The Spot: Roka Akor, 7299 N. Scottsdale, Rd., Scottsdale, 480-306-8800
The Hours: 5-7pm, daily.
The Details: Happy Hour pricing is available in the lounge and bar areas only. They knock half off the price of their premium martinis and their shochu infusions. The discount brings the price down to $6-9.
Wines are $3 off during happy hour, and there are several drinks available for $5. The choices for the $5 drink deal include the Skinny Girl Margarita, Blood Orange Margarita, Pink Mojito, Skyy Martinis, and hot or cold Sake.
We thought the best deal under the $5 list was 2 beers for $5. Choose between Asahi, Kirin, Kirin Light, and Sapporo.
For food, the menu is divided into three parts: Burgers, Hot Plates, and Cold Plates. There are three choices for their mini-burgers and range from $3-5.
Burger choices include a veggie option made with portobello mushroon, the "Chibi" burger with meat, and the soft shell crab "burger".
The Hot Plates range from $2.5 for edamame to $12 for grilled scallops, with everything in between including pork belly, crispy squid, roast duck, kobe beef and kimchee dumplings, yakatori chicken, and the list goes on to include a total of ten warm options.
The Cold Plates range from $6-16, and include the more traditional sushi fare. There are seven options on the cold list, including their famed butterfish tataki, yellowtail sashimi, scallops roll, and a California Roll.
Does Roka Akor rock the grade? Find out after the jump.
The Interior: This modern sushi bar and Japanese style grill is clean and elegant. Dining room seating gives great views of the open kitchen and sushi bar, which has large platters of fresh vegetables decorating it. The Happy Hour deals are available in the bar and lounge area only, which as ample seating at the bar, as well as open seating at tables.
The tables in the lounge have comfy seats, and at one table is a small couch, allowing you to get cozy and enjoy the great service. All around the place are jars of the colorful Shochu infusions, and at the bar, the bartenders can be seen cutting ice cubes for your Shochu by hand.
Cost: For two beers, the "Chibi" burger, Kobe beef and kimchee dumplings, and edamame, the price tag will be $18. For Shochu, porkbelly, butterfish, and crispy squid, expect a check closer to $30. No matter what you choose, expect high quality and creative food and drink at an affordable price.
Conclusion: When reviewing a happy hour at a place that everyone raves about, it is crucial to set the standard high. To do this, we brought a couple of the most high maintenance dining companions we could find. The servers at Roka Akor did not blink an eye or lose a friendly smile over our guests' picky demeanor. The menu is full of options to meet anyone's tastes or budgets. Some of the
the menu, our server informed us that the yellowtail sashimi ($10) was one of their most popular dishes, as is the scallop roll ($16). The only complaint I could possibly think of, was that the California Roll was priced at $9.
What possibly could they do there to a California Roll to warrant a $9 price tag? Most places price this sushi standard way down during Happy Hour. I guess we will just have to go back and find out.
Grade: A
