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    Akar

    4.6 (265 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Akar Photos

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    AKAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Hipster
    Casual
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Akar

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    Christina C.

    Loved everything from start to finish, I only wish the chairs at the counter were more comfortable. Maybe it's just me but they seem to have been made for a child or very small bottom. LOL! Next time I hope to score a patio table. All of the food from start to finish was outstanding and service was excellent. If you haven't been yet, what are you waiting for? Get there soon!

    Taiwanese cabbage (star of the menu)
    Lauren R.

    Meh..bland I have been wanting to try this spot as they were on the STL 100 best list for 2025 and other years, but I guess I let the hype get the best of me. Our food was bland from drinks to dessert. They have an Asian style of cooking but given the location I think they cook for certain kind of clientele. I asked for seasonings for my food. If they have a special event I may return but I could recommend a few less expensive restaurants with bolder flavor. Other than the food, the space is barely accessibility friendly as the exterior walkup is bumpy and has a curb, a larger lip on the door entrance for your coats and makeshift waiting area as there is no host stand. The bathroom is a single tiny low toilet with a hard to push lock on the door and it looks like a closet more than a restroom so blink and you will miss it. The interior lost the cozy modern escape because the front door is always open and if you are on the "bar" side at night the neon blinding kitchen lights are so off putting so always ask to be sat on the left where the bench seating is.

    Scallops
    Anna C.

    Food was fantastic and our server was very knowledgable about the menu. I ordered the scallops which has a great kick to them and the portion size was exactly what I was looking for. We really appreciated that Akar was open during the snow storm we were having and the restaurant was very cozy!

    Lynn A.

    Food: 5 Star Service: 5 Star Been coming here for YEARS and it is one of the few St. Louis establishments that consistently delivers exceptional food and impeccable service. I never hesitate to recommend Akar to friends, coworkers, or clients because I know they'll be well looked after. Love everything on their menu, but if I really had to choose some favorites: - Lobster Ravioli/Rangoon: Luscious and savory, this app is a great start to whet your appetite. - Korean Galbi/Short Ribs: This item comes up as a special and is not on the menu. His recipe comes close to our family's recipe... short ribs are tender and the marinade will leave you licking your fingers. - Scallops: This item comes up often as a special and is not on the menu. Love the integration of Malaysian flavors and various textures in this dish. - Market Fish: Whatever fish he's serving that week- do it.

    Short ribs on green pea mash
    Jenelle B.

    Lovely setting for a lovely meal. We began with the wontons in a light chili sauce and the cabbage (listed on the menu as a childhood favorite of the chef). Both were so flavorful and unique. The shrimp noodle boasted huge shrimp. Braised short ribs were tender and the green pea mash was as delicious as it was colorful!

    Everything is Amazing!!! Highly recommend, the best Asian fusion restaurant in STL.

    Fried okra
    Austin S.

    Wowed, wooed, and everything in between. Not just an unforgettable dining experience, but likewise a core memory. A chic, minimalist, contemporary space is so effortlessly designed for the ultimate dining experience. A little moody, ever so sexy the interior is as welcoming as it is seductive. The service was remarkable. Water stayed full. A full smile always while answering questions and offering patience as we were crippled by the intoxicating menu. We settled on okra, cold sesame noodles, gnocci, and grouper. Everything was divine. I'll start with the okra because that brought back childhood nostalgia with a modern twist in the sweet chili saice. Crispy okra, seasoned to perfection drizzled with a light sweet chili sauce that made dreams come true. The sesame cold noodles were spectacular. The mushrooms added beautiful texture. They're a bit creamy, a bit acidic w the sweet pickles, and ever so addictive. The star for me was the gnocci. Pillows that dissolve with every bite. The Malaysian curry was rich, but still so light. One of the most balanced sauces I have ever tasted as it comes to texture. The weight of it on the Gnocci was perfect. The grouper was super. Perfectly salted with a lime/cilantro salsa and some beautiful tumeric rice. Every single item was a hit. What an absolute experience. Officially a top restaurant in stl for me. The amount of regions/cultures they have fused together in their menu is commendable. Execution was beautiful. Can't wait to get back!

    Menu
    Lindsay P.

