Akira

I came to Akira when it first opened, and my experience was lackluster at best. The fish didn’t taste very good, and there weren’t many other options. Overall, very overpriced for a disappointing meal.
My friend and I decided to give it another shot just last week, and we were blown away. The sushi was fresh and flavorful, the service attentive, and the 30% off on Monday and Tuesday was a great bonus. We’ve decided to make a regular weekly dinner of it!
I’m quite picky about sushi, so finding a new place is always super exciting. Very happy that Alira has come so far! If you, like me, gave up after an early bad experience, please consider giving it another chance.

Décor was bright, clean and inviting. Hospitality was very friendly and attentive. Dishes we ordered were amazingly fresh, very flavorful and beautifully presented. Can’t wait to go again!

I’ve eaten and drank here twice and have not a single, remotely negative thing to say about Akira. The interior has been spotless and there is always someone to welcome you when you enter. Both times I’ve eaten here I’ve been with a group of 7+ and they were easily able to accommodate us all at Hibachi, after drinks at the bar of course. They have a great happy hour, BOGO/​half off specials/​$ 3 domestics, doesn’t get much better. Both Hibachi chefs were great by engaging us as a group and telling jokes, as most chefs do. I’ve been to, what it seems like, every single Hibachi place in the Capital District and the chefs here have NEW tricks you don’t see at every other dinner spot. The food was so fresh, both the hibachi dinners and the sushi rolls (I couldn’t resist not trying everything), and everything was reasonably priced. I am planning to attend a birthday celebration there tonight and CAN’T WAIT. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone :)

I had hibachi dinner there last night. It was fantastic! The chef was so much fun and interacted with us the whole time he was preparing our meals. There were 9 of us and we all had something different. I had the shrimp. It was absolutely delicious! The amount of food was more than I could eat. Lots of shrimp, rice and veggies, all grilled to perfection. It was a wonderful experience.

I think this is our new favorite sushi restaurant in the Albany area. The food was phenomenal and the service was excellent. We also loved the décor and atmosphere. Service was quick and server was very helpful with questions on dishes. Ask for Henry he is a great server! Oh and for an appetizer you must try the sushi pizza… dear God! Great experience all around we’ll be regulars here for sure.

Took two daughters to try something other than Samurai. Presentation was awesome. Ordered shrimp, steak, and scallop hibachi. All were great. Presentation awesome. Oddly, the vegetables came at the end when we were almost done with meal.

We went there because of Groupon. And Akira is surprisingly good! Because our kids loves Hibachi, so we went to many Hibachi places around Albany. Those on Wolf road and Central Ave are way too salty, you have to constantly drink water for the whole night after. Since the cooks from same cooking school, they tent to do their routine. But the cook at Akira are quite different. He is fun, nice to kid, and never push you if you do not want to catch broccoli using your mouth. The taste of veggie and meat are just right. And waiter is very friendly and polite. Not like other places, once they saw you were using a coupon, they will give you a «look». We all love this place and will go again!

Pretty good food and service. The best in town. I had hibachi only so I can’t comment on the sushi. I would definitely recommend over shogun.

I have yet to be disappointed by Akira, the food is always great and the staff is as welcoming as could be. I have done both sushi and hibachi separately and thought both were some of the better I have had in the area.
The atmosphere as others have mentioned is great they really took the location and brought it modern and developed a nice place to eat or grab a drink. Being someone who grew up in the Bethlehem area nightlife is hard to come by so I really hope to see this place stick around!
If you are on the fence I suggest giving it a try, I am sure there is some hesitancy due to the previous owners but it is absolutely worth a shot.

I do not understand how this place has a mediocre review. This has become the only place in the area that I want to get sushi. The service has always been on point and polite. The sushi is always fresh and even if you order the same thing twice, nothing ever looks the same. The sushi chefs always put a lot of work into making the dishes look as good as they taste. This is THE BEST place to get sushi in the Albany area, there is a reason I’m here once a week.

Good sushi. Fancy atmosphere. Decent price. All that makes for a pretty great place to eat!

