After reading yelp reviews in response to a serious ramen jones, I took my girl and brother to Akebono. I've never noticed this place before though it's in a shopping complex between Rite Aid and Hollywood Video that I've been to several times. We all ordered a good variety of food to try. My brother got the Katsu Curry, I the Tonkatsu ramen, and my girl got the Yakisoba I believe. We also ordered 2 sushi rolls that were your standard rolls that you can get at most places. No complaints here. My ramen definitely hit the spot with a nice flavored pork and broth. The Katsu curry is actually pretty easy to make and they did a good job with it. If you aren't familiar with it, it's basically Japanese curry over Tonkatsu (deep fried pork). The Yakisoba was decent, but not something I would order over all the other goodies they serve. They also give you generous portions. Top this off with some hot saki and you will complete the dining experience. The atmosphere is simple and what you would expect from a shopping center sushi spot. There are plenty of tables as well as a nice bar. Highly recommended for a dining experience outside of the elite midtown sushi spots. There's no need to impress anyone here. Just enjoy the food. read more

The food is decent, the service not so good, the servers kind of Rude(not friendly) no modifications allowed price is in high side

You know those cliche 90s' movies that star a girl who has a really fantastic personality and a lot to offer but is overlooked because her appearance just needs a little tweaking? Akebono is my Rachel Leigh Cooke in She's All That. Located in a less than beautiful strip mall, one can drive by and just assume Akebono is another dime a dozen, crappy restaurant located on Freeport Blvd. FALSE! I'm so glad I discovered this spot (thanks to my handy dandy Yelp app). Let me rave a little. Food: Delicious and the selection here is plentiful. The sushi was fresh and tasty but the home run for me was the ramen. I've been to a few well reviewed ramen places in town and left disappointed (bland, small portions). Akebono's ramen is just bursting with flavor and leaves you craving more despite how full you are from their large bowls. Service: A+. They are SO on top of things. Never did a drink get below the half way point without someone being at the table asking if we needed a refill or a request not promptly met. Ordering and paying was quick and hassle free. Also our food was out in no time flat. I'm in awe at how they produced it so quickly yet and retained quality and taste. Thanks Yelp for helping me find this diamond in the rough and my new go-to ramen/sushi place! read more

Akebono - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Second time here, and I thought hm, let's write a review. Same owner as Ryujin, boom I already love this place. I mean this is my second time and I loved it. Sushi and ramen though, can't go wrong. Honestly I wanted to try this place because I noticed that they have a spicy ramen challenge and I LOVE spicy food. Also because of the dream come true sushi roll, it looked amazing. The first time here I got the tan tan men with egg and tofu, extra spicy please. I loved it. Not going to lie, the flavor, and it was spicy just the way I like it. The pot stickers were boiled, didn't care for it much, and the baked mussels were so small but they were very good. This time I ordered the ramen challenge, very hot, with tofu and an egg. I also ordered the dream come true again. My friend said, "it really is a dream come true, it has everything in it." Lol. I was actually disappointed with the ramen challenge. I got very hot and it wasn't. When I ordered the tan tan men, it was spicy. Bummed. But it was still ok, the broth I mean. I'll be back though. I still like this place. read more

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Challenge ramen - super hot, was definitely a BAD choice but I was curious to see how spicy it really was since it came in 4 levels of spiciness - hot, very hot, super hot, and crazy hot. The ramen did not have that authentic japanese ramen feel / taste to it. But just as the description stated, it really was LOADED with stuff- a lot of cabbage, mushrooms, chili threads and meat. The broth was a little too sweet that it was all I could really taste apart from the spiciness. The chicken was tough and did not mix well with the ramen. It seemed as though the chef practically boiled pieces of chicken breast and dumped it in the soup. All things aside, there was a lot of flavor in the broth, just not the flavor I was looking for. I went with a group of friends who were satisfied with their bowl of ramen so I would come back here to check the other ramen options. Compared to Shoki, this place has larger portion sizes. My friend ordered the dream come true roll which I guess, really was a dream come true considering how ginormous it was, but after seeing the price, it was more of a dream turned nightmare. I just think $14.95 is a bit too steep for a roll of sushi. Dont get the challenge ramen! I'm for sure coming back here for the other ramen options. Also, if you come here, you HAVE to check out the bakery in the dome shaped building of the parking lot. Its called Mahoroba Bakery and its yummy. read more

