LOOKING FOR QUALITY JAPANESE CUISINE?! LOOK NO FURTHER!! Akamaru Scottsdale is the finest of its kind in North Scottsdale. The restaurant is simple, clean, and welcoming. The waitress, chef, and assistant staff are incredibly friendly and QUICK. I loved the iced matcha, the Japanese fried chicken, and the REAL wasabi!! Do you know how hard it is to come across REAL wasabi in the USA?! It's rare for sure. Please come here for lunch or dinner - this is a small business worth the communities support. read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - Pork Belly - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

See all

It's just like eating at an Izakaya in Japan!!! First time trying AkaMaru and we'll be back for sure! Everything we ordered tasted just like home...yes, I'm Japanese so trust me when say that! We ordered the chicken Kara-Age (Japanese fried chicken), couple of hand tools, cucumber salad (might be my favorite!) , takoyaki, yellowtail carpaccio, ajitsuke egg and yuzu cheese cake for dessert. One thing to keep in mind that Japanese Izakaya is NOT like your sushi restaurant. They don't serve rolls, but do have sashimi in bowls. It's meant to be like a tapas style and portions are usually smaller. The space is meant to smaller for a more intimate setting, although I think they could fit another table or two! I would suggest a few more items like gyoza, ramen, yakitori, Kushi-katsu, etc. I saw few comments about price... yep it's not cheap but the ingredients are fresh and it's comparable to any Japanese restaurant in Scottsdale! read more

See all

Cute, small establishment with quiet service and a chef who really knows how to cut their fish. All of the ingredients tasted pure and fresh, however, my only comment is that neither of us were full after the meal. And the items on the menu were too expensive to supplement with anything else, I'm sure it must be pricey to import ingredients and what not so it's understandable. But we did need to eat more afterwards. The hojicha latte was gorgeous, you can watch them make it, it had a subtle taste and not too sweet. Overall, simplicity and light, fresh ingredients but also makes for a very light meal. read more

See all

We stopped by for a Sunday dinner. The restaurant is quite small with limited seating, but the service was incredibly friendly and attentive throughout our meal. My friends ordered the Uni & Ikura Don ($42). While it's definitely on the pricier side, they thoroughly enjoyed it and confirmed the uni was incredibly fresh. As for the softshell crab bun, it was loaded with a lot of sauce. It got messy and sticky very quicky. I definitely should have used a fork instead of my hands. If you're eyeing the buns, grab extra napkins or a fork ahead of time! It was crispy and delicious. The unagi don flavor was spot on and decent portion size. No leftovers! read more

See all

Service was great. Staff was very attentive. The food was amazing. The beef in the Yakiniku onigirazu was well seasoned. The cucumber salad was refreshing. The strands of shiofuki konbu (salted dried kelp) complimented the sweet-sour dressing. I loved the salmon avocado onigirazu. The restaurant was clean. read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - Shio-Kombu Cucumber Salad - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

See all

A bit overpriced for their food and drinks but their fish was pretty darn fresh. Portions are very small here but again everything tasted phenomenal. It's a small mom and pop shop so wouldn't recommend this place for large groups. They don't serve nigiri nor specialty rolls just hand rolls which are about $9.50 to $18 depending on the type of fish you get. I got 2 of the blue fin tuna and avocado hand roll. Delicious, pricey and not too filling. My BF ordered the chashu don bowl. Again delicious pricey and a very small portion for $18.50. Bottled beers are about $8.50 to $13.50 a pop, a little over the top for me. The bill was a little over $200 and afterwards I was still hungry. Probably won't be back anytime soon. read more

See all

Great food, amazing toro nigiri, service was fast and everything we ordered was delicious