Came in here expecting a cheap meal, as soon as I walked through the doors I was taken aback at the beautiful Asian atmosphere. I was still in my gym clothes when me and my friends were seated. I had ordered some food and it was delicious, a bit pricey for Asian food but still good. The waitress was a very nice older Asian lady, she was great and got a 20% tip from a college student. The location is not the best though

Chic dining room features glowing blue lights, a large boat doubling as bar seating, and an oversized Buddha head focal point.
Sushi is fresh, tasty, beautifully presented, and offered in various inventive combinations.
The Seafood Udon comes in a very large bowl. Veggies are crisp and fresh, as is the seafood. Only caveat is that it’s a bit bland. Could use a few slices of ginger and a dash of hot sauce.

A beautiful restaurant with great quality food. The presentation of most dishes leaves a good impression and staff are attentive and responsive. Pricy and a bit too loud when there are large groups even in the next room.

Great sushi, yummy drinks, and a fun atmosphere! We’ll be back!

Had hibachi… so delicious. Mixed drinks were amazing as well. The staff was very friendly and the chef was hilarious. This place is much better than Hana.

Lovely décor around bar. The chef had a great rapport with the three young boys at our hibachi table. The grains and veggies were cooked and plated before the raw meats hit the grill. Now for the not so great stuff… When the chef was doing the «egg roll» segment, he playfully threw a plastic egg at the youngest child (it was his fifth birthday). The egg bounced off the boy and landed on the floor. The waitress picked it up off the floor and put it on the boy’s plate! I was aghast. I’m surprised his mom didn’t ask for a clean plate.
I’m vegan. I specifically told our waitress no butter. It’s a good thing my friend, who is highly allergic to dairy, did not go with hibachi. The chef put generous chunks of butter on the veggies.
Considering the owner has three other restaurants in southern New Jersey, I was surprised this restaurant was not a tighter run ship, so to speak. I regret to say, there won’t be a second trip to Akira.

I am not the biggest sushi fan, but I do occasionally like to try something different. I will assume by the first review that opening night did not go so well. However, the meal I had there this past Thursday night was incredibly good! Dining companion and I were promptly greeted by a friendly host and seated quickly. The bar area of the restaurant was very «New York Lounge», with a very cool looking bar and lighting. The waitress we had was very nice and attentive. We sat near the sushi counter where the «artists» created some of the most spectacular presentations I had ever seen! (and like I said, I’m not the worlds biggest sushi fan). The waitress recommended the sushi «pizza» which was very good and had lots of flavor. I will order this again! Also, the samurai roll was very tasty and well presented. (I too will order this again). Because my eyes were too big for my stomach I also ordered the Akira Red Curry with chicken. Lots of spicy coconut flavor! Dining companion had a Tuna Avocado Salad which was nothing special really. Although the Tuna was of very high quality and the whole salad was presented well, I would recommend trying something more exciting. A glass of wine and a Grey Goose martini to complete the picture and the tab came out around $ 74 (before tip, which I tipped well for the excellent service). The previous comment regarding price is I think a little unfair. This is not your local homogenized Chinese Food restaurant where different combos of food slathered with (what tastes like) the same old sauce is all about, nor will you get the $ 6.95 combo meal. This is sushi people and good quality sushi and preparation costs a little more money. But isn’t having fresh seafood (especially raw sushi) worth it? I can’t comment about the Hibachi table in a separate area of the restaurant as I wanted sushi that night, but if it is anything like the food and service I had I’m sure that it will be just as good. That will be my next adventure! All I can say is, look out Ichiban… there’s a new guy in town!

This restaurant just opened last week, so the previous review is a little unfair considering she was there on the restaurant’s first Friday night. I would think a long wait would be expected.
My husband and I grabbed a drink at the bar last Sunday night and had great service. We decided to give their food a shot the next night and ordered take-​out. While the ingredients were fresh and the flavors were good, the prices were too high. Sushi and soup for two ran $ 46.
Overall, I thought it was a nice looking interior and a good spot to catch a drink. There is nothing else like this in Glenmont. If you don’t feel like driving into Albany for cheaper sushi/​hibachi and want to have a nice, albeit expensive night out, this is a great option.

Poor service, food not that great, LONG WAIT 6pm on a Friday night. Never again.