputable eatery in the nation's capital, it's fair to say canberra has got its act together in a serious way.akibais nicely located near the dear luncher's canberra satellite gulag. as such he was able to escape for a swift lunch with minimal effort or time wasted. those that follow the dear luncher are aware of his addiction to fried chicken. as luck would have itakibahave on their menu a japanese fried chicken dish. not only that, it's smothered in cheese. parmesan cheese. the dear luncher did not hesitate and asked for the supercharged version, which includes spiciness on the side. not much else needs to be said. the mayo provide was spectacular.  the chicken was crispy and delectable.  your dear luncher was an extremely pleased individual following this experience. bravo, akiba.

amazing delicious food. we lucked on this place after a number of other casual eateries committed the ultimate no-no (for us) - no high chairs... butakibahad two (yay!) so we reserved one for an earlyish dinner. it's not exactly a "kid friendly" menu - spices and string flavours abound - but we managed to feed our little ones with the divine barramundi, kobe steak and rice. more importantly us adults had a ball! kingfish sashimi, mouth watering bao buns, surprisingly moreish sweet corn pancakes and so much more on the menu i would easily return to try (i had major food envy spying other tables ordering japanese crispy chicken, and the duck!). service excellent especially since my kids left the table and surrounds looking like a rice explosion. so good, words cannot explain - just go. you won't regret it. have the duck for me.