Aikia Steak House

Went on Christmas eve at approximately 630 place was pretty empty. We stood at the entrance for a few minutes waiting for seating and were ignored by the host until the manager came over and asked if we wanted to sit for the hibachi. We said that we would and were told the wait was 5 to 10 minutes. We thought that strange as several of the hibachi tables were open. After about 20 minutes we were finally seated. Again we waited an extended period of time from the ordering taking to the actual cooking of the meal which was strange as previously stated the venue was nearly empty. The chef though nice was did not have all the orders prepared when he arrived and had to return to the kitchen on 2 seperate occasions. Overall the food was fine but the service was plain horrendous. Went here last year for Christmas eve and was completely satisfied. Not so this year and we will not be returning again.

Looked good going in, but that did not last long. Hibachi chef near our table got careless with the cooking oil and the resulting flame set off the fire alarm. Cook ignored it and kept on cooking. Alarm lasted for awhile until the fire department arrived.
You would have thought that the restaurant would have offered something to apologize for the commotion and inconvenience — we got NOTHING.
We ordered sushi which was pretty fresh. There was no pork for Tonkawa, which is my favorite Japanese meal. Though there was no crowd. The fried rice was tasteless. I ordered the steak priced at $ 22 and got less than a ounce of meat. It was nothing special, hardly any flavor. It was supposed to be my birthday celebration — turned out to be a totally disappointing.
If you only want sushi, then it is a good place. Anything else, then, leave, do not enter, find somewhere else to go.

Good food, TERRIBLE service, overpriced…
We went to Aikia for a late dinner on a Saturday night (8pm or so). When we got there, the place was almost empty (that should have been a warning). They sat us at an empty hibachi table and let us know that there would be an additional $ 5 surcharge since I would be the only hibachi meal at the table, which we were OK with.
Here’s where things take an ugly turn. We sat around for what seemed like forever just to put in our drinks & app order, in the meantime another couple was seated at our hibachi table (great, no surcharge right?). All night long we felt like we needed to get up and go FIND a waiter if we needed something — they were more interested in what was on the TV in the bar than their customers. And we had to chase them down just to get the bill.
All in all, the food we ate was good, but not nearly worth the price they charged. We spent over $ 100 for 2 wines, 2 beers, 2 apps & 2 entrees — nothing fancy, or special. Best of all, they left the $ 5 surcharge on the bill, even though we shared the table! Not to mention, the ambiance could use a huge pick-​me-​up.
For the price, I expected a whole lot more…

First time at this restaurant but I’m quite an adept of Hibachi!
To start we get to our table and my chair had wood pieces sticking out quite a hazard. I change my chair and this one seems broken (just my luck). The place looked clean and the hostess was nice.
The place offers private rooms and large tables for big parties.
Mojitos being my favorite drink I ordered one, to my surprise it tasted like cucumber and there was no fizzy water or club soda in it. I don’t know if it was a Japanese /​Chinese thing but I was quite surprised.
The hibachi was fun the chef was very entertaining and invited the guest to join in the fun with him. But he was very insistent on squirting sake in my mouth after I clearly said no 3 TIMES. He even squirted sake on my dress.
The food was good though but with HUGE portions I couldn’t finish my plate.
Overall it was a good experience but the place is a little pricey.

Went for a great persons birthday and they made our night! So awesome. It’s a horrible location but it needs to have more people see how amazing it is. Try it. You’ll love and adore it.

This is a fun place for dinner. I feel like all hibachi places are created equal aside from the ones that aren’t very clean. This one is very clean and the staff is rather pleasant. The drinks at the bar are very generous!

We went here in March for my birthday dinner and I was not at all disappointed! It was delicious. The restaurant is clean and the staff was very attentive. We sat in a cute and cozy table, that had doors that could be closed for more privacy. It was perfect!
I ordered the filet mignon dinner that was delicious! The meat was so tender and seasoned beautifully. My husband was equally pleased with his meal and the California roll we ordered was also delicious. We will definitely be going back!

