Unique, cool and funky places always excites me, and yes there was nothing but excitement when I visited the new addition to the dining scene in the hip Dubai Design District. The venue I am talking about is called Akiba Dori and it is inspired by the most lively and vibrant districts in Tokyo, Japan-Akihabara.
Having visited Tokyo last year, I literally felt like I was on the backstreets of colorful Akhiabara when I visited Akiba Dori yesterday. Akiba Dori is the brainchild of Samer Hamadeh, the founder of Stereo Arcade.
Akiba Dori is a resto-bar that offers simple and comforting Japanese street food and you cannot expect a traditional or typical Japanese dining experience.
It has the coolest and most trendy decor in the city. The funky and neon-lit interiors of Akiba Dori pays homage to Akihabara. The vibe of the venue is energetic and oh-so-amazing.
The food hall styled indoor alleyway houses seven shops serving Japanese food, baked treats, bar with Japanese beer, sake, signature cocktails and other spirits, arcade room, DJ booth and Tokyopolitan-serving Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza that is baked in a wood-fired oven under 60 seconds with ingredients sourced from Japan and Italy.
Our friendly and knowledgeable server Nick, took us through the drinks and food menu and helped us with ordering.
For drinks we ordered two of their signature cocktails- wasabi infused Wasabi Margarita and their drink of the day Tessai. Both our drinks were mixed well, but the Wasabi Margarita was outstanding. It gave us a slightly spicy kick which was delightful. A definite must-try if you ask me.
We started off with their Tofu Wakame Salad, a tasty and healthy salad with tofu, seaweed, avocado, carrots, radish, cherry tomatoes and sesame seeds with tofu dressing.
Next, we moved on to the ultimate comfort food- Tempura. The freshly made and crispy Tempura was served with Tartar sauce and Tempura sauce.
From their specials we tried the Yaki Soba the classic Japanese stir fried noodles. It was a delicious and wholesome dish. Another must-try dish at Akiba Dori.
It was time to order their Tokyo style Neapolitan pizza from their Japanese wood-fired oven. They offer a wide range of pizzas and we decided to order Luigi-San. This melt-in-the-mouth quality pizza had Datterini tomatoes, smoked Provola cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil leaves and olive oil. If I’ve to describe it one word, it will be FANTASTIC!
Dessert was the Taiyaki Nutella and Taiyaki Nutella & Halawa. Taiyaki is the most famous street food in Japan that has a fish shaped waffle with a filling of red bean paste. At Akiba Dori, Taiyaki has a filling of Nutella and Nutella Halawa, both amazing combos. I can visit them just to eat their utterly delicious Taiyaki.
We absolutely loved our experience at Akiba Dori. The location, the drinks, the food, the service, the interiors and the atmosphere is just fabulous. I can’t wait to come back with my friends.
Phone: 04 770 7949
Time: Open every day from 12 noon to 3 am
Address: Ground floor, Shop 5, Building 8-Dubai Design District
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