Akamaru is a quaint, cozy restaurant located in the same shopping center as Best Buy in Scottsdale. Their menu is very different, offering many authentic items you wouldn't find anywhere else in the area. After looking over the menu, we started off with the spicy salmon avocado hand roll. The overall taste was alright, but the fish tasted very fresh and melted easily in my mouth when consumed. For our main entrees we ordered the salmon and avocado onigirazu and the unagi don. The salmon avocado onigirazu was surprisingly better than we had anticipated, the fish wasn't dry or fishy and overall, quite filling. The unagi don tasted standard, the eel itself was tender and fell apart easily. Overall, service was attentive and friendly. You can really tell they put a lot of care into curating their menu and they really focus on the quality and presentation of the entrees. The prices are also very reasonable for the quality of food you're receiving. This is one of those places that I would say would not be good to dine at if you were on a time constraint since the items can take a while to come out. read more

See all

5 stars Plus! This place is excellent! The owners are doing something very special here, don't miss out on the Chefs incredible style, almost art in flavor,, we are so lucky to have this level of talent in our neighborhood. The food is incredible, each and every dish has its own unique flavors personally prepared by the Chef/Owner. I can talk about individual dishes but the i tried 8 different items with my wife and each one was amazing. So, try them all! Service was impeccable and the atmosphere was calming. Sorry, forgot to take pics had to eat immediately... next time I will be returning for sure. read more

Okay so here goes.. let me begin by letting you know my wife is from Japan and we were very excited to find a place near us that was owned and operated by a Japanese couple leading us to believe that the food would be great and the service would be amazing. So, the food is good and was definitely the high point of our visit, that and the music was good too, Japanese 80's music... that is all that was good about this place and we were both super disappointed. Ambiance, aside from the music was okay, the challenge here was that the lights were so bright that you never got that cozy izakaya feeling. Next was service, two young ladies were working and not once did they proactively ask if we needed anything, another beer, some more water, etc.. just nothing. No personality no connection with the guest, entirely transactional. Granted you will get the obligatory irashaimasen when you walk in and the arigato gozaimashita when you leave, but that's about it. Now to the biggest disappointment, the chef, Hiro I am assuming. I intentionally attempted to interact with him speaking Japanese and he was taken back by it, which would be expected, but that didn't prompt him to engage with me at all. At times he was less than 3 feet from us at the counter and he never once asked how are food was, or attempt to interact with my obviously Japanese wife. Fact is, I never saw him interact with a single guest, not once. This is very odd, and not what one would expect. So, a lot here to read, if you don't care about service or a friendly chef at the counter than enjoy, but for the price paid Akamaru fell very short at what would be expected from a Japanese owned eatery. read more

OMG this place is SO GOOD! I've already been here twice in just three days, that's how obsessed I am. The owners are Japanese and really friendly, and the restaurant is small but bright, clean, and very comfy. I love that it's not dark inside because I like to actually see what I'm eating. You can make reservations on Google, which is great because it gets busy fast. The space isn't big, so definitely book ahead if you don't want to wait. For food, we tried the Akamaru Don with UNI and the UNI + Ikura Don, and everything was insanely fresh. The toro literally melted in my mouth, and the UNI was sweet, creamy, and perfect. The oysters two ways were so fresh, and the chef's sauce made them even better. The Soft Shell Crab Bun comes with a whole crab, not just pieces, so fun and delicious! The Bluefin Toro Hand Roll was packed with flavor, and the Matcha Latte and Hojicha Latte were rich, smooth, and not too sweet. Every bite reminded us of Japan, authentic flavors, perfectly balanced, and absolutely satisfying. Nothing disappointed. I'm beyond happy they opened in this area, and this place is officially a new favorite. I can already see myself becoming a regular here! read more