Love it! We go all the time! There always seems to be a groupon out there. The service is excellent, the drinks are strong. The sushi is really fresh. Sit at the sushi bar 9 out of 10 times the sushi chef will toss you some extras! My kids love the hibachi tables, the chefs are awesome, animated and fun!

I went to Aikia twice this past week. Having not been there for a few years, I was actually surprised when a friend suggested we meet there for sushi. The first time it was my son’s birthday and we went for the Hibachi Show. Honestly, I didn’t even remember they had a bar, a sushi bar, tatami rooms, etc. We kind of went in and out just for the show.
This past Thursday, I met my friend at the bar for sushi. Roger was our more than attentive bartender/​server. He was really nice and smiled the entire time. My friend’s family doesn’t eat Japanese, so his comments would be skewed for sure!
I got the menu and ordered up. But first I walked over to the sushi chef to ask what he thought looked particularly good. He said everything was looking great, but in particular the Hamachi and Scallops. So I went back to the bar and ordered several items with those in them. Rolls, sushi and sashimi. It was all fantastic and very reasonably priced. We then met Kenny the owner (also owns Fresh Taste of Asia in Salem). He was very cordial and happy we were enjoying ourselves. However, I think it was pretty obvious given our smiles and laughter. Great food, great experience.
Then my 12 year old who has been eating sushi since he was 3 wanted to go out for lunch. I have three sons and try to take each one out for a little one on one time. He wanted to sit in a tatami room. He had a bento box with teriyaki salmon and I had a sushi sashimi plate. And then our waiter came over and it was Roger! (Who also saw me come in and gave me a big smile and wave from a distance) He greeted me warmly and introduced himself to my son. The food and service was fantastic. As we left, my son said «The private rooms are a great way to eat. You really have nothing to do but talk to the person in front of you.» Well said.

It is walking distance from my house so that earns it bonus points. I’m never impressed when we eat in. The portions always seem small or just not that great and the service always seem off. They always feel understaffed no matter how many people are there. Though I really like the sushi it is fresh and tasty. We always order a bunch of special rolls for take out. Quality ingredients, perfectly cooked rice and plenty of seafood options. Definitely our go to sushi place in salem/​Swampscott.

I loved this place when it first opened. The inside layout is such that there are hibachi grills in the main part of the restaurant, and private cubicles with sliding doors on the side. The chefs created meals with great care and there were actually Japanese waitresses who understood how to provide great and attentive service.
However, the staff has changed over time, service declined, and the food is so-​so, so I stopped going.
However, recently someone had gotten me a Groupon (2 – 1 hibachi) as a gift. There was no one to seat us at the entrance and no one came to the front for five minutes. So eventually I walked to the bartender who was the only visible staff member. He pretended not to notice us waiting, so I had to actually ask him if someone would seat us, and the bartender proceeded to seat us himself. At this point, I would have normally just found another place to eat, but I had a Groupon to spend.
After another five minutes, a waitress came to take our order. Since we were getting hibachi, we had to wait for a hibachi chef to come. During this time, another two parties came in and were seated at our hibachi table. Finally, the chef came — another ten minutes later.
The waitress never brought out our white rice and never came by during the meal to ask if we needed anything. So we had a hibachi meal with no rice. Luckily, I am trying to cut down on the carbs anyway.
There was no heat in the restaurant and I overhead the waitress saying it was broken when another customer asked about it. I suspect the restaurant is actually having financial troubles (probably because of the 1 star service) and trying to save on the cost of heat.
Hopefully they will go out of business and get acquired by someone who actually knows how to run a restaurant and provide a decent service. The décor and facilities are A+, but the service is intolerable. I am not going back there until there are new owners, or perhaps if I want takeout.

The food was unbelievable. I had the hibachi chicken and shrimp. The heat was no on however and it was so freezing I couldn’t take my jacket off. They had also sat us pretty much next to the door, not the best decision on a 2 degree day.

