Roka Akor Awards

Roka Akor Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: This River Oaks see-and-be-seen spot on the ground floor of 2929 Weslayan, the tallest residential tower in Houston, features a modern décor of wood paneling and flooring, along with large hanging artistic lighting fixtures. There are two bars in the open space, the sushi bar and another one overlooking the robata, a Japanese charcoal grill.

Likes: The business lunch priced at just $24 includes a starter and entrée and guests can choose sashimi or steak.
Dislikes: There are only six seats at the sushi bar so arrive early for a front row vantage point to watch the master of raw fish at work.

Food & Drinks: Roka Akor offers a traditional menu of Japanese steaks and fresh sushi and sashimi. Wagyu and certified Kobe beef is flown in from Japan weekly. The fish include fatty toro, blue fin and yellowtail tuna in variations of sashimi, nigiri and maki rolls. Splurge on the omakase, the chef’s special that includes the best sushi of the day presented family style to the table (for two or more) --- you might find you like something you’ve never tried before. Lobster and shrimp dumplings are a fine starter if you are ordering à la carte, as is the crispy squid dusted with Serrano chile and lime. You will also find chicken dishes and Korean lamb chops among the entrées, alongside the pricey steaks. An exemplary plate is the sweetly glazed pork ribs grilled on the robata to a fine medium rare. Quench your thirst with a libation from the full bar or the fine saké selection. However, another must-try beverage is the house shochu, the national drink of Japan that is similar to saké; it’s a distilled spirit, as opposed to the brewed saké, and often made from barley. The restaurant infuses the alcohol with various fruit but non-sweet flavors that work well with the grilled steaks.