Roka Akor is one of my favorite restaurants in Scottsdale for two reasons, they have a great Omakase menu that changes with seasons and they are one of few restaurants that can cater to my wife's vegan dietary restrictions - and do it well. Roka Akor is a upscale steak, seafood and sushi restaurant that features Robatayaki style “open charcoal” cuisine. One of the best spots is the bar by the grill and watch the cooks prepare the food. Fish is flown in daily, and sushi and sashimi are carefully handpicked by region and seasonality. Chef Jason Alford always serves up something spectacular and surprising as well, which makes every visit unique. Like I said, I frequently pick the Omakase menu and there has been instances where it is has been just too much food but this time - the servings and the variety was just perfect. I started off with some seasonal oysters and they were delicious, very creamy but with a nice salty finish. The next two courses was also excellent - the first one was an octopus salad where the octopus was cooked to perfection. The charred flavor gave it a nice extra level of flavors. The Chefs sushi selection was also very good. 7 different nigiris that had increasing depth and complexity as you moved along down the plate. My two favorites was a wonderful bite topped with shaved black truffles - never thought that would work with sushi, and finally my food flavor winner of all times - sea urchin. The umami flavor was really rich and it felt like the sea urchin was picked up from the ocean an hour ago. The next course was probably the most surprising of the evening. Good mussels in Arizona?? I am a mussel guy - give me a good moules mariniere and I am happy. But I havent had decent mussels ever in Arizona - they all tend to have a muddy hint of sewer...and I have tried a lot. But these mussels at Roka Akor - they were huge, perfectly cook and with just a crisp saltiness - amazingly good!! The course after the mussels is a common item on the menu - Bone marrow and brioche. I like bone marrow but and this is cooked well. But I have had better. The next course was much better, seared scallop paired with a delicious pork belly. Both elements of this dish were cooked to perfection and ina strange way worked really well together - I loved this dish. My final dish before dessert, was A5+ Wagyu which is always fantastic. The beef is served with three kinds of salt that gives three distinct flavor profiles. The smoldering leaves it is served adds a very pleasant aroma as well. It is great way to end the main part of the dining experience. What about my wife's vegan menu? Above you see a selection of her dishes - I tried all of them and the kitchen really makes an effort to create a variety of flavors and textures. Her favorite dish is picture below though. She claims that Roka Akor and Nobuo at Teeters House has the best Tofu in town and I tend to agree with her. I am not a big tofu fan but the Grilled Organic Tofu with Barley Miso & Yuzu Daikon is smooth, creamy and packed with flavors. If this was on the plate every day - I could go vegan for a year. The Omakase menu ended with a two nice options - a great sorbet and a beautiful Almond chocolate torte. The restaurant is designed to be the spitting image of a London Japanese restaurant, Roka (“Akor” is Roka spelled backward, hence “Roka Akor”) but it works really well in Scottsdale. They have a good wine selection and some very interesting Sake choices. The service is good and knowledgeable. Overall, the restaurant has a nice ambiance and you always feel welcome. But the shining star is the food and the creativity of the kitchen - I would highly recommend a visit!!
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