Akebono - Challenge ramen - super hot. - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Hands down my favorite sushi restaurant! I've been to a good handful in the bay and SJ area and this place is the best! I've tried a variety of items on the menu and I haven't come across anything I didn't like. Ramen is pretty filling and yummy. And you know it's good because they also own Ryujin in downtown sac which has really good ramen. Sushi rolls are pretty good. My favorite is the Ichario roll. Their rolls are a good balance of fish and rice and it's not heavily drowned in sauce. Sashimi is soooo good. It's tasty and refreshing. Majority of the time I'm here, I get the sashimi combo or Chirashi which is really filling and the price is affordable for the portion size. For the same price of AYCE sushi, you can get great quality sushi here and still be full. I've been to places where it's more expensive and portion is way smaller. Depending on when you come in, there might be a wait. Usually there's a bit of a wait on Fridays and weekend. There's a private lot and I've never spent for then a minute finding parking. read more

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Akebono is by far the best place for my ramen cravings. I came here with my little family and another couple and their two children. The service is excellent. It reminds me very much of Japan when employees actually greet in Japanese. The ending of the greeting was dragged on just like all the customer service in Japan. It just made me tingle inside and reminisce about the times I had in Japan. We each ordered a bowl of ramen and shared Boat A (Hawaiian, Rocky, Rainbow, Ichiro, Vanilla Sky) for $41.50. I ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen under the Summer menu that was listed for $8.95. The bowl was HUGE. Prices were reasonable and the food was delish. Every single time I come to Akebono, I can never finish my ramen because the Spicy miso ramen comes with tons of veggies that consisted of cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and pork slices. I had a glass of iced cold water spilled all over me and a ton of empoyees came to my attention right away and cleaned it all up within minutes! They were so attentive and very friendly. It can't get much better than that! The parking lot is huge so you won't have to fight or circle around the area for a parking spot. or feed any meters. The restaurant is large enough to roll my gigantic stroller in and even fit at our table so my baby can sit with us. My experience here far exceeded my expectations! I will come back here for sure! read more

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Ramen on a cold day...while simultaneously scarfing down a Nancy roll...yeah, I think so! But for goodness sake DO NOT mention Miso's..."oh no...Miso no good" the sushi guy will spit and gag in your direction...yeahhhhh. Oh well, I tipped me well for fresh sushi and some sweet [not so modest] jokes! Like fresh fish from Japan, yeah, he's got it.....Like Ramen that's the size of two five heads? Yeah..he's got it...FOR $8...!!! And, he's famous, he swears it, "see my picture over there, I'm famous, on tv...." Go here for fatty fish that will make you salivate at the sushi bar and Ramen that warms your soul. No, that's not dramatic, that's serious. AND YES! Better than Miso's ok....ok! "No seriously, so fresh so fresh" read more

Akebono - Ramen!!!!!! - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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My friends and I are looking for Japanese food and we found fantastic place "Akebono" here where you can find fresh sashimi. We ordered Salmon toro. The salmons was very fresh and I reordered its again. I do reccommended their new menu the fresh salmon with special sauce as well. Their lunch serve until 2.00pm and it quited busy during lunch. Our bill cost $71 read more

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Decided to give this place a try because of the good reviews on Yelp. It turns out to be a pretty disappointing experience. We ordered an Akebono roll, lunch bento, and ramen. The filling was yummy but the rice was ice cold! The bento came with freshly fried shrimp and veggies, a big plus! But the rice was under cooked and abit hard. This place definitely can't cook their rice right! Very disappointing for a Japanese resultant. The ramen was alright, noodle was over cooked, but the broth was ok. Not comparable to a ramen shop. Overall, this restaurant is over rated on Yelp. There are better places to eat than here. read more

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In the last year or so, the restaurant appears to have changed owners and the portions are less generous and the quality has suffered. For 10 years, I was a frequent patron - even during covid, but after having gone back several times in the last 9 months or so, I think I'll stop patronizing. The rolls are smaller, they sometimes use filler fish (chopped up) instead of slices, and prices keep rising. The Dream Come True Roll was once a humongous roll with lots of top quality sashimi, but it's now just larger than average and mediocre quality cuts. The Rainbow Roll, is tiny in comparison to what it was. Probably a better bet to buy at Otto's next door on the days they make Sushi. read more

