Akari Japanese Restaurant

Go here for the sushi and skip all the cooked stuff. The sushi is very fresh but everything cooked was not very good.
The service was slow but it could be because we were a large party sitting in the back.

I always go there for fresh sashimi with my husband. This restaurant is probably only one that has fresh sashimi in coquitlam area. The restaurant is huge so it always looks empty. A little slow service but food is always between ok to good. It hasn’t wow me yet though. Overall, pretty good food here.

Quite authentic & nice staff.
Service is quite slow, but the place is always packed. Food is tasty, but it’s not my fav place in the area.
Good place to try different japanese things, though.

Good and consistent quality sushi restaurant. Definitely one of the best in the tri-​cities. Staff are courteous and service is generally good. Sashimi is fresh, udon broth is refined, sushi rolls are always good and the chef special cone is fabulous.

So I needed a nice sushi place for a date in coquitlam. I looked to Unilocal and dinehere for some advice. I would say other reviewers were spot on.
It’s quite nice inside with a little stone bridge and water features. I was very impressed by how clean and welcoming the atmosphere was. I made a reservation to ensure a table for us. When got got there the place was empty. Oh well, better safe than sorry. They have several normal tables in the middle. Around the perimeter is several private rooms which on average I would say can hold 5 people comfortably. Removable dividers can expand the size of the room.
The server was very nice and was great with explaining the dishes. My only issue was it took upwards of 20 minutes to get our food. Tea refills were quite slow as well. Perhaps they were having an off night since it was 8pm on a tuesday?
On to the food, initially we ordered the tuna and salmon sashimi. Our server suggested a special: Hamachi sashimi with grilled collar. So we went for it and it was spectacular. The sashimi was very fresh. This fish has a meatier texture than salmon and tuna, so it took some adjust. The collar was crisp, salty and delicious. I will go on record to say that it’s the best fish dish I have ever eaten. The Sweet potato roll was crunchy and not greasy at all. I’m a fan of BC rolls so I had to get one. The salmon skin was well seasoned and crispy. The sauce was very good. They have a list of about 20 special rolls. We tried the Energy roll which contains salmon, tuna, avacado, and microgreens, all wrapped up in soybean paper. It was tasty and have a sweeter taste with a hint of lemon.
Including tax and tip the bill came out to around $ 60. A little pricier than most places for a dinner for two, but the food was amazing. I’ll be back for sure.

Akari Japanese Restaurant is a Korean owned izakaya located in Westwood Mall beside Superstore and Fitness World on Lougheed Highway. Central Coquitlam with plentiful free parking spaces brings a delightful Korean and Japanese fusion together. The restaurant not only has a sushi bar, several party rooms, but a private VIP lounge area… Bright interior décor with traditional oriental Shoji screens separate the space…
Food here is always consistent, the portions are big, and the sashimis are fresh. There is a variety of rolls available from your traditional California Rolls, Negitoro Rolls, to your Western fusion style rolls such as the Philadelphia Roll (cucumber slices, avocado, cream cheese, salmon, unagi with tobiko). Also available for the health cautious you — brown sushi rice! Daily specials and late night happy hour specials on the weekend — $ 1 a piece salmon or tuna in sashimi /​sushi pieces.
California Roll
Your usual Cali roll with just more imitation crab meat and topped with roasted sesame seads. Less rice = more crabby goodness!
Philadelphia Roll
(Cream Cheese, Salmon, Unagi, Avocado, Radish Sprouts topped with Tobiko and drizzled in soy vinaigrette sauce)
Toro Sashimi
Al Bap Stoneware Rice (served with miso soup)

It was a surprise when we first learned that Akari served Al Bap. Not a lot of Korean restaurants in Vancouver serves this delectable hot stone rice bowl. Al Bap is a delicious Korean type of bibimbap which includes various types of fish roe eggs — caviars such as tobiko and ikuras. Served with raw egg, sour pickles, vegetables and seaweed in hot stoneware bowls so that the rice is roasted crispy and hot. Mix everything together and let the rice burn before eating.
Also notables:
Grilled Black Cod
Las Vegas Roll (Cream Cheese, Tuna, Salmon, Cooked Prawns, Crabmeat, Cucumber, Avocado topped with Tobiko)
Caterpillar Roll (Crabmeat, Cucumberm Asparagus topped with Avocado and Unagi Sauce)
Rock & Roll (California Roll topped with Grilled Full Size Unagi and Tobiko)
Next time if you are in Coquitlam and don’t feel like driving far for Japanese stop by Akari. The prices are reasonable and the services are prompt and friendly. It never gets too busy and you will always find a table

