Intensely amazing, is an understatement. Can't wait to get back to Roka Akor when I make it back to Chicago.

Great experience! Our waiter was super helpful in picking out the best and best amount of food for our table, as well as sake. He worked with the chef to give the whole group a great experience. All of the appetizer items were amazing. The beef tataki - fantastic, the Wagyu dumpling - soft and scrumptious, the scallops - melt in your mouth tasty, the octopus - more flavorful than most octopus that I've had, the pork belly - O M G had flavor and texture. I don't even think I could pick a favorite or least favorite because I enjoyed all of them so much. Of the sushi, my favorite was the dynamite scallop. I really like crab and the scallop and sauce were delicious. Outside of that, I'm not really sure what we ordered. The chef out together a few sashimi options and there were two with salmon that were pretty good. The others were all ok. Another roll had a little pepper on top and was a little spicy. For dessert, the passionfruit tart was incredible and the ube pot de creme was very pretty and pretty tasty too.

Every Monday, Roka Akor has happy from 5-10 at the bar! The bar area is not just the bar, but also the booths and high tops in the bar section which was really nice. We were able to walk in and get a table for 4 easily! I appreciate a happy hour that focuses on food! There were a lot of options to choose from including multiple veggie options like fried cauliflower, crispy eggplant, truffle fries, shishito peppers. We ended up getting a bunch of things to share! We had the sashimi tacos, crispy eggplant, spicy crunchy tuna roll, and the fried tofu (this one was not happy hour deal but worth it). The tacos were easily my favorite! The crispy wonton shell was so good and they paired it with mango. We ended up getting three orders of these since there are only two per order! I also really liked the eggplant. It was surprisingly tender and the dipping sauce was sooo good. I had to try the fried tofu and it did not disappoint. Again, the outside was perfect light fry while the inside was melt in your mouth tofu. The happy hour deals made this dinner affordable and I left being very full!

Had an amazing time at Roka Akor as usual -- the best service around town! Came for Valentine's Day and had the best seats in the house (sushi bar)! We did their tasting menu and dish after dish I was impressed. Very creative shareable plates, we especially loved the steak, toro tartare, salmon nigiri, and otoro sashimi -- all melted in your mouth. Was shocked to see a 0 proof Sauv Blanc on the menu so gave it a try and wow it was delicious, couldn't believe that they were able to capture that zing and flavor of an alcoholic wine. It was a great pairing with all of the delicate flavors, highly recommend!!

Our friends invited us to dinner during restaurant week and this is one of their favorite spots. I love when people are excited to share their favorite restaurants. It adds to the experience. I can't say this will be on my list BUT it was tasty and an overpriced treat. I do have to mention that the service was spot on, five stars. Everyone that approached us felt genuine. We were seated at the back "private" room. Our waitress suggested we do two picks off the restaurant week menu and two omakase. She was right. We were able to get a preview of what they offer and it was a well rounded dining experience. I am generously giving it a 4 due to the service. Food and ambiance are more of a 3.5. This was probably a one-time deal for me and I don't see myself coming back. But I enjoyed my evening and left dangerously full.

We visited Roka Akor for their Chicago Restaurant Week 2025 menu and were pleasantly surprised. The ambiance and decor was beautiful. They did a take on modern Japanese just right. Our waitress was also very kind and attentive. They actually give you each of the appetizers on the menu which was fantastic. There were three options available, the Sashimi Tacos, Crispy Spicy Tuna Maki, and Wagyu Beef & Kimchi Dumplings. Our favorite was the Sashimi Tacos, the others were just ok. For the main we ordered the Prime Filet and Korean Spiced Lamb Cutlets. The lamb was so tender and spiced so well, honestly it didn't even need the dipping sauce. For desert we Matcha Cheesecake with Mango Sorbet and the Chocolate Cake with Coffee Ice cream. I personally the Chocolate Cake and Mango Sorbet were the best parts. Off menu we ordered the Toro Nigiri with Osetra Caviar and Green Onions, which was so soft and creamy. It honestly melted in your mouth.

Shadowy interiors and thumping bass-lines invited me into Roka Akor's energetic interior. Tasteful, modern features and dark wooden furnitures adorned the large main dining area. An open kitchen flanked one side of the room, and floor-to-ceiling windows out to the streets of Chicago completed the other. Almost as soon as I was seated, my waiter arrived and offered to put the bottle of champagne I was carrying on ice. I declined -- a $30 corkage fee was a bit too rich for a bottle of Veuve -- and instead opted to stick with cocktails for the evening. The Winter Snow was a touch too sweet, which masked some of its more complex flavors. The balance of the Hadamasui, on the other hand, highlighted the subtle botanicals of the gin and Lilet Blanc, which played excellently on the fruity notes of the bitters and sake. It was an experience I will not soon forget. The fried eggplant provided a compelling overture for the night's food: bright acidity and sweet honey notes in the sauce livened the deep umami of the fried eggplant. The tasting notes for the wagyu beef and kimchi dumplings were similar: well-balanced umami and acidity. The Grilled Diver Sea Scallops were my one regret of the evening, where the flavors seemed truly at odds with one another. Finally, the various nigiri and sushi were all of outstanding quality. And of course the steak. The gripping flavor of the perfect sears continued and flowed down through the butter soaked interiors. If it were possible to order a whole cow through Roka Akor, I might have put in a to-go order after the first bite. The Japanese mushroom rice hot pot also punched well-above its weight in the entrees portion of the evening. The texture and umami of the sticky rice were almost meaty in quality. For dessert, we sampled the warm chocolate cake and the passion fruit tart. The warm chocolate cake was decadent and rich while the passion fruit tart was light and fruity. The flavors were well-executed and familiar. As our time at Roka Akor came to a close on New Year's Eve, the bass-lines continued to dance over the electric air. During a pause in the music, one of the hosts fastened each of our group with party favors to celebrate the New Year. And while we were just beginning our celebrations for the start of 2025, each of us had also just gained one more reason to remember 2024.

I first came here for a work dinner and loved it so much I had to bring my friends the next time. With many halal options this was a great choice for many of my friends. The interior is beautiful and feels high end, making this a great spot for occasions! We started off with some incredibly fresh and flavorful sushi rolls based on our waitress's recommendations. We then split the chicken yakitori skewers. For mains, we selected from the steak (I can't remember which one) with a side of the Japanese mushroom rice hot pot. The hot pot was a favorite for me, especially with the fresh shaved black truffle!