I love you, Yelp!! Yet another wonderful find, courtesy of Yelp. My friends and I were driving home from Tahoe, and we decided to see what good eats could be had in Sacramento since we were driving through there around dinnertime. One of my friends pulled up Yelp, and we found Akebono's reviews. Can't go wrong with a four-star place in my book, so we decided to check it out. I'm sooo glad we did. It's a large, clean restaurant, and it was pretty full when we arrived there at 7pm on a Sunday night. Their menu is very diverse, ranging from ramen to sushi to rolls to teriyaki... So many options! Even the pickiest eater will find something good to order, I'm sure. I went with their sashimi combo which came with 13-14 pieces of sashimi, rice, salad, and miso soup. I wouldn't be going to Sushi Tomi if Akebono were in my 'hood; Akebono's sashimi combo puts Sushi Tomi's to shame, at the very least because of its cheaper price tag and larger amount of fish. The fish is just as fresh. Their ramen bowls were huge! The other people in my car ordered ramen, and Akebono's servings were so large that my boyfriend couldn't finish all of his ramen. He usually finishes everything! This was also the first ramen serving that came with "too much meat," said my boyfriend. He wasn't actually complaining - who complains about too much meat! - but seriously, so many generous slices of yummy pork in the ramen. I'll definitely keep this place in mind for the next time I need a restaurant suggestion in Sacramento. Yum, yum, yum. I want to try out their ginormous sushi boats, too. They have these massive boats that they load with sushi rolls and bring to your table... I was drooling as the waiter hefted one past our table. Me want! Me want!! :) read more

This is my favorite Japanese place in sacramento. The sashimi is always on point and never tastes fishy or off. Though the price is a tad higher than Some of the other places around town (and to my knowledge there no happy hour, boo) in my opinion it is worth it if you want Japanese food that is good quality and consistent. read more

Akebono - Bento boxes - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Been here a few times recently and I have yet to to be disappointed! Service is always great and friendly! Check out the lunch menu if this is your first time. They have pretty decent deals. Servings are pretty big. I've tried the niku udon and ramen, both of which I would order again! The fish is really fresh here so if you like chirashi, try theirs! The restaurant does get busy during rush hour, but they're pretty good at seating you with a decent amount of wait time. Check it out and you won't be disappointed! read more

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Good sushi at a surprising location. Thanks to the Yelp community again for helping me find good sushi in an area I was unfamiliar with. The restaurant is very unassuming from the outside but was nice and comfortable inside. I sat at the sushi bar and basically asked the sushi chef to help select my selections. He did great. Started off with Hamachi Sashimi and a good cold Sapporo on tap. Followed by a roll that was recommended but I don't know the name. I also ordered the Soft Shell Crab Appetizer. Last thing was the Crabby Crab Roll which was just ok. Walked out very full and spent about $60 total with a 25% tip. Good service as well. Definitely would be a place I'd go back to if I lived in the area or came back again for work. read more

On a search to find all of the good ramen places in Sac, I decided to give this place a try. Unfortunately, my visit didn't turn out to be quite like the other reviewers' experience. Starting with the atmosphere of the place.. there wasn't really anything too impressive. It wasn't modestly comfortable, nor was it warm and welcoming. I made a reservation for 7:30, and when I arrived at 7:31, I was met with a waitress who fished out my reservation card from her apron and told me she didn't realize it was already 7:30. That in and of itself wasn't too bothersome to me, since the wait didn't take much longer afterwards - but I probably would've appreciated it more if there was at least one, "sorry," accompanied with it. After sitting down (and waiting half an hour), I ordered both a poki and ramen (I wanted to get the best of both worlds!). Unfortunately, both dishes brought about only a, "Meh. I've experienced better," reaction. I ordered a miso butter corn ramen, and while I saw the butter and the corn on top, I tasted neither of them in the broth. Poki had a bit too much salt and sauce for my liking. I'm not quite so sure how my review of the place came to be so different from the general consensus, but I suppose it is what it is. It wasn't a terrible dinner, but it was far from the best. read more

