Akina Sushi and Hibachi, steak hibachi dish with a side of sauce
If you happen to stumble upon a place called Akina Sushi and Hibachi after eating a big meal, do not go inside.
I made that mistake after a friend I hadn’t seen in a while invited me to dinner. It was an invitation I couldn’t refuse. There was only one problem: I had finished a giant bowl of pasta about 30 minutes before he called me.
I decided to go anyway.
My friend wanted to try Akina Sushi and Hibachi in North Syracuse. Naturally, I looked up the menu before we went. To my surprise, it was much cheaper than I expected. I was even more surprised when I learned it was an all-you-can-eat restaurant.
The dinner special cost only $25.99 and gave me the option to choose from more than 65 dishes—as many times as I wanted. Under normal circumstances, that would have been great news. These were not normal circumstances.
The meal
I started with miso soup and an order of pork gyoza. My friend looked at me like I was crazy for not ordering more, but I knew I needed to pace myself.
He apparently felt no such concern.
My friend started his night with three orders of hibachi steak and fried rice. That might sound like a lot of food, and you would be correct. Somehow, it was only the beginning of his meal.
After I finished my “appetizers,” the waitress returned and asked what I wanted next. I decided to try some of the hibachi steak nonsense my friend had ordered, along with two sushi rolls: a Philadelphia roll and my favorite, a salmon-avocado roll.
Now, I did mention that I had eaten a giant bowl of pasta before this, right? Good. I’m glad you remembered, because I certainly didn’t when I placed that second order.
Once the food arrived, I immediately realized that finishing all three dishes was going to be a struggle. Still, I was shocked by how good the hibachi steak tasted. It was juicy, tender and served with a side of yum-yum sauce that tasted similar to spicy mayo.
The sushi rice was cooked well, and the fish tasted fresh. Was it the best sushi I had ever eaten? No. But for $25.99, it was much better than I expected. I was eating two of my favorite foods—steak and sushi—without completely destroying my bank account.
The warning came too late
By the time I finished the steak and moved on to my second sushi roll, I was completely stuffed. I couldn’t even think about taking another bite.
That was when my friend finally decided to tell me that the restaurant charges customers extra for every piece of food left on the plate.
I looked at him with complete betrayal.
The food was great. Our conversation was going even better. But none of that mattered anymore. Sitting in front of me was a Philadelphia roll filled with cream cheese, avocado and fresh tuna—and I had to finish it while trying to keep everything else down.
So, yes, Akina Sushi and Hibachi is affordable, and the food is surprisingly good. Just do yourself a favor: arrive hungry, order slowly and never trust a friend who waits until the end of the meal to explain the leftover policy.
