Akaoni

Food is simple, excellent. Great Japanese restaurant in Carmel

EAT HERE! The food was excellent. We had the large sashimi order, grilled yellow tail collar bone, and shrimp tempura roll. The sashimi was by FAR the freshest I have had in Monterey County and one of the freshest compared with super pricy restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. In my opinion sets the standard for what you should accept in terms of quality ingredients. The restaurant serves only ingredients they are able to provide at a high quality; everything was freshly caught, and when I asked if they had uni they said they weren't serving any due to the wind that day leaving them unable to get good enough urchin. (On a crazy splurge, I ate at two japanese restaurants earlier this week that 5 stars but served us slightly rancid, old sashimi and dry, burned hamachi kama - unexpectedly bad food quality. Akaoni's came out to be cheaper with better food.)

If you choose Akaoni, you can expect great food and a warm, calming atmoshpere. Just a couple of things to know going into it: they don't serve takeout, they serve the yucky tap water, kids are not allowed to sit at the sushi bar (to maintain an environment that allows the chef to focus, since he prepares the food there), and the chef asks that you take your phone calls outside.

If you're ok with all of those things, absolutely eat here. The food is DELICIOUS.

Was good. They've got a $40 minimum for ordering.

This sushi is delicious. It's my favorite sushi spot in California and i've lived in Monterey, Laguna Beach and live in LA atm. I go here Everytime I come to Monterey.

Yeah the service isn't perfect, but I don't care because I appreciate the quality of food and the intimate environment. I also know it's family run so that makes me less critical of the customer service.

I think it's foolish for people to go into a restaurant where the chef is not American born and expect to be sucked up to. These people are of a different culture.

If you want good sushi go here. If you want good customer service go to an American run restaurant.

You should not just walk into this restaurant. make reservations beforehand. It's too small to seat too many walk ins.

Visiting from Denver and this place was recommended by a local. Great sushi, great atmosphere. True sushi experience, and we received excellent service. Highly recommend.