I know I ate at Akebono once when they first opened years ago, but I don't remember what I ordered or if it was good... so that should already tell you how unmemorable it is. The only reason my boyfriend and I chose to eat here was because we wanted sushi that was relatively close by... and we were too embarrassed to eat at Sushi Café again so soon haha. When we first pulled up on Friday night we saw a small crowd of people waiting by the door. I took this as a good sign that they were busy for dinner. I hate this parking complex because the spaces are so narrow and people don't know how to park. When we walked into the restaurant I saw there was a clipboard so I wrote down my name. I am not a fan of this system. I always feel like some shady person is going to cross off my name and take my space. Also, it's not very inviting since there isn't a hostess to greet you. At this time I noticed how the layout of the space seemed inefficient. All of the tables on the left hand side of the restaurant were for 6, but parties of 4 were seated there. I joked that my boyfriend and I should just go sit at one of those tables. One thing that annoyed me was that there is a bell that rings every time someone goes in or out of the door. Why... just WHY?! This isn't a convenience store... why is that necessary? With all the foot traffic and people going in to sign in, then back outside to wait - it became annoying fast. We waited about 15 minutes in the crammed space before we were called. The two of us were seated at a table for four... again, waste of space. The man gave us menus and left without telling us who our waiter/waitress would be. The menus definitely need an update as the plastic pages are all torn and ripped. All of the workers seemed frazzeled, hurrying around the place, but not really accomplishing anything. We could hear the table next to us complaining about their waitress. When a different waitress came to check on them, one lady told her, "Our waitress sucked. She's not getting a tip." Yikes. I hoped we wouldn't get that waitress. This is not a new establishment so I don't understand why everything is so disorganized. You would think they would have it figured out by now. Some girl brought us water than disappeared.... We waited for 20 minutes before another girl finally came to take our order. First impression was not good. She did not introduce herself or apologize for the wait. We ordered a potato croquette appetizer, Ichiro roll, and Triple roll. When she brought us plates she set them on the table we were not sitting at.... Uh okay, we're over here.... At least the food came out quickly. The potato croquettes were fried crispy, but not overly greasy. Three came with an order and they were pretty big. I was disappointed there weren't any vegetables inside like I'm used to. The side of katsu dipping sauce it came with was huge! Who needs that much sauce? Seems so wasteful. The sushi rolls were moderate size, but subpar quality. The rice was too sweet and the avocado in my roll had brown/black spots! Ugh. The overall taste of the roll was bland. It was also very dry, so we had to ask for a side of Unagi sauce to help. The total came to about $27. Not ridiculously expensive, but definitely overpriced for the quality. The rolls would not even be worth it if they were half priced! The tables around us looked annoyed as they were waiting for their food. It seemed like the hot entrees (yakisoba, dinner combinations, etc.) were taking a long time. Overall, I would not recommend or return. I now know I have not been missing anything these years. I don't understand why they were so busy. If you want quality, drive down a little further and go to Sushi Café. I would give it 1.5 stars, but I rounded down because the service and food were both unenjoyable. read more

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First off, the staff here make this experience well worth it. Attentive, helpful and grateful you are their. Their food is amazing as well. The salmon sashimi melts in your mouth, with generous servings and flavorful fish. Their tempura is fresh every time and so good. Not fishy at remover cooked. Their blanch spinach is my favorite ( gomaee) don't quote the spelling !!! My husband loves their soups. All of them!!!! My kids usually get the bento boxes, generous portions and full of flavor and many options to choose from. Prices are reasonable for the amount you get. I highly recommend this place for dinner or lunch! read more

I like it like it!! Their menu is fairly selective, and I love that they have cold ramen as an option. More Japanese restaurants need to have that. The plating was exquisite, and we were quite impressed. I ordered the one with the dipping sauce, and I'll admit that I was not 100% sure whether I should dip it or pour it over. It seemed like too much to just dip in the entire bowl, so I chose to scoop the sauce with a spoon, then soak my noodles in the spoon per bite. The lady there did offer to teach me how at the beginning, so I can appreciate that. Some people will just allow you to look like a complete idiot! Anyways, it was yummy. The portion was a tad bit smaller than I like, but it was a fine dish indeed. I will say that the teriyaki chicken plates with rice, sushi, and salad were BIG! That's what the others guys had. Overall, a great business. I wish them the best and I will be returning. read more

