Akami Omakase — Restaurant in Brookline

I'm glad this was my first omakase in the Boston area! Although the fish wasn't quite as good as omakase elsewhere (a few courses in particular), it was still a very decent experience at a much more affordable price point.

We did the $109 per person "premium omakase" and were luckily seated at the sushi bar, rather than the dining tables in the back. We had 16 courses (10 nigiri, 2 hand rolls, 3 other, and dessert), which were:

(I can't eat shellfish, so there are a handful of substitutions. I also always appreciate the staff calling in advance to confirm what I can or cannot eat!)

Egg with dashi, ikura (extra ikura to sub for ebi) White fish sashimi (2) in yuzu Salmon sashimi (2), regular and red Shime saba (mackerel) sashimi (2) with daikon: I don't usually like mackerel, but this impressed me by not being too overwhelming! Hamachi (amberjack) nigiri: really good Sea bream nigiri: also really good Hirame (fluke) nigiri with yuzu ponzu: the fish had a chewier texture than what you'd expect Shima aji (stripe jack) nigiri with chinese skin with pico yuzu: thinner than the hirame Hamachi belly nigiri (sub for squid): again, really good Sea bass nigiri (sub for scallop): mustard-y sauce that really stood out in contrast to all the yuzu Spanish akami nigiri with french wasabi: sweet with a very little kick Tuna handroll: was given to diners out at a time to ensure the seaweed stayed crispy, with a flavor that really stood out Otoro nigiri with truffle: exceptional! Salmon belly nigiri (sub for botan ebi): again, really good Unagi hand roll with rice pop: also really good Matcha mochi + ice cream

As you can tell, I thought many of the courses were really good. I was slightly disappointed by the salmon, which is usually my favorite, which wasn't of the quality that I was expecting and didn't have anything special done to it to make it stand out. My favorites were the hamachi (amberjack), akami, otoro, and hand rolls.

Before coming, I saw a few other reviews (on Yelp) that gave extraordinarily low ratings for the use of wasabi. I was astonished, because while many of the courses indeed used wasabi, the kick wasn't strong at all, and it certainly wasn't overwhelmingly present. I'm assuming that those diners seldom eat food from other cultures.

The service staff were also excellent, making small talk as we arrived and consistently refilling my water glass. There was one woman in particular who had such a happy smile on her face! The chefs were also good, though appearing less experienced than at other omakase experiences...

Overall, a 3-star experience. I am sure this place will get better as time passes.

We weren't able to get a seat at the counter, but was able to secure a seat at a the table facing the counter. I don't know if I would call this experience Omakase, since I didn't see the chef engage too much with customers during the dining experience.

Overall, the standout dishes were the Chawanmushi (Very good, probably the best dish!), Ika and Botan Ebi, aside from that I felt all the fish were just mediocre or just did not give me the "Wow". One thing I really didn't enjoy was the saba sashimi. I love shime saba in general, but this course was served with 2 slices of sashimi and radish. Possibly some type of sauce and wasabi will be great.

Service was alright, when they came by to take our order, we went with 2 Tokusen sets. She could not understand until we told her premium. It literally says "Tokusen" on the menu. In an upscale environment, I think it's important to memorize the menu considering there are only 2 options.

There was one thing that bothered me throughout the whole evening, which was my wobbly table. I am just so surprised that these things are not checked before opening.

The menu focuses a lot on dry age and adding components of Yuzu to almost every piece of Nigiri. Which is quite essentially the downfall of the whole course itself. Don't get me wrong the food is good , but because of these reasons I think it lacks authenticity for true omakase. I would prefer to eat the fish for what it is and the chef should have more confidence in their nikiri sauce. Also, one of the reviews I read about too much wasabi, I don't know what they're talking about. I barely tasted the wasabi...

We arrived early for our omakase reservation and noticed the hostess setting up by the corner of the room. We politely asked if we could sit in the middle of the bar, but she told us those seats were reserved—even though it’s supposedly first-come, first-served. Ironically, the “reserved” party with only 2 people showed up over 15 minutes late, leaving my friend and me stuck on the side even thought we were the first the arrive. That felt unprofessional and really set a negative tone for the evening.

Unfortunately, the food didn’t redeem the experience. From the first course to the last, everything was just… average. The fish didn’t taste particularly fresh, and while I appreciate the idea of making omakase more accessible in Boston, the quality and flavor weren’t there. The rice wasn’t seasoned with vinegar, there was no wasabi on any of the sushi, and they used the same soy sauce on almost every piece. Compared to the omakase I’ve had in NYC, this felt uninspired.

It was nice to try once, but I’m not sure I’d be willing to experiment here again.

In the end, the food was honestly forgettable, but what really left a bad taste was the seating situation. It felt dismissive and poorly handled, and it ultimately ruined what should have been a special night. Overall, I know this spot is on the newer side so I hope that they can make some improvements if they want a fighting chance...