See all

When there's a new Japanese-run Japanese spot in town, I have to check it out! They've been fully open for just a week. Knowing Chef Hiro was behind it, I walked in with high expectations. They absolutely delivered. They offer a smaller lunch menu featuring various onigirazu (Japanese sandwiches), and a larger izakaya-style dinner menu. We tried several dishes and loved every one of them. We started with the bluefin tuna toro and crab hand rolls. Both were fantastic. The seaweed was perfectly crisp, and the toro melts in your mouth. The gindara miso yaki (miso black cod) came next, and it was incredibly smooth and buttery, honestly reminiscent of Nobu's version. We also ordered the gyu don and unagi don. The gyu don might be one of the best in the Valley. The beef was tender, flavorful, and perfectly balanced - not too salty, not too sweet. The unagi don was excellent as well. The team was warm, attentive, and genuinely interested in our thoughts about the food. The interior is cute and spotless. The only tiny suggestion would be to dim the ceiling lights and maybe use a warmer tone for a bit for a cozier feel. We'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Such a great spot - they just opened up two weeks ago! It's family owned - the dad, mom, and son all run it together, and you can really feel the care they put into everything. The food is super fresh and full of flavor, and the ingredients taste top quality. We got the gyu donburi and unagi donburi for the lunch special, which came with miso soup plus a soft shell crab bun and chashu bun. Everything was delicious. Portions are generous - we even ended up taking a donburi home. The place has a clean, airy vibe with a nice organic feel. Everyone's really friendly and welcoming, and the service is great, attentive but relaxed. They've got an awesome sake selection too. Prices are fair for the quality. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

See all

This place is OUTSTANDING. I'm just SO happy a place of this caliber, quality, authenticity exists in the area. Thank GOD. I easily blow $200-$300 every order just because I NEED to take each dish takeout to pig out later. I wish this was within walking distance. read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

See all

This place is so delicious. I got the Hot Gyokuro to drink & the unagi don the sauce was tasty and the portion size was great for lunch. The food was so tasty that I also got the salmon & avocado Onigirazu to go. It wasn't busy when I went and the staff wad really nice. And the general vibe of the place was very relaxing! I would definitely go again when i'm on that side of town read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - Unagi udon - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

I don't normally leave reviews for anything, but man, this place deserves more than 5 stars. It's very unassuming and that's what's beautiful about it. The food really makes you feel like you're in Japan for a short moment. Some of the most legit Japanese food we have had. Recommend the crab hand roll, tuna hand roll, and the yellowtail carpaccio. My husband's favorite was the otoro. I will definitely be coming back here next time I'm in town. We recently moved out of state, and this will now be a staple for when we come back to visit. Thank you for the great food and effortless service! read more

We ordered two sushi don and one chasu don, chicken karaage, a dun and hot hojicha latte. Overall, the service was good, and the food was fresh and they all tasted clean but flavorful, very comfortable meal. Sitting in the bar you can see the chef slicing those fish and all the ingredients were perfectly placed. I can tell the chef really cares about the details. To be honest, I think it was a little bit pricey, but maybe it's about the freshness of the food and the location of this restaurant. read more

See all

Nice and small restaurant! Gyu don beef rice bowl is so delicious. I really like the red sliced ginger that comes with the rice bowl. The onigiri is so big full of salmon, avocado, and rice. It is filling up. No room to try green tea. read more

See all

Fresh sashimi, hand rolls, crudo, very good rice dish. Cucumber salad outstanding, fried chicken dish just so so, served with simply mayonnaise instead of something a little more exciting. But minus one star for the service. Server was confused, unsure of himself, there was miscommunication with the kitchen more than once. They need to revamp their reservation system to allow for more walk-ins as we saw a couple initially seated, moved to a different spot at the bar, and then literally told they had to leave! Made for an awkward rest of the dinner. Dirty plates sat forever and we had to ask for them to be cleared. read more

See all

Well, what I was afraid of, happened... Dropped in twice recently, once very early (right when they opened; second time late about an hour before close) and there were no seats available (there were open unoccupied seats but reserved...) So happy for their success and popularity, well deserved. But sad I won't be able to just drop in anymore like I used to do (of course I dont expect seats to appear out of thin air...) A 3rd time I tried to book for Valentine's day a week before and of course was told they were fully booked...I ended up bringing the special out of town guest for lunch a few days later (she loved it) Reading a recent (3 day old at the time of this writing) review regarding how a seating was handled (guest seated, then moved, then told they couldnt be accommodated after all and asked to leave) is a little concerning. Of course mistakes happen and restaurant management responded to the review promptly, but two mistakes like that in quick order is a little disconcerting. Anyway, I remain a fan and Miki is always so sweet and welcoming (though not there in my own three failed visits) I hope they sort out training and procedure issues quickly (eg the upset guest who was seated, asked to move, then told they couldn't be accommodated and asked to leave) For myself, I will call first before visiting (never a bad idea of course but sometimes I just get the urge for some of the best Japanese food in Scottsdale...) To your continued success Miki and Hiro! read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - O Toro. Some of the best I've ever had, anywhere. - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

