I love Japanese food, so I'm really happy I got to sample some of the food from Akari that they'll be serving at the Taste of El Paso!

I met up with Digital Queen Lauren today, and Luis, the director at Akari on Mesa, set us up with some fantastic appetizers and sushi rolls.

First up was the Mixed Yakimeshi bowl, with shrimp, steak and chicken. It was good fried rice, and wasn't skimpy on the meats, either. Then the Pechugitas Karai came out, which is sort of an orange-glazed sweet and sour chicken appetizer. Really good, not too sweet, not too sour. This was one of our favorite things on the table. You have to get this.

Next up came some rolls, the Tempura Roll and the Pink Roll. These aren't short little rolls that leave you hungry, they're longer than other rolls I've had elsewhere and full of flavor. Luis said Akari will have at least ten different rolls at the Taste of El Paso you can try, and they're really good.

The last thing that came to us was the Ebi Rock Tempura, a tempura shrimp dish with a creamy sauce that has a unique flavor I haven't had before. You'll have to come to the restaurant and try this out for yourself. We brought some of it back to the station and everyone loved it, so of course it didn't last long!

The restaurant is very nice inside, with a lot of paper lamps, room for you to enjoy your meal, and a full bar! It's in a great location at 5380 N. Mesa at Festival.

Akari Hours:
Monday - Wednesday 11am - 10pm
Thursday - Saturday 11am - 11pm
Sunday 1pm - 10pm

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