The first time we ate here, it was great! The Snowy Mountain sushi roll is to die for. Everything went fine, we didn’t sit at the hibachi tables, just in the tables near the bar. I ordered the fried rice and my husband ordered their version of General Tso’s (spelling, is obviously wrong) chicken. We both left fat and happy.
The second time we went, the hostess seated us in one of the booths with the doors. I’m not sure if they forgot we were in there or what, but we waited 10 minutes before anyone came over to ask us what we’d like to drink. By that time I was ready to leave and just go to Panera. So I was on the verge of grabbing my jacket when the bartender realized we were sitting there and asked us if we’d like drinks. So we ended up each ordering a drink and decided to just wait it out since we were both starving anyways. So the bartender delivered our drinks and we waited another 10 minutes for someone to come over for our food order. This was after an older man had walked by and noticed us sitting there. I’m sure we looked irritated, well, I did at least. So then a few minutes after that is when a young lady came rushing over to take our order. So we ordered our food which was on par with the previous visit. Then it took about another 15 minutes for the whole process of getting our check and paying.
It’s sad, I really want to like this place but I’m not sure I want to go back as we found another sushi location in Salem that was actually punctual.

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m a big fan of hibachi. Dishes are always fresh — cooked and served right in front of you, so you know what you’re getting. It’s a great place to go with a family or a group. The chefs keep things interesting and are always exciting with their cooking tricks. The food is always full of flavor.
The only thing about Aikia that I don’t like — it’s always freezing cold in there. Bring a jacket!

We’ve eaten here a couple of times and have never been disappointed. Before going out we checked the recent Unilocal reviews and were concerned about the ever shrinking sushi portions and the
gc issues. When we arrived there was a sign in the door clearly indicating they no longer accept the gc’s.
We each got miso soup. For something that is pretty cheap to make I was expecting more than a tiny cup.
Veggie tempura app was good. Included some acorn squash (excellent) and mashed red bliss potatoes??? I should have asked what it was, but it looked like it and had the same starchiness taste. Those weren’t so great.
Or main course was entirely sushi. All of it was fresh, delicious and huge. Maybe the owners or chefs read the reviews on here because the pieces were big.
Prices are a little on the high side, but not crazy. Good quality and size — good deal if you’re in this neck of the woods

Check your GPS on this one. My GPS sent me to the Whole Food Market further down the road. (It’s on the same side of the road about 600 feet north from there in a plaza.)
Pros:
The aesthetics are very appealing with clean black counter/​tabletops, nice wooden booths, great lighting, and awesome grills!
THE FOOD IS EXCELLENT! Those chefs really know how to cook!
The chefs are just as talented as most Hibatchi grill chefs, so you won’t be dissapointed with their dexterious acrobatics and silly jokes!
Cons:
The only downside (sort of) were the waitresses. They did take my order but offered the bare minimum of customer service, which made me feel like they didn’t care I was there. It’s not a deal breaker (I’d definitely go again) but if they could put a little more effort into communication (i.e. taking time to communicate the order and smiling more) I would have given this place 5 stars.