Akebono - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Situated near plenty of other Japanese-centered businesses, Akebono makes its mark as one of the highest quality and largest portioned sushi restaurants in Sacramento. The crowd is no joke, there will be a dinner rush. And for good reason, too--the place serves delicious sushi at humongous proportions. The price for the sushi is fairly large as well, if you're used to the usually 50% off rolls deals you'll find around Sacramento's college areas. This place offers rolls at full price, but you're definitely making up for it in quality and size. Service was efficient and polite as well. We had a few items here. We had the Dream Come True Roll, which is a LARGE specialty roll with big slices of fish inside--I'd highly recommend this. We also had the Rock n' Roll, a deep-fried roll with creamy avocado & various fish inside, and the conventional Rainbow Roll. We also had the Chirashi Sashimi, which tasted fresh and not fishy at all. All in all, the price (including a good tip) came out to around $60. It's definitely pricey, but we probably could have done with 2 rolls instead of 3. We underestimated their sizes. read more

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First time visit for my wife and I. And first time eating sushi for my dad. This place is huge. Doesn't seem like it, but they have a large seating area hidden in the back. And they get busy. My dad got there maybe 15 minutes before we did. And we still had to wait about 10 minute before sitting at our table. My loves salmon, so she ordered the salmon lover plate. Salmon inside/out roll with sashimi on the side. Their salmon was superb. Melted in you mouth. Perfect sign of fresh salmon. I threw my dad in heavy. Started with Philadelphia roll, Tiger, and Rainbow. The philly actually had a strong smoking flavor. Which for me was pleasant surprise. My dad enjoyed it too. Their Rainbow is prepared differently then I'm used to. I'm used to crab inside. Here they use shrimp. No complaints with this roll either. Tiger was actually an order mistake. I meant to order the Spider. But the tiger was equally as good as the other two. Still having some room left in us, I eventually added the Spider to the list. For me, their spider was prepared like any other sushi house with the exception of eel sauce. The crab was nice and meaty. My dad seemed to enjoy it as well but was filling up. We sat near the entrance. There was a steady stream of people coming and going. Which is a very good thing to see. Keeping the fish fresh. read more

Akebono - Salmon lover - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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UNSAFE FOOD PRACTICES This used to be a favorite but will not be returning. We arrived and several people were waiting for tables but no one was getting seated. We stood in front for over 15 minutes completely ignored, not even a hi be right with you. Frustrating but its a busy night. I can deal. Here is what I can't deal with. We watched a server set a tray of food on a DIRTY TABLE then serve that food to the nearby table. She just shoved aside some half eaten dishes and put down a tray on food then takes the dishes and serves them to nearest table. read more

I am really picky when it comes to sushi. I used to live in the bay area which has an abundance of great sushi places (though the best I've had is in Los Angeles), and when I lived in Raleigh I wouldn't even eat sushi because none of the sushi restaurants had very fresh fish. I really, really hate that fishy taste! This sushi though? So fresh! Well, now that I've admitted my serious pickiness with sushi, here is the full review: My boyfriend and I went to pick up some take out, and it was packed! We didn't call ahead, but they still got us our food within ten minutes. Service was good. He got ramen which was really good, and I got edamame (could have used some more salt), miso soup (the tofu and green onions came on the side which was cute, but could have had more miso flavor!), mixed sashimi (the sake was soo fresh - melt in your mouth with no fishiness at all, and the maguro was great as well), tekka maki (small rolls which I like), and rocky roll (nice and simple, just shrimp tempura, avocado, and teriyaki sauce). $42 total which is less than I normally spend for two on sushi. I love that they have a big menu. We'll definitely be back. It's right next to my job which is convenient, too bad I've never noticed this place before. It's right next to Riteaid in this weird parking lot. Get the sake sashimi for sure! read more

Akebono - Such fresh sashimi! - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I've been eating here for a while now and I never knew what to write for the review, but only recently have I been eating here constantly! I've tried a lot of good here such as their challenge ramen, curry udon, plain udon, multiple sushi rolls, sweet shrimp nigiri, uni, tako nigiri, charashi, chicken Katsu curry, Katsu (pork) curry, sushi deluxe combo, agedashi tofu, etc! So my review is not a "I just ate here" review Pros: - Fast service even when the house is packed - Attentive workers - Good food - Nice portion sizes food - More than fair prices - Clean Cons: - Could be a little crowded at times and depending where you sit may be awkward, especially for couples Overall: I don't have many cons for this place, but it is a little far from my house so if you count that as a bad thing lol Everything here is great! Great quality food! It's so much cheaper at akebono than other sushi places that charge way much more, but there "50% off rolls" make everyone think it's cheaper! This is my number one sushi place to attend! Everyone must give it a try. I guess the good reviews may give other people super high expectations and they get all pissy when one thing goes wrong. Just chill and enjoy lol read more

