New environment with new owner. They make awesome Cantonese and Szechuan dishes. You should have a try. read more

See all

First time trying this place out / my boyfriend said he's been a customer for some time and really liked it - I was excited and had high expectations. The packaging for to go ramen held up well on the ride home. However, the ramen itself was SO bland all the way down from the broth to the seafood to the veggies. On the plus side the man taking our order was very pleasant. read more

Akari Express - To go shrimp ramen - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

The online ordering process and the delivery were excellent. The food was still hot and well packaged. The crab rangoons were small but tasty (though a bit sweet for my personal taste). The potstickers insides were hard, dense pieces of meat without much flavor. The general tso's chicken was just some dry, tough, over cooked pieces of chicken covered in sauce. This wasn't a meal I would ever choose to have again. read more

Delicious food and excellent service! Wonderful family owned restaurant serving traditional Asian dishes. Ordered the beef noodle soup and popcorn chicken. The beef was exceptionally tender and the popcorn chicken was very flavorful and divine. The service was on point with the highly attentive restaurant owner and friendly servers. Strongly recommend! read more

Akari Express - a bowl of beef noodle with broccoli - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

While this place has a big menu, only a few things are really worth going out of your way for, mainly being the beef noodle soups. Otherwise the food can often be bland and nothing special overall. You wouldn't go wrong going here for food, but you won't be floored. The prices are nice however and it is very close to campus if that matters to you. read more

Was looking for cheap authentic Chinese food with my girlfriend on a quiet Saturday night around 7pm Ordered the general tso's noodle entree and she ordered hibachi chicken. So much food for $18 total! We ate about half each. General tso was very favorable and had vegetables in it, which I love. Hibachi chick was pretty bland Not crowded, but not dead. Food took about 7 minutes to come. The place isn't the most modern, but it's clean and there are no weird smells or anything like that. read more

See all

Definitely try their new ramen: miso and tonkatsu! Might be the best ramen in the area. Normally don't have to wait long. Also heard their beef noodles and stewed pork rice are good. Will save for a latter time. read more

Akari Express - Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Standards for hibachi and sushi in this city (or at least in this part of the city) must be fairly low. That's the only way I can explain how consistently busy this place is. The sushi (they only serve maki, if I remember correctly) is below average (then again, so is the price), and the hibachi is so-so; the meat isn't bad, but it's a little bland, and the vegetables are terribly overcooked and of poor quality. The one thing I do like (thankfully; since my friends like coming here) is the steak udon soup. The cubes of steak are tender and lean, and the veggies in the soup are somehow not overcooked the way they are in the hibachi. I'd be remiss if I didn't offer kudos for the service here. The staff is very friendly and hard-working, and for some random reason they're often giving away free bananas :-). read more

This is the worst Japanese food I've ever attempted to eat. The meat was unseasoned. The veggies were frozen. The fried rice was steamed white rice with very well done fried egg. It was inedible even doused with soy sauce (since they forgot the white sauce). DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT. read more

Akari Express - Hibachi Steak - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I was taken here for a quick lunch on my last day of a business trip. We had a packed schedule and needed something quick before heading back to Rva. We opted for the special which was sesame chicken, fried rice, and vegetables. The food came out fairly quickly and boy was it filling. The rice and chicken were good but the vegetables were great!! I took away 1 star bc the place is very dated and could use a bit of cleaning and refreshing. It's pretty....uh...authentic inside. Overall, $8 before tax is a great deal for the amount of food. I could barely finish half. read more

Akari Express - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We love love their beef noodle soup! I asked for my broth to be spicy, and it is amazing!!! They serve the noodle soup with a good amount of beef. Have nothing to complain about this wonderful family establishment! Keep up the good work! I will definitely be back soon! read more

If there are worser places to have sushi in Raleigh, I think I must flee from here. I believed this place had potential and they had Monday's 'Buy one roll get one half off'. What a mistake! The rolls have too much rice on them and a sliver of fish. And they're not even cheap! I didn't try their kitchen dishes, but I don't think I'll even think of this place. Don't think of me as a snob, but I have seen cheaper sushi taste better than this. read more

I've been coming here forever. The dishes are always fresh and authentic. The people who own it are very nice. The menu is huge so you're sure to find something you like. My go to hibachi spot. read more