See all

Amazing service, clean, and authentic Japanese cuisine! The best Japanese restaurant I've ever been to in Scottsdale and will always recommend akamaru! read more

See all

Came by on a Saturday night. We were promptly greeted and sat down at one of the few tables left. Small and cozy space, with nice bar seats if desired. Menu was a bit different than what we were expecting, but not in a bad way. More sashimi style options; which we were completely fine with. Started off with the TSUKIJI GINDACO Takoyaki. Decently presented with an okay amount of filling. Next came the Ebi Mayo, Tuna Toro, and Tuna Akami. We enjoyed each dish. Ebi was just right with the batter and the sauce was perfect. Sashimi was quite fresh and made for great appetizer to our main course. The Akamaru Don...holds such a special place in my heart. Of course we had to add on the Uni because it's always the right option IMO. The bowl was presented so nicely. "Petals" of sashimi, Hotate, Uni, and Ikura over very tasty rice. We literally cleaned our bowls. Definitely would come back for the bowl alone. Overall, great food and great service. Would recommend! read more

See all

Akamaru is such a gem!! Finally an authentic Japanese restaurant that is actually Japanese owned and trust me, it does not disappoint. On our first visit we walked in with 5 adults and 2 kids. It is a smaller, cozy restaurant so we opted to sit at the sushi bar which was better since we were able to see the chef at work! He makes each dish one at a time and it was evident that so much care was put into each one!! We got the takoyaki, softshell crab bun, spicy salmon avocado hand roll, unagi don, and chashu don and every single bite was so delicious -- Delicate but jam packed with flavor at the same time. ~Highlights~ * The unagi is so rich and buttery soft. * The takoyaki literally took us back to Dotonbori!! * Softshell crab was huge and sooo crispy * The standout is definitely the chashu don and is not something I've been able to find anywhere else in the area. The pork belly literally melts in your mouth!! There's so much we still want to try and we definitely want to come back during lunch for the Onigirazu. If you love Japanese food that is expertly prepared with high quality ingredients then make sure to check them out and support! read more

See all

I have been looking for an authentic Japanese restaurant in Phoenix for a while until I found Akamaru. Thank you for making my wish come true! The miso cod (10/10) and stuffed squid (10/10) felt like something you only get at a high end restaurant! Very soft, buttery, flavorful yet not fishy cod. Samething w the stuffed squid. They must be cooked at a perfect temperature. The grilled eel rice bowl was decent, 8/10. The fried softshell crab buns were just ok 7/10. Miso salmon was good (8/10). The one dish I wish to find is omurice since I haven't found it anywhere in Phoenix. I hope it's available in the menu at some point :D. read more

Amazing food! Amazing service! Calm atmosphere and clean establishment. We got the chashu don and the oyako don. Both were amazing! We will definitely be coming back read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - Chashu don and oyako don - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Very good. Distinctive dishes. Lots of variety. All the sashimi was excellent. Oyster dish was very good too.

Great Fish and Softshell Crabulus Game. Nice little spot you can get the appetizer or really chow and have a nice hot sizzle sake. The family is very nice and it reminds me of a nice Narita Restaurant back in the Old Country. Fantastic service. read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - Fine Salad - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

See all

Overall food is 4.5/5. The pork belly was soft but a bit salty. The soft shell crab tasted over cooked but bun was soft. The cucumber salad was very good. Tuna toro was fresh and tasty. Crab roll and Gindara (cod) were delicious. Place is clean with a very friendly efficient waitress. Menu offers different Japanese beers . read more

