Akasha

I’ve lived in Culver City 2 years and finally tried this place. Had the crusted trout and it was good, my date had the baby back ribs, and they were good. Nothing too exciting though. Not really worth the $$$. Rhubarb dessert was awesome. Our waiter was great, the whole place has a nice feel to it. I don’t know if I’d be back because the price. Maybe just for the rhubarb.

This place is very over priced for just average tasting small plates. The beer selection is laughable and the cocktails aren’t very interesting. I wouldn’t recommend this place for the food but at least the interior looks cool, except for the absolute worst chairs I have ever sat in, my bum nearly fell out the back!

This cozy corner spot is great for breakfast! With not a lot of foot traffic. You can get in, eat, and get out.
I ordered the Farmer Eggs Breakfast and it was quite tasty. The only issue was the bacon was a little too salty for me, but aside to that it was yummy!
They also offer a good range of beverages with a killer fresh squeezed orange juice! This is definitely a place to check out that won’t crunch your wallet to tight on the way to a good filling meal.

I dined here with my 78 year old dad and his 83 year old cousin and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We each started with beet and avocado salad and a few drinks and for dinner my dad had seafood risotto and my cousin and I had the beef. Everything was absolutely scrumptious, no one had any complaints and our waiter was fantastic. The mea was super tender, it literally fell apart when I touched it with the fork. The restaurant is impeccably decorated and there were families there with their young kids, people on dates, business meetings and people like me and my family who were just enjoying everything.
We parked in the lot a few blocks east of the restaurant (It’s only a dollar after the first hour is free). Our meal for 3 people was a little less than $ 200 but we had drinks, appetizers and 3 meals. I would go back here in a heartbeat!

This place has a very nice ambiance and great drinks… But the food has always been average at best. The regular menu I would recommend the goat cheese gnocchi or the short ribs. The short ribs are very tender and flavorful. However I always try and order from the specials as those options are much more delicious. Last night I had the fried squash blossom stuffed with goat cheese which was amazing. We also ordered the risotto off the specials menu and it was thick and creamy! As my main entrée I had the seabass which was ok. Seabass was a little bit overcooked and I don’t know if the olives in the bed of vegetables under it was necessary. I wouldn’t order it again.
Overall, I would recommend this place for drinks and small plates!

I was excited to try this place, my friends who live on the west side love this place. I went for a business lunch… I had the chopped chicken salad (No cheese)… And ordered the Chicken wings. My friend had the quinoa salad with chicken. We both jumped on the chicken wings immediatly which where to DIE for… OMG… So. We ordered two sets of wings to take home. I can’t wait for dinner tonight… (Great waitress too) I will be back… :)

We went here for our friend’s birthday dinner after having walked and driven by soooo many times. We didn’t have the highest expectations based on the 3.5 star rating and this seems a bit accurate.
LOCATION/​PARKING: In the midst of the dt Culver scene, there are paid parking lots closeby or street parking if you look closely. It’s great for going to a bar afterwards.
AMBIANCE: The dining experience included a lot of couples, large groups, and gets a little loud. We did respond to the couple next to us a couple of times (because, hey you can hear and see everything going on next to you), which we thought was fun… but I know some people don’t like being that close to the next table.
SERVICE: We had Nick for our server and the service from him and the other staff was all good to great.
FOOD & DRINKS: They offer both large plates and small plates; we were told in advance that the small plates would be delicious. We tried the gnocchi, wings (bigger than I thought they’d be), mac&cheese, onion rings, fries, risotto (delish!), and a couple of items from the special menu. We also shared some desserts including the peanut bar and rhubarb. All items were great, while the «the large plates» weren’t super large… The drink specials were cool and mostly well received and they do have a decent wine list, but while they don’t have the ingredients for my standard washington apple martinis (bummer).
Bottom Line — I was pleasantly surprised and pleased by this restaurant, so will hopefully help bump Akasha from a 3.5 to a legit 4.