I eat there A LOT! .... that is all you need to know sushi is moderately priced and the NC state roll and Geisha roll are very delicious!! MUST try as for the other rolls, they are typical and yes maybe not the #1 sushi in Raleigh but pretty damn awesome for a hole in the wall The hibachi steak and terriyaki chicken are also really good, and great for a budget........ and finally GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN ...... best ever (not exaggerating--- crispy AND spicy and yummy)...... this is one thing you MUST try, if you are tired of looking for decent general tso's ...look no further because this will rock your world also the chef (Micheal) is an award winning Taiwanese chef so definitely worth it read more

Literally tasted like the hibachi i attempted and failed to make in my home with my little skillet. The white sauce is orange, tangy and sweet like it should be eaten with my 10 piece nuggets. The rice is trash the meat is trash. The lady was very nice though. She was the only one there doing everything. Lady-2 : Restaurant-0 read more

This little Japanese place is right across the street from the bottom of the NCSU campus. I figured they would have cheap and hearty food, and I was right. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't the best Japanese I've had in the area. If you're in a pinch and need to scratch the Japanese itch, this will do ... but if you've got the time and money, you'll be well served to keep looking. read more

Come with my co-worker at lunch time and get a beef tendon noodle soup. It's not as good as I heard about.

A small Japanese style restaurant that is Chinese owned. I ordered a small Beef noodle soup, chicken fried rice with eggs, and gyoza. The beef noodle soup you have the option of regular or spicy. I had gotten the regular. The broth is pretty basic. If you add a tiny bit of vinegar and soy sauce it'll take just right. The beef in it was extremely tender and complimented the dish. The chicken fried rice with eggs had less than basic flavor but pretty darn basic. The chicken in was tender white meat which brought to the dish a different yet unique texture. Lastly, the gyoza had an option of grilled or deep fried. I chose the fried. Crispy yet moist outside with a juicy yet tender inside. The sauce that was given with it, at first complimented the dish. As I continued to eat it the flavor changed slitly , very intriguing. So, for a first experience it was a nice place. I give it 3 stars. read more

I don't understand why people gave bad ratings whatsoever. This restaurant is inexpensive and the quality is good. This is great to eat out at. As an Asian American, people also have to understand the customs are different from westerners. Once my boyfriend and I came here, we received service right then and there. The food and drink came quickly. We got bubble tea & the beef soup bowl. The food was warm and just perfect :) read more

Terrible service speed. Always wait for more than 20mins some times 40 for my food. The waitress even bring the same food to the table ordered later than me. It is UNACCEPTABLE! read more

Their beef noodle soup is absolutely phenomenal! The steak hibachi is also good- not as big of a fan as some of their other Chinese dishes but the noodle soup is good I would never order anything else. The broth is so rich, meaty and satisfying it's the perfect thing for a cold day or when you're feeling under the weather. So glad I had other yelper's reviews to recommend it! read more

Akari, the Japanese word for light. Express, the English word for express. Early in my Raleigh-dining days I tried this place out under the pretense that it had cheap sushi. This in itself is a dangerous beast; cheap high quality sushi is a blessing but cheap low-quality sushi is a bane to the gastrointestinal tract. Their sushi was passable, as were their prices; it's also fun to watch them make it. I find myself wondering what an authentic, classically trained sushi chef would think of the fast-foodening of sushi at the hands of foreigners ("Baka gaijin," no doubt)? If you want cheap sushi I recommend Sushi Thai; if you want pricey but elegant sushi I would direct you to Sushi Tsune or Waraji. If you want to roll out of your dorm-room bed, put on your cat ears and listen to J-Pop as you walk to the closest place to get sushi from you, I suppose you could do worse. read more

Came here to try the Beef Noodle Soup based off reviews. It's alright! If you like hot sauce, add it to your soup for more flavor! The staff was really nice and didn't have to wait long. read more

The fried gyoza I got was good and affordable, but the miso soup was very watered down/flavorless and the boba tea I got was also very watered down. Not impressed. read more

Was looking for a place to get hibachi chicken during finals. Price was average for what I would expect hibachi chicken to cost. The location is ideal if you are an NC State student. The guy that took my order was extremely kind and was very helpful since it was my first time eating there. That probably got them an extra star. The chicken was kind of bland and wasn't cooked like the chicken I've had at other hibachi restaurants. The rice looked, honestly, like something I would make at home and I've had horrible experiences cooking rice. If I was really craving hibachi again I would probably eat here again but this didn't jump out at me as a new favorite. Overall, for the price and location this place isn't bad. The staff was super nice and the food isn't terrible - it just isn't great. read more

