Akasaka Korean& Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Central Milton Keynes

This was our second visit to Akasaka for dinner. Last time we shared some sushi but then had main dishes each (I had the chicken katsu curry, which was just ok), and although the mains were fine, the sushi was so so much better, so this time we ordered just sushi for our mains, and it was amazing and exactly what we were hoping for!

From the appetisers we ordered salty Edemame and the deep fried chicken thighs. Both were lovely, and there was a good sized portion of each! The thighs were incredibly hot, obviously straight out of the fryer, so so be careful!

For mains we chose 4 sushi rolls (you get 6 rolls per portion): prawn tempura, soft shell crab, bulgogi and eel. All were amazing, lovely presentation and great sized rolls! The eel was so lovely and was a very close second favourite of the night (if you’ve never had eel you should try it - it’s just a soft and delicate fish (no skin don’t worry and it doesn’t resemble an eel at all), and the pairing of that with avocado in the roll was really spot on!). The soft shell crab was both of our favourite out of the 4 - the crispy crab inside the roll was such a nice sensation to eat, as most sushi rolls tend to be soft rather than crispy so it was lovely that they managed to keep the soft shell crab crispy! The prawn tempura rolls are really really good, and the bulgogi was a first for us - it’s a Korean bbq style beef, very tiny soft pieces in the roll. Very tasty and a nice change from the other rolls that were all seafood. We found 4 portions of rolls (24 total) was plenty to leave us both very full! They average about £10 per portion, so was roughly £40ish for our mains for 2, which I think is great value for such amazing sushi. The appetisers are cheaper than the sushi rolls, I think our chicken thighs were about £6.50 which is great value, and the edemame were £3.50 ish. So all in we spent just over £50 for 2 for 2 courses, and it was very much worth it.

The one ‘complaint’ I have is that the drinks, in my opinion, leave a lot to be desired, which is a shame. For alcoholic drinks there are wines, beers and Saki. But no spirits and no cocktails - I feel like the restaurant would do some good trade if they were able to offer some more interesting and varied drinks. The same goes for no -alcoholic drinks - the choices are water, coke, sprite and orange and apple juice I believe. I would’ve liked a mocktail or something a bit more interesting, but as nothing appealed to either of us, we just had water. Which is fine for the cost, but as we’d checked the menu before coming here, we’d known there wasn’t anything appealing to drink, so we had gone to a nearby cocktail bar for our drinks before the meal, as we were celebrating our anniversary and wanted some interesting cocktails and mocktails (I can’t currently drink alcohol). Which is a shame as I would much rather have given the trade (and money) to Akasaka instead. Again, it wouldn’t put me off returning at all - the sushi here is the star of the show! - but it would be nice to have some Interesting drinks here.

The restaurant, once you get inside, is nice and cosy, though I do always find the location surprising as it’s basically inside an office block, but it kind of makes it feel a bit like a well-kept secret location! There are pretty pink blossom trees inside with fairy lights and large ceiling lanterns. It’s definitely more casual, but if you were dressed up for a date night, you wouldn’t feel silly either. (The annoying thing about coming in the main entrance is that you have to pass the restaurant Melis, a Turkish restaurant that clearly does a lot of chargrilling, and the smoke from the grill is pumped out and down onto the pavement area where the door to the building to get to Akasaka is. This is nothing to do with Akasaka, but just walking through that thick smoke in 10 seconds made my hair then smell of the smoke all evening. It’s really very bad and I’m surprised MK council ‘allows’ it rather than it being vented upwards and away from people.)

Highly...

We did go with wife and daughter to a korean & japanaese restaurant we tried 2 years ago in MK. Here my honest review!

If you’re even remotely into Japanese or Korean cuisine and you haven’t visited Akasaka Korean & Japanese Restaurant in Milton Keynes yet—drop everything and go. Now. This place is not just a restaurant; it’s a full-blown experience that delights every sense and leaves you absolutely craving more.