A restaurant and a coffee shop, this is a wonderful place to come for lunch or a quick afternoon coffee, or even a spot for work and study! The restaurant menu is Indian inspired with items like tandoori chicken but also a lot more options outside the Indian spices. We ordered the roasted garlic hummus, the tandoori chicken and the fig prosciutto Flatbread and all three were delicious. I also got the mini cupcakes which were alright; not much compared to the main meal. The aura is very chic and modern. The basil limeade is highly recommended as well! I know I’ll be going back soon to try the coffee shop! If it was a little cheaper I’d give it all five stars.

Stomping grounds.
Certainly the most upscale dining room in culver city, and the food is impeccable. I won’t even recommend a particular dish because all of it is fresh, thoughtful, and delicious.
For those wanting a more casual experience the bar fare is awesome, and they have happy hour EVERY DAY from 3:30?-7pm, which involves 50% off all of their cocktails, beer, and wine by the glass.
In addition, their adjacent coffee shop is beautiful, appropriately hip and borderline overpriced (but worth it).

I came here for dinner with a friend. The menu is pretty pricy so be aware of that ahead of time!
She ordered the trout over greens which looked really good and I ordered the mushroom flatbread. The flatbread was good but not anything special or worth the $ 13 I paid for it.
For dessert we had the peanut butter bar which was really delicious. Again though, I think $ 9 was pretty steep for it.
Decent dinner, just too expensive for what you get.

The energy at Akasha is still high after all these years! We had reservations for a Saturday night and it was packed inside. The hosts, hostesses and our waiter were incredibly friendly and helpful.
The two of us ordered 4 dishes to share and were stuffed silly. We started with the albacore crudo which was so fresh and light. It had sweet, sour, spicy and herbaceous elements to it with the fresh grapefruit, pickled radish, jalapeño and cilantro. The mushroom salad is so good and the dressing has citrus notes. The short ribs were the most tender I’ve ever had anywhere! A fork touched the top and the entire piece just fell apart. Lastly, we had the grilled broccolini which had a nice roasted flavor.
I think the space is so beautiful and romantic. If you can’t get a reservation (or just happen to be in the neighborhood and want to eat), they have a café-​like area near the entrance that is not as glamorous but I believe does offer the full menu.

Rating: ⁷⁶⁄₁₀₀ pts
With creative and diversely inspired dishes by experienced chef Akasha Richmond, great atmosphere, and a convenient location, I consider Akasha one of the highlights of downtown Culver City, even if slightly overpriced. This shortcoming considered, I give 3.5 stars, rounded up because they serve Intelligentsia coffee.
It appears many have had less than favorable experiences here, but I think you can have a great meal if you avoid Prix Fixe and simply order what looks best to you, hopefully taking my recommendations in mind.
My favorite pre-​entrée plates:
— Tuscan Kale Salad: effectively mixes creamy parmesan cheese and pine nuts to render these greens a sheer pleasure to eat.
— Skillet Mac & Cheese: combines gruyère and cheddar cheese, and is topped with chives and breadcrumbs that add an irresistibly light crunchy texture to compliment the thick creaminess. I’m happy to share this with 4 people, as I’d otherwise likely plow through the whole thing.
I’ve tried a few of their entrees, but I believe the Star Anise Short Rib is the star of their menu. The meat is soft and melts like butter, and is crowned with crunchies, all atop a bed of greens and pureed potatoes bathing in an au jus sauce. The creamy potatoes, hearty greens, soft meat, and crispiness on top make for an interesting blend of textures that is equally matched by the combination of flavors, with the star-​anise coming through the strongest. Eat slowly and savor.
Dessert time is a joy here:
1) Completely separate menu for sweets and coffees
2) As mentioned, they use single origin Intelligentsia coffee
3) They have a daily changing dessert
4) Dessert names are long with interesting ingredient combinations, but they also have simple ice cream/​sorbets
I find most solace in the Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert, the mejdool dates hidden inside complimenting the toffee and preventing the base from becoming too sweet. The Salted Caramel Bundino (dessert of the day), unfortunately was way too sweet to complete.
Park in the next-​door parking garage. 2 hours free, $ 1 per hour beyond that.