Akebono - Agedashi tofu - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Alright, second time here, and this time I ate haha...cause the first time I just took Sake Bombs ;P anyhow. Man oh man do I love this place! I don't get what's up with all those negative reviews haha, I liked everything I got. Same owner as Ryujin's? No freaking wonder the ramen was on point. I always get the Tan Tan Men, extra spicy. So, I got it. I love spicy food and oh yeah...yummy yummy. The waitress we had was so awesome and considerate. I came here with my sis and we don't eat a lot so I just told her we were splitting it so an extra bowl would be fine. They came back and they separated it in two separate bowls for us! That was so sweet of them, what a freakin plus. Although extra spicy wasn't so spicy, I was satisfied! I also ordered the Ichiro Roll, something with a little itty bitty spice to it and it was delicious. Cream cheese in my sushi please! So I subbed out the avocado for it, yee yee. And to top it off, got my sake bomb of course ;) hehe... The ambiance of this place is nice and simple. Just the way I like it. They got their Japanese music playing in the background and we were taken to the back room with more tables. That was cool, didn't even know they had even more space haha. Overall, my experience was super pleasing to me and I'm definitely coming back here read more

Akebono - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

I love this place but I don't get to go here as often as I'd like since it's on the other side of town for me. The service is great. They're super friendly and are constantly checking to see if you anything, but not so much that it's annoying. I've yet to order anything I don't like. During my last visit, my brother and I split the : - tan tan men ramen (extra spicy) and it was delicious. They even split the order into two separate bowls without us asking! - Ichiro roll, which my brother ordered and it was very good and light. - I ordered the beginner's luck roll without avocado and added jalapeño. It was my favorite of all three dishes. I cannot wait for my next visit, I'm salivating just thinking about their food read more

Akebono - Tan tan men - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I got a couple of sushi items to go. I enjoyed the hamachi nigiri more than the roll because there is more fish in the nigiri. I used to dine in before COVID and now I don't feel comfortable as the air seems a bit stagnant. read more

We went here a couple nights ago, sat at the Sushi bar. It was apparent right from the start that the young blue hair sushi chef was not very friendly and more interested in serving set sashimi plates instead if what I wanted to order. The tuna was defiantly low grade, it was red but rubbery and pasty tasting, not much fat. We also had a z roll, it tasted nasty. It was supposedly have shrimp tempura inside, I had to ask the waitress if that was what was in there. It tasted raw, cold and nasty, the goop that they put on top was nasty too, I think it was crab salad, no idea what was in it. The bottle of saki and beer was good but it's hard to mess that up. We also had an order of Ebi sushi, it was good. The bill came and was 108.00 Way over priced. We have been going to Saudi bars many times per year for 35 years. This place blows. read more

Open and closing times is not right. Also, they do not have any outdoor or indoor dining. Wasted our time going all the way out there. And they don't pick up the phone after 8:300pm so you can even call and confirm the operating hours. read more

The food was decent. I had the challenge ramen-hot. which was actually only mildly hot in spice, but super hot in temperature. Everyone was done eating before I could eat. Wife had the Beef teriyaki and tempura. The tempura was great but the beef was grey and did not taste very good. We also got a shrimp lovers sushi, that was pretty good. It took the waitress awhile to come take our order, 15 minutes they were busy. But the food came out in less then 5 minutes. that's a FAST kitchen, which is probably why the beef is grey. Its noisy in here! It's annoying when parents let their kids continually scream in a restaurant. It's a downright nightmare when there are three of them. People PLEASE take care of your children! This is a restaurant, let them scream at home. read more