This is our favourite Japanese restaurant in Coquitlam. We’ve been coming here for about 1 year. We’ve bounced around, trying other Japanese restaurants in the tri-​cities but we end up coming back here over and over. There are other Japanese restaurants that are cheaper but we love the quality, freshness, and presentation of all their dishes. One of my favourites is the Kamikaze Roll. My husband and I order lots of sushi and our kids order the teriyaki chicken bowls. The gomae is also delicious. We brought out– of– town guests here and they were very impressed. The service is very good and the hostess is welcoming. Would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant.
May ¹⁵⁄₁₃ – Still our favourite Japanese restaurant in the Tri-​Cities. Always fresh & delicious food and beautifully presented. This place never disappoints.

Great place, we keep coming back. Seems pretty empty the few times I’ve been, which is good for wait times, but seems odd since it’s pretty good.

One of the better Japanese/​Korean restaurants around Coquitlam centre. A bit on the price side for the sushi, but you get what you pay for. Their version of the Las Vegas roll is the best I’ve ever had and have not been impressed with other restaurants’ attempts since I tried it here. They also have a really good udon soup broth.

oh, the sushi places I’ve been, from the North Shore to downtown, to the Burbs… and this one keeps me coming back. I’ve been eating here, steadily, for at least 2 years so I know of what I speak– here’s my 2 cents:
Quality: the Owner & lead chef (same guy) have impressed with their attention to food quality. They buy the good stuff, and serve it beautifully with attention to detail.
Service: never a long wait for food, and on the rare occasion there was a delay or mix-​up it was always corrected immediately.
Ambience: Lots of great seating options, from tatami room to cozy tables. Always nice music playing softly, a small riverbed at the entrance is a nice touch. Surprisingly decent atmosphere for a strip mall location :)
Price: this is not the cheapest place for sushi– which is A-​OK with me. If I want cheap (read: crap) sushi, I’ll get a to-​go pack from the local grocery store. I’ve eaten at all price points for Japanese and I’d say this place is about the middle of the pack. However, they also have GREAT specials– just ask!
Menu: They’re ALWAYS adding new items and trying out exciting twists, like the salmon carpaccio (with orange sauce– yum!). The head Chef has served sushi in several countries on THREE continents– if there’s something you like but don’t see on the menu, don’t be shy to ask!
In the Tri-​Cities, there are countless sushi options. I’ve cycled through several of them and like I said, I keep coming back to Akari month after month, year after year. I know everyone has their favourite sushi joint, and if you’re Chef-​loyal as I tend to be, you may not test out the waters of different places. But I do suggest you give this place a try– go on an empty stomach, portions are generous!

I had driven by Akari several times over the years but finally went in for dinner with the whole family. The outside doesn’t look terribly exciting but when you go in — it’s huge! There are tables, tatami rooms, and even one large room enough for maybe 20 people or so.
I was impressed by the clean rooms, excellent service, and large portions on certain dishes. The prices on some things were a little higher BUT the portions were also bigger! The yakisoba was HUGE (not the most authentic) — but huge! Everything else we ordered seemed authentic and very fresh — esp. the batter on the prawn tempura and agedashi tofu.
I will go back again for sure!

Good sushi place to go for dinner in Coquitlam. I just don’t like how it always takes long for them to bring out my food and they should add more foods in their menus. It has been a long time and I haven’t seen any refreshment on their menus.

The best Japanese restaurant in Coquitlam by far. If you’re a fan of Katsu (Deep fried pork chop) or Udon, then you have to try this place. My favourite is the Las Vegas roll, tempura with cream cheese deep fried then rolled in rice then deep fried again with a special sauce on it. Fantastic! Their udon is also made with a lobster broth.