    Moody ambiance, knowledgeable, friendly service, with great recommendations! Food was fantastic, mocktails available, and veggie friendly :) Street Parking! We came here for a friends birthday, we tried the crispy cauliflower and meatballs as appetizers!! I had the gnocchi and my husband had the lamb shank!! We loved this meal, great for small groups or date night.

    Fontaine C.

    Location and ambiance: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Food: 3.5/5 - Plating of the food is good - The flavor and portion size of the lamb shanks is wonderful, but it is overpriced - The mango bread pudding is alright. The flavor of the mango sauce does not complement the bread pudding well. I do not recommend.

    Matcha tiramisu
    Jade H.

    This place wow's me every time! I've been trying to eat through their menu and I can say everything has been a delightful experience. Service is good for a slow dining experience. The ambiance is very moody and intimate. Rating this place a 5/5 because it really has that WOW factor :)

    Sticky rice and burrata
    Nicholas S.

    Akar is a lovely ethnic twist with a modern industrial vibe inside. We went for a double date and sat down ready to order family style. We had some of the thoughtful house cocktails and ordered the bang bang chicken, sticky rice, burrata and the bread made to order. All were certainly delicious but nothing absolutely blew us away. The butter served with the bread was amazing. For entrees I had the short rib and my wife had the grouper special. The side with the short ribs left a bit to be desired but the short rib was amazing, fall apart, and flavorful. My wife's grouper was spectacular and the sauce served under it was something truly special. All in all great experience, highly recommend Akar.

    Blue crab donabe
    Debra A.

    The food was amazing and flavorful. I was happy that they had vegetarian and vegan options. My husband and I had the gnocchi which the chef's kiss! My brother-in-law had the blue crab donabe and he said it was absolutely divine! Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and informed about the specials of the day. The restaurant was vey intimate for a date or a nice girls night out. The decor was very simple yet classy. Reservations are required so be sure to put this restaurant on your list to try soon!

    Chanda B.

    I had been wanting to try this hidden gem for quite some time, and I'm so glad we finally did. The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, and the service was top-notch from start to finish. It easily earned a spot as one of my new favorite restaurants in STL. The lobster rangoon was packed with lobster, honestly way more than I expected (a good thing by the way). The roti and meatballs were incredible, and every curry sauce we tried was perfection. The short rib had amazing flavor as well, though I personally felt the peas were a bit overwhelming and could've been left off entirely. We also ordered the red snapper special. At first, it was a little bland for my taste, but our waiter brought out a scallion jam that completely transformed the dish. It was absolutely delicious and exactly what it needed. I'm already counting down the days until we can go back because I genuinely cannot stop thinking about this meal!!!!

    Lamb chops in massaman curry

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Disappointed service. Waited there and no one greeted us even when there's a table open in front of me.

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Wonderful, homemade & different than an average night out! Great for a date night. Cozy quaint & friendly.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    We had a reservation. Ambience was nice. Had the lamb shank and it was delicious! We got our food quickly and waiter was great.

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great service and atmosphere for a special occasion. I had the seared tuna and it was wonderful. I will definitely be back.

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Go early if you don't have reservations and get the lobster appetizer it's fantastic!

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food and wonderful owner. Nice outdoor dining experience. Parking is tough in the neighborhood.

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Wow! Extraordinary! Delicious! The service is superb. The dining experience is amazing.

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    3 years ago

    Great food. Great service. The chef truly enjoys what he us doing, and it shows. A must visit for food lovers.

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    7 years ago

    I'm not a chicken n waffles kinda dude, but this was savage. The service was great, the drinks delish. Come get some!

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    No seats available, we can only eat at outside table. Lots of flies, poor environment, but good food and attentive service.

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    Page 5 of 7

    Ask the Community - Akar

    What is the dress code?

    I think upscale casual is appropriate. Certainly not blue jeans and a T shirt place but not as dressy as going to The Ritz dining room. It's definitely a casual, friendly vibe.

    Is Akar a chain restaurant?

    No, it is not

    Friends are coming to town that I have not seen in a while. Would this be a good place to have a great conversation? Or is it loud and we'd have to yell to hear each other?

    It's not too loud, but it's pretty small so if you have a a lot of people, you might want to make sure they can accommodate!