I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious this was. I was craving some hibachi and for the price, the steak hibachi was really yummy. I thought it might be fatty and gristly, but it was a pretty decent cut of meat. The fried rice and veggies were cooked perfectly! Veggies consisted of carrots, broccoli, zucchini, squash and onions. They have a homemade ginger sauce that is really tasty and the white sauce was on point too! I will definitely go back and next time I want to try the beef soup everyone raves about- tons of people were eating it and it looked SO good! read more

I don't feel that This restaurant is really Japanese (I have a lot of experience eating japanese food). I had chicken and rice with vegetables for lunch. Quality and taste was pretty low in my opinion. I will probably not visit again. read more

The worst food I've ever eaten. Took 2 bites and threw it away. Eat anywhere else you possible can.

Its not fancy by any means but my boyfriend and I enjoy grabbing our food to go from there. We usually get a mix of the hibachi ( chicken, steak and shrimp ) are all good. They cut the fat off their meat, some places we have been has chunks of fat mixed in. I also like the way they cook their rice and vegetables which is another big thing for me. We really enjoy their food, its one of the best cheap grab and go hibachi places we have found so far. read more

Had a general tso's crave and due to the poor selection around NCSU, I was worried where to go. Then I remembered the wonderful review below that called the Tso's THE BEST EVER and while I don't agree with that, we went on a Friday and it was the special, and we were not disappointed. A very bold, flavor filled experience, with just the right amount of crisp and a generous portion of food. I barely touched the vegetables since that's me, but top notch fried rice. worked perfectly. impeccable service as well, and they have mello yello. an excellent meal for $8.07 on a Friday night. will be returning to try the soups and other hibachi dishes, as others have prescribed. read more

Great express habachi. Fast service. Nice size meat/well cooked. Quality sauces. I will be back.

I would give the beef noodle 5 stars and give the service one star. We gave a big tip for helping cleaning up but the female server asked us to clean up by ourselves and she's still nagging about how "she could not do all the things by herself" when we are leaving. read more

Service is very friendly. They were a bit busy when I went in so I had to wait for my food, but it seems everything is cooked to order-so TOTALLY worth the wait:) Portions are huge and tasty. Reasonably priced. I'll be back. read more

Have been struggling to find a local Japanese restaurant that provided a good value for the amount and quality of food that you get. Akari express has finally met that need for me. The food is delicious, basic -but if you are looking for Japanese food that is inexpensive and good for a quick takeout meal then you will be pleased. read more

A quiet, no frills family operated Japanese restaurant with friendly staff and good takeout food for decent prices. Other reviewers seem to take issue with their sushi, but I'm not really a sushi guy. When I go to a Japanese restaurant I prefer things like hibachi and udon. This is a good place to go on a cold day to order a hot cup of miso soup. I'll definitely return. read more

Good food, good staff. Place is kind of musty and even when it is clean, still seems a little dirty. There is a tv but many times it is monopolized by the same group that is always in there and it is very loud, too loud sometimes. Outside seating, plenty of indoor and lots of parking. I visit several times a year. read more

I dont like the hentai here tbbh I like anime and i like sucshi so give me the succ _______________ __________ ________ _______ _______ ______ _____ ____ ____ ___ __ ___ _________ _____ read more

Really disappointed with our meal last night from Akari. We ordered delivery abt 8:00 and when the food arrived it was cold and the restaurant did not include the correct sauces. That was the last time we will ever order from Akari. Thank you, Cheri read more

I love sushi from here. The price is fair and the chef is awsomely skilled. The Yama Roll is my favorite. I could eat like ten of them. If you are in the area, do yourself a favor and "roll" in there. read more

BEST BEEF NOODLE SOUP IN RALEIGH BY FAR! If you are looking for something healthy and delicious, I would highly recommend Akari!! I have been going to Akari for years and my favorites are the beef noodle soup, sesame chicken (best I've ever had), crab ragoon (best I've ever had), gyozas, spring rolls, and almost everything hibachi! Also, if you're a vegetarian the hibachi tofu and veggie dish is awesome!! I'm so glad that I found this place! read more