Akebono - Challenge Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Having heard nothing but good things about Akebono, I was very excited to finally make my way out here. Unfortunately, the food hardly lived up to expectations. The good included an amply portioned and flavorful bowl of beef sukiyaki. Before that though, it was hit-or-miss with apps - the hamachi was quite good while the BBQ albacore was overcooked. It's worth noting too that they were both way overpriced for the amount, I've had much better BBQ albacore and more of it at several other places around here. Though I didn't have a chance to try the traditional nigiri, the Fish Lover's roll left much to be desired. Very bland overall with no discernible seasoning in the sushi rice and the fish itself was average in terms of freshness. On the upside, there's quite a selection of specialty rolls and the vast majority are very reasonably priced. My friend said her Challenge ramen was pretty good and with the expansive selection on the menu, they may be worth trying. Service was efficient and attentive so that was a plus. Overall, just an okay Japanese spot. read more

EXPENSIVE but worth it. Lots of food so it can be worth the price. Always busy, staff are nice, place can loud. Popular place, so don't be surprised to bump into seeing some of your friends and neighbors in the restaurant. Nice to "order to go" if you can't wait to get a table. read more

Since I live in Elk Grove, I usually don't venture onto Sacramento's Freeport Blvd. "Restaurant Row" of Japanese and Chinese restaurants. However, this evening my family decided to have dinner here. It is located in a somewhat non-descript strip mall with a Dollar Tree occupying the former Blockbuster location. The interior of the Japanese restaurant is larger than it looks from the outside. This was a typical Friday night and as such, there were people jammed into the lobby of the restaurant all waiting for a table. We had called ahead for a reservation so our table was ready and this is a "MUST"!!! I wasn't famished, so I ordered the Shoyu Ramen, which was very tasty and a goodly portion. They have a large menu of rolls, dinner entrees, soups, and salads. Don't forget to call ahead for a reservation if you are inclined to dine here. It is a very popular Japanese eatery..... Note: They have flat screen monitors on the walls so you won't miss a football or basketball game... read more

Akebono - Shoyu Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Akebono is a well-rounded Japanese restaurant, and it is my go to spot for Japanese food. The ramen here will always hit the spot, you just need to know what to get. The good thing about Akebono is that they have variety. They have your standard miso, shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), and tonkotsu ramen. They also have variations such as their kimchi, champon, and spicy ramen. Their noodles are a little thick, thicker than Shoki's, but it still has a nice bounce. Be careful when you first take a bite out of your ramen. The broth comes out boiling, so it is good to wait a bit if you can resist. If you have only been to Shoki, I would suggest getting the Tonkotsu ramen as it is not available over there. Tonkotsu ramen is not to be confused with Tonkatsu. The 'o' makes all the different. The tonkotsu ramen broth is made by boiling pork bones for at least 6-8 hours to get all the collagen and pork flavor out of the bones. It is a nice rich and creamy broth so if you want something light, you might want a shoyu or shio broth. If you are really hungry, I suggest getting the Champon ramen. It also has tonkotsu broth, but they add stir fried veggies, seafood, and pork. Champon ramen has chinese influences, so the flavor might remind you of your favorite Chinese Restaurant. The Kimchi Ramen tastes like a shoyu broth with a lot of kimchi added. The flavors are all there, but the kimchi is a little over powering with a sour taste. It could be balanced out if they added a little more sesame oil. If you want something spicier, try their challenge ramen. My friend got the super spicy and it was pretty hot for a guy who can handle spice. The challenge ramen has a spicy shoyu broth with the same stir fried meat and veggies as the champon. The kitchen food at Akebono is good, but its maybe a step lower than their ramen. Their katsu curry has plenty of katsu and curry over rice, however the meat was a little dry. Their katsudon also has meat that is a little dry, but all the flavors are there and they give large portions. You might want to pass on the curry udon. The curry sauce was super thick and was a little salty. I would have preferred a udon broth mixed with a small amount of curry. The sauce was just too thick and coated and overpowered all my noodles. I tried to sukiyaki here as well, but I would pass on this dish too. The sukiyaki comes with shirataki noodles (yam noodles), with some mushrooms, tofu, veggies, and slices of beef. The flavors in this dish were right, however the beef was too tough for my liking. In sukiyaki, the meat should be tender. If you feel like something more raw, check out their sushi. I haven't had it as much as their hot dishes but the quality of the meat is good. At Akebono, they do no skimp on the fish in the rolls. The staff here is always nice and they speak Japanese if you want to practice. There are often a lot of old Japanese couples, so that should tell you something about the authenticity. If you are craving ramen, Akebono is up there with Shoki's. The attention of detail might not be the same as Shoki's, but they make up for it with the variety of ramen choices and the large portions. read more