    Is this place good beyond the rating. I know some people tend to sugarcoat things and that can lead to the absence of a honest to goodness review. All I ask is that, if I were looking for some quality Asian food, would I go here, and if not, where?

    As per my review, some dishes are better than others. It's not truly Asian but more fusion. Hope that answers your question

    Any vegan options?

    They definitely have many vegan options. I believe they have a different vegan menu just talk to the server they will guide you. I ordered vegan option for lunch and it was… Read more

    The menu on your website doesn't have prices... any chance you could update it with those? Sounds delicious!

    Good morning and thanks for reaching out! Our menu changes frequently, lunch range from $8-$14; dinner starts $9 to mid $20’s in average. Since we only have 12 seats inside the restaurant, reservation highly recommended! We are looking forward to… Read more

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    Chilispot

    Chilispot

    4.5
    (318 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    Been here a few times now and it is one of the most authentic Chinese spots in the city. Brought my…read moreChinese friends along and they fully approved and you can tell just by the crowd in there. Weekday visits are pretty chill but weekend dinner time gets busy, just something to plan around. Also a heads up on parking, the lot isn't very big so when it's packed it can be tough to find a spot. Would recommend carpooling if you can. I have a pretty low spice tolerance but there are still so many delicious dishes to choose from if you look around the menu. The soups are so hearty and comforting. Insider tip: the tofu egg dish is not on the menu but ask for it anyway. It is so worth it and the best way I can describe it is like eating a savory cloud puff. So unique and so good. The service is always super efficient, food comes out fast, and the staff will get you in and out. Every single dish I've had has been full of flavor and nothing has missed yet. Would absolutely come back and highly recommend.

    We stopped at Chilispot for a family lunch and overall enjoyed our meal…read more The dumplings were a favorite at our table, while the spicy chicken was my personal standout. It was excellent and had just the right amount of heat. I also enjoyed the smoky ham fried rice, although it lacked the distinct smoky aroma I was expecting. Some of the other dishes didn't quite land for me. The fish soup wasn't my favorite, and the beef noodle soup wasn't especially memorable. The cumin lamb, however, was better than expected and ended up being one of the stronger dishes we ordered. That said, the service was friendly, the portions were generous, and there are plenty of interesting options on the menu. I'd definitely come back to try some different dishes next time.

    Photos
    The dining table with the menu.
    The dining table with the menu.
    Chicken Chefs Special Stir Fried Chicken 1804
    Chicken Chefs Special Stir Fried Chicken 1804
    Whole Fish

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    Whole Fish
    New China

    New China

    4.3
    (146 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $

    It was a mistake to try Chinese food on Christmas Day. I hadn't planned ahead and hadn't gotten…read moregroceries, and a Jewish friend of mine mentioned his Chinese food tradition, so I figured I'd give this place a shot. Maybe they're fine on other days, but it took two and a half hours for my meal to be ready, long after the quoted time online. I sat outside in my car for a while when I went to pick it up, and the place was totally packed with people waiting for their food. Perhaps they should have capped orders or something? I'm sure they were exhausted and working nonstop. The pepper chicken was pretty good, except it was missing the egg I paid to add, as well as the rice. After waiting so long, I was really annoyed about the order missing the extras. It was an extra $5 to order online, too. I'm giving them grace because they were way overworked that night, and the food was pretty good. But they definitely need to cap orders or give more accurate time estimates. There were a lot of furious (probably hangry) people there who left without their orders.

    So, I got delivery, pretty late...the food was hot and fresh! It was delicious, and I literally got…read morethree meals out of my one order of General Tso's chicken. And they include a free small side! I got crab Rangoon, then ordered another order of it, knowing that a small side wouldn't be enough. To my surprise, in total, even if I had not gotten the extra couple of pieces, it would have been enough! And their crab Rangoon is also delicious! I will definitely be ordering from then again! I've been looking for a new Chinese spot that delivers on Sunday, since that's apparently the only day I crave Chinese food, and most restaurants are closed on Sunday, which is another reason why I really like this place!!!