See all

Akamaru is a brand new restaurant in North Scottsdale, and it doesn't disappoint. The food was very fresh. This is not like another Sushi place with loaded mayo and unagi sauce, the food tasted really clean and simple but bursted with flavors. Inside the restaurant is clean and neat, everything is sparkling and elegant. Husband and wife owners and staff are all very friendly and welcoming. Currently only lunch menu is available. read more

See all

The fish is excellent and all of the preparations are on point. Uni was so fresh and loved the Yellowtail Carpaccio. Service was also excellent. Highly recommend for lunch or dinner! Good sake list as well. read more

I I love this restaurant! They have great food and very authentic Japanese. Also pleasantly surprised they have soba tea! We will definitely come back! Also server was very knowledgeable about Japanese food. read more

This place is a hidden gem! Everything was so good from the takoyaki to the gyudon (the spicy tuna hand roll, wbu mayo, and the unagi don was A+++++ as well). Service was on point and super helpful with picking things out etc. Sake and beer selection was great as well! If you are looking for exquisite Japanese comfort food this is your place hands down. read more

Having tried Japanese food at many different restaurants, this place truly stands out as the best I've experienced so far. The soft shell crab buns were absolutely outstanding -- perfectly crispy crab paired with a soft, pillowy bun. Every bite was delicious! Coming from New England, I wish we had Japanese restaurants of this quality back home. This is what authentic, high-quality Japanese cuisine should taste like. We're here on a family vacation and will absolutely be coming back before our trip is over. Highly recommend to anyone visiting -- don't miss it! read more

See all

TERRIBLE. WILL NOT BE BACK. WILL TELL EVERYONE I KNOW TO AVOID. Two of us went here around 5:30 on Saturday. It's a small place and was reasonably busy but there were some empty spots. We were seated at a table right away. After about a minute someone came and over and asked if he could move us to the bar because they had a reservation coming in. Sure, we were fine sitting at the bar. Not two minutes later he comes back and says Sorry, you have to leave, we can't take you. UM WHAT. I said "Sorry what?" He says "I'm sorry, we can't take you." Wtf. I said "You've already seated us twice." The response was "I know, I'm sorry." I don't know what that's about. There were seats available. Worst case scenario a normal restaurant would tell you there's going to be a wait and ask for you to wait until a table opened up. This place just told us to leave. This is scottsdale. We weren't dressed inappropriately or inebriated. We were trying out a new neighborhood spot. Won't be going back here again. Will be rooting for their quick demise and looking forward to the next restaurant to take over the space, in hopes that they have a better understanding of customer service. ZERO STARS. read more

We have been anticipating going to this place as it looked authentic. However the waitress was inept and the sashimi was very very cold as though it came directly from the freezer and was supermarket quality.. very very bad . The uni was the same. I feel as though they get their food from Hmart. This place is literally stealing from people with what they charge compared to the quality of the food. read more

Truly excellent Japanese food served in an intimate setting. Everything is made to order so definitely have some patience. The hand rolls, the chashu fried rice, the akamaru-don bowl - all phenomenal. All served with care, pride, and with a friendly attitude. If I had to give any criticism it would be this - please don't use brown rice in anything. Ask before you order a hand roll or something because they changed from white to brown rice and it totally ruined the flavor. They were kind enough to inform me of the change and said you can request white rice whenever you'd like. Otherwise, this place is flawless and deserves every bit of a 5 star rating. read more

Akamaru Scottsdale - Japanese Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

I was greeted very warmly and the food was absolutely delicious. The restaurant was very clean, organized and inviting. I will definitely be coming here again. read more

See all

Delicious, fast, and very authentic. We've been twice and the staff is extremely personable and helpful. read more

See all

Stopped by on their soft opening - they are currently doing a lunch menu with the full dinner menu opening around November. The atmosphere is very welcoming, and everyone extremely kind. The food was authentic, fresh, and delicious. Wishing them all the success! read more

See all

The owner and staff are super friendly!!! We ordered the Uni & IkuraDon was fresh and sooooo delicious!!! Even the cucumber salad was amazing! Matcha lover must try their Matcha Latte! We definitely be back! read more

See all