Met friends for dinner here, as it’s a great central location for people coming from the West Side and West Hollywood. Service here is always outstanding.
We started with some plates for sharing. First was the Albacore Crudo, which was refreshing and delicious. Next was the Roasted Garlic Hummus with caramelized onion flatbread, and kalamata olive. It was rich and satisfying, with great flavors.
Our entrees were the Pumpkin Seed Crusted Idaho Trout with underwood farms broccolini, green garlic, squash purée, caper & preserved lemon salsa verde. We also had the Pan Roasted Mary’s Chicken with spinach spaetzle, english peas, spring onion, wild mushrooms, and roasted chicken jus — this was amazing.

Wine Wednesdays for the win! It’s impossible NOT to have a great time when you’re trying entire restaurant week menu over a bottle of Prosecco on a girls’ night out.
The food was overall good. Nothing jumped out, nothing I haven’t seen but most of it done well.
The Tagliatelle Bolognese, had a great pasta, and the pork and beef ragu scratches the surface of tasty.
The Albacore Crudo was clearly very fresh, but it definitely needed salt.
The Radicchio & Arugula was a surprise. I’m usually meh about salads but this one was great! The tastes and textures are in perfect proportions.
The Sea Bass & Clams were pretty good. Nicely cooked on a bed of flavorful beans.
The Citrus Braised & Crispy Duck Leg was not so good. The duck had a soggy skin and was so flavorless it might as well have been boiled.
The Wild Mushroom Risotto was yet another surprise winner. Risotto is hard to make and even harder to make well, but this mushroom-​infused butter and pecorino was fantastic.
All the sweet notes made for a lovely end. The Chocolate Almond Torte was dense and rich, the Lemon Budino was almost a pie-​filling but better, and the Coconut Panna Cotta tasted like a piña colada in solid form.
I don’t know if all that was worth coming back for but $ 39 for a stomach-​stuffing meal washed down by half-​priced wine is one heck of a deal.

Happy hour review!
Checked out their happy hour and had a great time. All cocktails, wine, and beer are ½ off from 5 – 7. Cocktails are interesting, delicious, and pretty. I had the Citrus and Jalapeño and the Fig something– I don’t remember the full name. The Citrus and Jalapeño had the spicy kick I’ve been really into lately, and the Fig whatever was sweet without being sugary and refreshing.
I wish there was more happy hour seating. All they have are countertops so groups with 3 or more will find seating awkward. Our group of four was practically playing a game of telephone all night trying to all stay in the same conversation.
Overall however, I would definitely come back :)

Star #1 is for the ambiance, which is great, and star #2 is for the desserts – also great. Beyond that, I have no idea why people come here.
Service – abysmal. There was a group of 7 of us for a bday party, and the waiter delivered everyone else’s drink at the table except for mine. I waited about 5 — 10 minutes, and nothing. When I asked him about it, he didn’t even apologize – he just said that he couldn’t carry everything at one time. Then, later, the starters and main courses arrived all at once. When I asked the waiter about it, he said he didn’t realize that we wanted our salad as a starter since my friend and I were the only people at the table who ordered a salad. I mean, for real? Who orders a salad and an entrée and wants it to come at the same time? Again… no apology. No offer to take her entrée back and keep it warm while we at our salad, nada. But where was my entrée? Forgotten. I think he just forgot to put it in. When it arrived, it was lukewarm. Had he come back to actually check in on us, I would have told him, but he didn’t.
Food – I was totally set on ordering the burger ($ 18), but while we were ordering, our waiter was so adamant that the short ribs ($ 30) were the best thing on the menu – the «signature dish” – and that if i was going to get red meat, I should go for that. I caved and did it. And the short ribs were completely, 100% average. Again – lukewarm, lacking flavor, lots of fatty chunks I had to cut out. But no one to tell because he never came back to check in. Tried the mac & cheese that someone ordered as well, and it tasted oddly like cream – not all cheesy and delicious as expected.
Dessert – this was by far the best part of the meal. We ordered a pumpkin cheesecake for the birthday girl, and it was delicious (though others complained that the crust wasn’t dense enough).
So yeah, sorry Akasha, but never again…