When entering Aikia, you are greeted first by a big barrel of sake before you come upon the dining room which consists of several Hibachi tables, a bar, some small, screened Tatami rooms that appear to accommodate about 4 guests each, and a few more small tables across from those. On your right, toward the rear of the restaurant, are two Hibachi tables in a private function room, closed off by sliding glass doors.
The restaurant’s décor consists of dark woods and stones accented with some faux bamboo, geisha dolls tucked in small nooks in the wall, and some rather out-​of-​place LED lights over the sushi bar and adorning a small volcanic stone fountain. Some of the walls behind the Hibachi tables are scuffed and marked, most probably from the chefs’ carts, but someone either needs to put plastic protectors on the those portions of the walls, rubber bumpers on the carts, or repaint the walls more frequently. If you notice it, it’s a bit of an eyesore.
As of August 24^th of this year, the men’s bathroom was nicely designed but poorly maintained with now-​antiquated fixtures. A mirror was missing over one of the two sinks. Neither the toilets nor the soap dispenser’ were automatic, and the soap was a liquid, not the more modern foam. Only the towel machine was automatic and, although it was perhaps the quietest automatic machine I’ve encountered, it was not so speedy in its delivery.
The menu has a hint of «Asian fusion» flare but is mostly your choice of sushi or Hibachi, and there is a variety of fine choices for either option.
The mushroom soup was a nice start, the salad was crisp and fresh, and the ginger dressing was not your usual watery, runny, ginger dressing. The Hibachi meal I ordered of filet mignon and lobster tail, which includes rice and vegetables, was also packed with flavor and quite enjoyable, however, the usual steak and seafood sauces that accompany the meal were weak and watery. For dessert, the red bean ice cream tempura, though fried, was still partly frozen at the center when it was delivered to me, which made it unnecessarily difficult to eat.
The chef’s spatula-​twirling skills were impressive, and his knife flourish before sheathing it was something worthy of feature in a Kurosawa film. He seemed to have a bit of difficulty lighting the customary onion volcano, and I’ve never been a fan of the «pee-​pee» squirter gag, but I did enjoy the wooden train whistle that the chef employed as well as his «made in China» joke when he cracked the egg. His skills were further demonstrated in his ability to toss pieces of food into guests’ mouths, which, contrary to popular belief, is more about the chef’s aim than the guests’ ability to catch the food. This is all in addition to the fact that he served up some very good Hibachi.
Chopsticks do not come standard, though they should. I find it a bit condescending to be given a fork and knife at an Asian restaurant as though I were some uncultured Westerner who can’t use the appropriate utensils for the given cuisine. They did have chopsticks, however, as I saw other patrons using them.
Our server was very friendly though surprisingly slow and inattentive considering how quiet the restaurant was. The green tea I ordered before I even ordered my meal arrived only after the soup and the salad, and it came with a tea bag. A tea bag in a Japanese restaurant? That just doesn’t sit right with me. If your restaurant has to use a tea bag, at least conceal that truth from me, please.
Our server was also very slow clearing our empty bowls from the soup and salad from the table. A good server should be attentive and whisk away anything and everything with which you are done so that your eating space does not feel congested. To her credit though, she was present more towards the end of the meal to refill my tea with water.
Once the other party at our Hibachi table left, another server starting vacuuming on the other side of our table while we were still finishing our meal. Although her intentions were good, she should have waited until we had also left the table. It’s very important to keep the restaurant clean, but her timing was inappropriate. This was poor server management. Upon leaving, our waitress bid us farewell. This was, and always is, a nice touch.
For this kind of experience, expect to pay about 21% more per item than you would at Tokyo on Route 114 in Peabody, which is, in this reviewer’s opinion, one of the better Japanese restaurants in New England and a far better value. If the value doesn’t matter to you and you just need a quick fix, Aikia will suffice, but you could probably do better elsewhere.

ROACH ALERT!
Our somewhat pleasant experience (with the exception of our server forgetting our drinks) was overshadowed immediately by the roach that crawled across our to-​go bag at the end of our visit. No wonder why this restaurant was merely sparsely populated upon our 6pm arrival!

Neither a steakhouse nor Japanese, this place is basically an abortion of a suburban strip mall restaurant.
The sushi was dried out and bad. If there’s a pet store in this strip mall, this must be where they recycle their goldfishes that don’t sell. The menu is all over the place with random Japanesey sounding dishes and extra sugary renditions of Chinese things. I was in the mood for a steak but this «steakhouse» couldn’t oblige.
The service is slooowwwww. Took forever to take our orders.
They also do the hibachi thing where a grizzled old timer cranks out the carnival routine just like he’s been doing for years. Hey, he made a volcano out of an onion! Amazing! Yeah. Might be all right for a young kid.

I’ve been to alot of Japanese restaurants and I’ve never had an experience like this. The staff was fantastic! Very friendly and fun!
The sushi was very good. Everyone seemed to enjoy the hibachi and the portions were enormous! The drinks were also delicious. I felt like I got a ton for my money.
What capped the evening: The owner came over at the end of our meal and apologized for not greeting us earlier. He asked how our food was and offered a round of sake bombs to close the evening! It was a simple gesture but all of us agreed we had never experienced anything like it.