Akebono - Curry udon. It was good, but the sauce was too thick. - Japanese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I ordered the Miso Ramen and asked for no meat and egg. The food was prepared quickly and was served within 10 minutes. However, I was disappointed with the remaining toppings on my ramen: there were literally just bean sprouts! To my understanding, there would still be various vegetable toppings. Despite this disappointment, the miso broth was delicious. It definitely activated my umami taste buds XD nonetheless, the ramen tasted stale and of low quality...like cup noodles (not trying to hate on cup noodles or anything, I just expected something fancier). The portion size was humungous, but that won't compensate for the mediocre ramen in general. read more

Yes! This place serves Ten Zaru Soba - cold soba noodles with tempura. Yum yum yum, my favorite Japanese dish aside from chirashi. The place was pretty packed on a Saturday for late lunch. We waited about 5 minutes and still had to sit at the sushi bar. It's ok, we don't mind. Service is fast. Of course, I got the soba with tempura and hubs got his ramen. I really enjoyed my soba noodles. The portion might look small, but it was more than filling. The tempura was very fresh and it was a good variety. The ramen was so so, nothing special. I'll keep bugging hubby to take me back so we can get a sushi boat! read more

Okay so I just want to make this clear for everyone. If you come to Akebono and you want to order the bento boxes, curry, or any other Japanese styled entrees this is definitely not the best place to get it. It's not bad, but it's not phenomenal either. You DO have to come to Akebono for their sushi. By far Akebono and Taka's Sushi in Fair Oaks have the freshest fish in the Sacramento area and this totally makes the drive to South Sacramento worth it. Their sushi always tastes fresh and I love that they have a large nigiri menu as well as more traditional sushi rolls unlike other places. I belive that most of their popularity rises from their sushi and their ramen! Just got the Boat #C last night when I went with 6 people for dinner and it was very delicious. The fish in everything was fresh tasting, soft, and it came out fast considering that it was Saturday night. I'm happy that at least Akebono has decent sushi in the Sacramento area! read more

Lived by here my whole life and it was my first time here last night! Call me crazy, I guess, lol. We ordered the combination sushi/tempura, beginners luck roll, salmon lover's roll and the challenge ramen, very spicy. For the combination sushi/tempura, we thought it was a combination of any sushi roll with tempura. We asked our waitress which sushi rolls we can select for the combo and she said the sushi comes with 5 pieces of nigiri + tempura. Get this...I completely missed the nigiri and thought any sushi roll, but 5 pieces. So I said ok! I'll take the beginners luck with the sushi/tempura combo. 5 pieces of nigiri came out and I told our waitress I misunderstood her and she was nice enough to take it off our bill. That would've been an extra $13 for something I wasn't going to eat! (I don't eat anything raw.) The beginner's luck roll...ehhh. I've had way yummier sushi. The unagi on top tasted kinda fishy...I ended up taking that off, overall, the roll tasted dry and bland. The salmon lover's roll...if you like salmon, you can't go wrong with this. They give you extra pieces of salmon on top of the roll. Ok, the highlight of the meal, the ramen! We got the challenge ramen and the broth is really good! The bowl is really big, could easily share between two people. Although the broth was good, I probably wouldn't get this again next time. They gave a lot of veggies that I didn't care too much for after awhile, and also the chicken, didn't care too much for either. Also, very spicy is very spicy! I can't believe they go up to "crazy spicy". Can not imagine what that is like after how very spicy was. But nothing I couldn't handle. It was really good. ;) Overall, I can't wait to come to back for the ramen! Not sure about the sushi. Maybe I just ordered the wrong roll. And the service was excellent. The waitresses are really nice. The first waitress that came by that we told about the nigiri misunderstanding, she offered for us to keep it and to take off our bill. And our waitress, who came by when she saw that waitress at our table, took the nigiri and took it off our bill. Which, I'm not upset at. Just happy they were so accommodating and flexible! Delicious ramen and good service! read more

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Great service. This spot is located not too far from the junior college so it gets pretty busy during lunch hour. The sushi is always fresh. read more

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Came here with the family for lunch. We were seated right away. I ordered the black garlic tonkatsu ramen. Others in my party got lunch bento boxes with chicken teriyaki, saba shioyaki & mixed tempura. We also got tekka rolls and hiyayako appetizer. It was ALL delicious!!!! read more

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