Akari Express

Was looking for a place to get hibachi chicken during finals. Price was average for what I would expect hibachi chicken to cost. The location is ideal if you are an NC State student.
The guy that took my order was extremely kind and was very helpful since it was my first time eating there. That probably got them an extra star.
The chicken was kind of bland and wasn’t cooked like the chicken I’ve had at other hibachi restaurants. The rice looked, honestly, like something I would make at home and I’ve had horrible experiences cooking rice. If I was really craving hibachi again I would probably eat here again but this didn’t jump out at me as a new favorite.
Overall, for the price and location this place isn’t bad. The staff was super nice and the food isn’t terrible — it just isn’t great.

Came here to try the Beef Noodle Soup based off reviews. It’s alright! If you like hot sauce, add it to your soup for more flavor! The staff was really nice and didn’t have to wait long.

I don’t feel that This restaurant is not really Japanese (I have a lot of experience eating japanese food). I had chicken and rice with vegetables for lunch. Quality and taste was pretty low in my opinion. I will probably not visit again.

A quiet, no frills family operated Japanese restaurant with friendly staff and good takeout food for decent prices. Other reviewers seem to take issue with their sushi, but I’m not really a sushi guy. When I go to a Japanese restaurant I prefer things like hibachi and udon. This is a good place to go on a cold day to order a hot cup of miso soup. I’ll definitely return.

Great express habachi. Fast service. Nice size meat/​well cooked. Quality sauces. I will be back.

Had a general tso’s crave and due to the poor selection around NCSU, I was worried where to go. Then I remembered the wonderful review below that called the Tso’s THE BEST EVER and while I don’t agree with that, we went on a Friday and it was the special, and we were not disappointed. A very bold, flavor filled experience, with just the right amount of crisp and a generous portion of food. I barely touched the vegetables since that’s me, but top notch fried rice. worked perfectly. impeccable service as well, and they have mello yello. an excellent meal for $ 8.07 on a Friday night. will be returning to try the soups and other hibachi dishes, as others have prescribed.

Have been struggling to find a local Japanese restaurant that provided a good value for the amount and quality of food that you get. Akari express has finally met that need for me. The food is delicious, basic –but if you are looking for Japanese food that is inexpensive and good for a quick takeout meal then you will be pleased.

Its not fancy by any means but my boyfriend and I enjoy grabbing our food to go from there. We usually get a mix of the hibachi (chicken, steak and shrimp) are all good. They cut the fat off their meat, some places we have been has chunks of fat mixed in. I also like the way they cook their rice and vegetables which is another big thing for me. We really enjoy their food, its one of the best cheap grab and go hibachi places we have found so far.

Standards for hibachi and sushi in this city (or at least in this part of the city) must be fairly low. That’s the only way I can explain how consistently busy this place is. The sushi (they only serve maki, if I remember correctly) is below average (then again, so is the price), and the hibachi is so-​so; the meat isn’t bad, but it’s a little bland, and the vegetables are terribly overcooked and of poor quality.
The one thing I do like (thankfully; since my friends like coming here) is the steak udon soup. The cubes of steak are tender and lean, and the veggies in the soup are somehow not overcooked the way they are in the hibachi.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer kudos for the service here. The staff is very friendly and hard-​working, and for some random reason they’re often giving away free bananas :-).

This little Japanese place is right across the street from the bottom of the NCSU campus. I figured they would have cheap and hearty food, and I was right. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t the best Japanese I’ve had in the area. If you’re in a pinch and need to scratch the Japanese itch, this will do … but if you’ve got the time and money, you’ll be well served to keep looking.

I’ll admit, I go here regularly because it’s close to work, but I would probably cross town for this small family-​owned diner. The menu is basic, beef, chicken or shrimp with noodles or rice, sushi, and a few other odds and ends. The real standout for me recently has been the beef noodle soup which seems to be a favorite with the Asian State students.
The product is always fresh is cooked to order and rolls over quickly with the regular student traffic. If the menu is too much trouble, you can’t go wrong with the daily specials on window.

I eat there A LOT! … that is all you need to know
sushi is moderately priced and the NC state roll and Geisha roll are very delicious! MUST try
as for the other rolls, they are typical and yes maybe not the #1 sushi in Raleigh but pretty damn awesome for a hole in the wall
The hibachi steak and terriyaki chicken are also really good, and great for a budget…
and finally
GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN … best ever (not exaggerating— crispy AND spicy and yummy)… this is one thing you MUST try, if you are tired of looking for decent general tso’s …look no further because this will rock your world
also the chef (Micheal) is an award winning Taiwanese chef so definitely worth it

If there are worser places to have sushi in Raleigh, I think I must flee from here.
I believed this place had potential and they had Monday’s ‘Buy one roll get one half off’. What a mistake! The rolls have too much rice on them and a sliver of fish. And they’re not even cheap!
I didn’t try their kitchen dishes, but I don’t think I’ll even think of this place. Don’t think of me as a snob, but I have seen cheaper sushi taste better than this.

I have to disagree with Luke on this one. Sure the sushi is cheap, but it’s not that bad. He’s right, there’s better in the area, but two stars is really a bit low.
The rolls I’ve had have all been quality and the fish seemed fresh enough. The only thing I can fault Akari on is atmosphere, but then again it doesn’t dream of being more than the typical take out sushi place. Still, there is definitely worse take out sushi to be had in Raleigh.

Akari, the Japanese word for light. Express, the English word for express. Early in my Raleigh-​dining days I tried this place out under the pretense that it had cheap sushi. This in itself is a dangerous beast; cheap high quality sushi is a blessing but cheap low-​quality sushi is a bane to the gastrointestinal tract. Their sushi was passable, as were their prices; it’s also fun to watch them make it. I find myself wondering what an authentic, classically trained sushi chef would think of the fast-​foodening of sushi at the hands of foreigners («Baka gaijin,» no doubt)? If you want cheap sushi I recommend Sushi Thai; if you want pricey but elegant sushi I would direct you to Sushi Tsune or Waraji. If you want to roll out of your dorm-​room bed, put on your cat ears and listen to J-​Pop as you walk to the closest place to get sushi from you, I suppose you could do worse.