Tonight's the last night to get in on Roka Akor's special promo prices (two bucks apiece!) for its new izakaya bar snacks menu (available all night in the lounge, not just at happy hour) and I recommend getting there as early as possible (it starts at 5 p.m.). I went the other night with some friends -- thinking it was an ungodly early hour -- but was happy when we landed a table and the place filled up.
Butterfish tataki was one of my faves -- barely seared sashimi wrapped around tender white asparagus shoots, with ponzu.
We found ourselves ordering multiples of the killer pork belly, prepared tonkatsu-style with a crunchy coating -- melt-in-your-mouth good.
Agedashi-dofu -- that is, lightly fried cubes of soft tofu -- got the traditional preparation, with warm dashi broth and grated daikon on top.
I loved the buttery flesh and crispy skin on the hamachi collar, served with gingery dipping sauce. We also tried the excellent grilled corn from the regular robatayaki menu (so worth it).
Another good one was a lovely salad with soft shell crab -- hot and crispy meets cool and tangy.While the $2 special prices are irresistible, the regular prices are really doable -- Roka Akor has a reputation as a pricey dinner destination, but the snacks are mostly under $10 apiece.