Wow. Never thought I would find a 5-​star place well, in a place like this. All the restaurants in this area are mediocre and drunk shenanigans, happy-​hour type places or chains that we all know. However, I ended up here and instead of getting individual big entrees, we got many smaller ones.
First thing I was VERY impressed with was the attention for babies. Not only did we not have reservations, but we saw people waiting before we got there, and yet we got seated first. They also kept the stroller for us at the host area, which was considerate. The host also made sure we had space to take the stroller through by asking other guests to scoot their chairs in. Um, win.
But the food… we got:
–kale caesar salad
–chicken sliders
–burrata
–skillet mac n cheese
–wild mushroom flatbread (2 orders, yes, that good)
specials:
–octopus
–some tuna meatball with black rice (so sad I don’t know the name)
Everything was absolutely amazing, as was the wine we had. They also allow you to walk up to a sampling wine table, which also carried amazing wines. The kale caesar was the only thing we left behind-​I don’t think it was great, and there was a bit too much dressing. Everything else though… absolutely delicious and I ate my stomach out.
It’s interesting how their bread is not complimentary, but the one we ordered was just plain with butter. Would be cool to have this gratuitous but a restaurant gotta do what it gotta do, I guess? The bar was also packed with people and had a very hip vibe. Kinda loud, but easy enough to hear conversation. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the area.

Really neat atmosphere and the place is just buzzing with activity. A solid 4-​star joint with their shared plates and playful cocktails.
This is a good spot in downtown CC with a large dining room and bar. Make rezzies as they are positively packed and apparently have a great Jazz band on Monday nights.
Loved the fried chicken sliders, the fig and prosciutto flat bread, and Spanish octopus. Did not dig the tuna tataki or the scallops all that much. But it’s totally worth coming back to try their other plates, cocktails and perhaps catch that band.

Unilocal is usually right on with 3.5 star review places, but not in this case. I love love love Akasha. The service, the food, the ambiance… I love it all!
Service:
I’ve been twice now and both times I felt my waiter genuinely cared about my experience. They both offered passionate and honest explanations and recommendations, thought very carefully about the order our food should come in, and were extremely attentive! This last time I went with my sister we were both very indecisive and quite frankly, kind of annoying. Our waiter was so patient and determined to help us order a meal we’d love. He also offered us several wine samples before we settled on a bottle choice. It really makes a huge difference for me when the waiter is so invested in making sure you enjoy your experience.
Food:
The menu changes often and is chock full of seasonal culinary inspirations. I absolutely love menus like that, but of course it means your favorite might not be there next time you go. Here’s what we had this last time around:
Beet salad (⁴⁄₅ stars): chock full of beets and avocado, so yummy! But a little heavy handed on the sesame oil, needed something citrusy to cut the oil taste.
Mac and Cheese (⁵⁄₅ stars): we added jalapeños of course. Perfect amount of cheesiness, spiciness, and crunchiness (from the breadcrumb toppings).
Heirloom carrots (⁵⁄₅ stars): first of all these just looked beautiful and they tasted just as good as they looked. Topped with delicious feta and balsamic glaze.
Burrata mozzarella (⁵⁄₅ stars): one of the creamiest, freshest, most delightful burratas I’ve had in a long time! Plus it came with this amazing bread. Yum yum.
My husband tried the leftovers I took home and said, «what is this place? We have to go there!»
For once, don’t listen to the reviews. Pretend you’re in the way back days before there was a Unilocal and just go.

Apparently I’ve check in here 8 times without writing a review. How can that be? As I write this, I’m debating whether Akasha is a 4 or 5 star restaurant to me. Clearly I must really like if I’ve been here over 10 times, right?
However, the main reason I go is for the fantastic weekend brunch options. I love their coffee selections as well as their food options. I absolutely love their breakfast burrito. The wife really likes their lox n’ bagel and other options. Seriously, their Intelligentsia coffee are awesome. Don’t forget to try their affogato!
And then, there’s their «regular» menu. We’ve eaten dinner here a few times. I think their food is quite good. I’m not, however, smitten w/​it.
Yes — onion rings are great here. Their burgers are just alright. And then we like their consistently good RestaurantWeek menus. They even have live jazz sometimes — although it can get a little loud to my ears.
The food is very good. I guess I can’t deny them of being probably the best restaurant in downtown Culver City.