Akakiko revisited

Achaion 1 (adjacent to Hilton Park), 77778022, LEFKOSIA (NICOSIA)
Mon-Sun 12:00-0:00
I hear comments about consistency in Cyprus, about innovation about individualism and quality. And I must say I agree with most of them as restaurants and generally the entertainment sector does have an issue with all of the above. However, there are some exceptions. So here’s one.
There is a reason why Akakiko, after so many years of operation is still going strong and that’s because they always try to be ahead of the market. Apart from being one of the first places to serve sushi in the capital, it was one of the few to thrive in the area of Engomi, and one of a couple to have a good dine-in AND delivery service of Japanese food.First there’s the sushi. That includes nigiri, maki, sashimi and temaki (hand rolls). What made the top of my list were the “Monster Roll”, a tempura roll with smoked eel. Large in size and although tempura fried, not at all overpowering.A show-stopping maki was the lobster one, that’s the “Candlestick Maki“. It wasn’t my favourite but I can see why it’s a best seller. The “Butterfly roll” with black rice and raw tuna was my fav and definitely great for something different.Worth mentioning is that you can “eat for your own taste buds” in Akakiko. You can have simple sushi with lots of fish, sashimi and cleaner flavours or you can go all in with more complicated, creative and adventurous flavours. I usually like to try a bit of both. The hand rolls and smoked eel and tuna nigiri were exactly that!
The Spicy Miso Soup with chicken was enough as a main course was delicious: spicy and cleansing. We ordered one to share given its size.When we asked the manager to recommend us a couple of dishes he insisted on the Robata. It was obvious why. I knew from before that the Ebi Shiso (that’s shrimp) with bacon would be the winner. It may sound weird but the combination of sweet and savoury was truly delicious. The Tofu and bacon was also well received with a similar flavour to the above while the beef is a great choice if you are after something meaty. I also appreciated how they don’t deliver the food from the Robata menu as the dish presentation and flavour may be altered.Last but not least their latest make, the Poke Bowls climbed to the top of my list for lunch. We tried the salmon bowl with glass noodles and mixed right there and then. Ideal for the ones counting calories. Each bowl is complete in terms of nutritional values with defined calorie count so pick your fav!
For a casual night on the bar, for a quick lunch or a dinner with friends, Akakiko has figured out a way to fulfil all kinds of food needs. and most definitely the sushi one!
Finally my inside info says that there will be a brand new Akakiko in The Mall (Nicosia) in November as well as Paphos and Polis in 2019 so get ready people!