From the moment you step through the door, the ambiance hits you like a warm hug—elegant, modern, and buzzing with life. The team at Akasaka has mastered the balance between upscale dining and a welcoming, down-to-earth vibe. The décor is sleek with thoughtful nods to both Korean and Japanese culture, and the subtle aromas drifting from the kitchen promise something special before you even crack open the menu.

And oh, the menu. Wow. You can tell immediately that this isn’t your average Pan-Asian spot trying to cover everything—this is a restaurant that lives and breathes authenticity. Every dish feels like it’s been crafted with love, passion, and culinary excellence. Whether you’re a sushi connoisseur, a ramen addict, or a Korean BBQ fan, Akasaka has you covered—and then some.

Let’s talk about the sushi first. It’s genuinely some of the best I’ve had outside of Tokyo. Incredibly fresh, beautifully presented, and bursting with flavour. The sashimi slices are like delicate works of art, and their Dragon Roll is a must-try—layered with eel and avocado, it melts in your mouth like magic. Every bite is a revelation.

Then comes the Korean BBQ—holy smokes. The Bulgogi is rich and sweet with the perfect amount of sesame, and the Galbi (marinated short ribs) are juicy, tender, and grilled to absolute perfection. The staff were super helpful in guiding us through the menu and made brilliant recommendations. The banchan (those glorious little Korean side dishes) were plentiful and spot-on—from the kimchi to the pickled radish and sweet potato, each one added a new layer of flavour to the meal.

Don’t even get me started on the Bibimbap—served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, it came out bubbling and beautiful. The mixture of rice, vegetables, egg, and beef with that punchy gochujang sauce was an explosion of textures and taste. Every spoonful felt like a celebration!

The service? Five-star. Every member of the team was attentive, friendly, and genuinely passionate about the food they serve. You can feel that they take pride in what they do, and it adds a whole new level of enjoyment to the meal. It’s that rare kind of service that makes you feel like a VIP while still being completely relaxed.

Whether you're planning a date night, a family meal, or just treating yourself to something special—Akasaka in Milton Keynes is hands-down THE place to go. I’m already planning my next visit, and honestly, I can’t recommend it enough.

Akasaka isn’t just a meal—it’s a journey. And trust me, it’s one you’ll want to take...

Very polite staff, but no clue how to handle complaints - we are 99% sure we got food poisoning from a takeaway from this place. It was my birthday weekend and my wife suggested this place instead of getting supermarket sushi. So we ordered the deluxe sushi set with spicy california rolls, agadashi tofu, and tuna avocado roll. We picked it up and were impressed by the busy and cosy restaurant tucked away inside Exchange House. We got the sushi home and were disappointed to see that the tofu didnt have any dipping sauce, and there was no Wasabi included in the sushi. My wife had to leave some of the tuna as it was stringy and fatty - not something I have ever experienced before.

That was Saturday night. Sunday passed without much incident until Sunday night when my wife had nausea and I was also feeling a bit iffy. My friend who was visiting had to take the day off work due to poisoning. I had to leave work early due to tummy problems. I rang the restaurant that night and explained what we think happened. The poor guy didn't really know what to do so consulted what we think was a manager, who had to talk to the owner and get back to us. I explained we were disappointed with the experience and wanted to know what the owner's response would be. Would there be any sign of goodwill - or apology. We wanted to order it again but would the owner recognise our suffering with some kind of discount or incentive to order again and give it another try?

Answer, not really. They said the sushi came from large pieces of fish and noone else had complained, regarding the missing sauce and wasabi they were very sorry but again no discount. I don't really buy that because regardless of where the fish came from if it was mishandled for our order or cross contamination occurred that would explain why we were the only ones who got sick that night. Also the fact they missed out the sauce and wasabi (like missing out the salt on fish and chips? so annoying! ) tells me the order was rushed.

So in short, we wont be using this place again and would warn others to check their take out orders to make sure everything is included and when you get home inspect thoroughly. If it the fish is a bit wiffy or doesn't look fresh don't eat it. Send it back.

This place needs to learn how to handle complaints a little better before it becomes a proper 5 star...