    Photos
    C12. Sweet and Sour Pork combo
    C12. Sweet and Sour Pork combo
    9. Fried Dumpling
    9. Fried Dumpling
    90. Moo Shu Vegetable

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    90. Moo Shu Vegetable
    Movoc

    Movoc

    4.5
    (45 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    This is one of my go-to spots for a hangout, it's wonderful. There's enough seating, and the hotpot…read moreis easily shareable. I flinch whenever I hear the "movoc" and I get so excited I want to throw up whenever someone suggests going to movoc for a hangout. There are lots of toppings to choose from, and I think that the concept of hot pot price by weight just like FroYo is fun and unique. Service is fast, and clean. The hot pot was delicious and not too spicy and the sauces they had to offer were very delicious as well. Not too salty. It's a wonderful place, whether you go alone or with friends.

    This was my first experience at a hot pot by the pound restaurant. I've only been to all you can…read moreeat hot pot restaurants, so I was excited to try this place out. Apparently, I wasn't the only one because this place got packed by 6p on a weekday! The line was out the door. It can be a little confusing for a first time goer as you enter the place and grab a bowl to select the ingredients you want to eat. The minimum weight that you have to buy is 0.9 lbs, but you really won't know how much your bowl weighs until you get up to the cashier and put it on the scale. My bowl was underweight my first time through, so I went back to grab more ingredients. If I had to guess the minimum cost for a 0.9 lb bowl, it's probably about $16, which is a pretty good price for a hot pot. My bowl weighed about 0.97 and it was way more than I could comfortably eat. The next decision you have to make after you have selected your ingredients is the base and spicy level. I went with #1 Oil splash spicy soup at medium spice level. Now, I enjoy spicy foods, but this was at the upper limit of enjoyability. Although tasty, I think the oil in the broth got to be too much and I will want to try a different base next time. After you pay for your food, you get a number which you take to a table of your choosing and wait for your bowl to come out (they cook it for you). There is a drinking water station next to the free rice station, which was around the corner from the complimentary pickled vegetable station. Overall, positive experience and I would return for more. .|\---/| | @_@ | ..\_^_/..2026

    Photos
    Movoc
    Sour and spicy.
    Sour and spicy.
    Outside

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    Outside
    Tai Ke Shabu Shabu

    Tai Ke Shabu Shabu

    4.4
    (483 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    Came here specifically because I kept hearing about the jjajangmyeon so I had to try it. Went with…read morea big group of about 8 people for dinner and we waited maybe 15 minutes for a table which wasn't bad at all considering how busy it was. The inside has a good amount of seating and a separate area for shabu shabu, so it's well organized. We ordered a ton of dishes to share and everything came out so fast. I was surprised by how fast and friendly the staff was. The jjajangmyeon is vegetarian and this was very similar but just slightly lighter than the Korean one. Still so delicious. The fried tofu is an absolute must order. I don't know how they got it that crispy and crunchy, but it was perfectly flavored too. The grilled tofu was also really good and flavorful. The noodles were great, and we also got the cabbage dish which was a nice balance to some of the heavier, oilier dishes. They offer tea for the table only $1 per person. Overall just a really great experience. It's a bit out of the way and not really surrounded by a lot of other things to do nearby, but worth the trip. Would definitely recommend!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Tai Ke is one of the older kids on the block-- been around before the other players on Olive…read more Overall, I think it still has a place on this block, but I do prefer the others. I've had their 3 cup chicken, fried pork chop, other street snacks, braised beef noodle soup. Our recent orders: Stirfry basil with beef (17.99): our favorite Chili's stirfry chicken (14.99): it was better the more you had it, but it was just strange that the chicken was coated in sauce so it didn't make it quite crispy Five spices tofu (13.99): this was pretty good. It's perfectly crispy on the outside and the dipping sauce was not too bad. Next time we want to try this salt and pepper, tofu and the fried pork chop again There's a 2.79% transaction fee for credit cards

    Photos
    Tai Ke Shabu Shabu
    Left, E7 Sizzling Tofu E7, Right R7 Taiwanese Sausage Fried Rice R7
    Left, E7 Sizzling Tofu E7, Right R7 Taiwanese Sausage Fried Rice R7
    R7 Taiwanese Sausage Fried Rice R7

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    R7 Taiwanese Sausage Fried Rice R7

    Akar - asianfusion - Updated June 2026

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