Akarui — Restaurant in Sydney

I came here because I wanted to eat Japanese food, but I was surprised to see Korean dishes like bibimbap and pajeon on the menu. The name and sign make it look like a Japanese restaurant, but the menu creates confusion.

The fact that this restaurant uses a Japanese name and sign, making customers believe it is purely Japanese while actually serving Korean food, causes confusion for consumers. In particular, foreigners who have never encountered Korean food may come to see it as Japanese food.

As a Korean, I find this unpleasant. Even ChatGPT recommended this place to me as a Japanese restaurant. I like Korean food of course, and I also enjoy Japanese food very much, but I believe each should be presented honestly and clearly distinguished. Selling both cuisines is possible, but using a Japanese name while serving Korean food creates confusion and misleads customers. It does not matter whether the owner is Japanese or Korean — I respectfully request that Korean food not be presented as if it were Japanese food.

For these reasons, we decided not to dine here. I hope the restaurant will clarify its identity...

I visited Akarui today and wanted to share a few thoughts for anyone considering it. While the name and menu suggest a Japanese restaurant, it's actually a Korean-run eatery with a Japanese-inspired menu. The shop itself is small, cozy, and run by a friendly husband-and-wife team, which adds a nice personal touch.

That said, if you're looking for authentic Japanese food, you might be a little surprised. The food is okay — not bad, but not outstanding either. And while many diners have left glowing reviews, I didn’t feel it lived up to the hype.

Also, a heads-up: if you're considering the sashimi, I’d recommend being a bit cautious, as the setup doesn’t give the same level of confidence you'd expect from a place that specializes in raw seafood.

Overall, it’s a decent local spot, but go in with the right...

Ate here because of their good reviews but was mostly disappointed. Service is very slow, took well over 30 mins to get some food. Had agadashi tofu to start which was v good, we shared different sushi dishes after and their sushi is bad. The most important part of sushi is the rice and theirs was terrible, mushy and not an enjoyable taste. The quality of some of the salmon was questionable too. Karage was ok. Looking around at other tables they seem to cook hot dishes well but are poor...