I must say that I have been excited to go to Roka months ago when i learned that it was coming to Scottsdale. I have friends in London that really like the place...So I finally had the opportunity to go to Roka Akor last night... I walked in and it is beautifully decorated. The smell from the Robatayaki grill,was a bit strong (yes, I am suffering from allergies) but I manage and find the place quite enjoyable.
The bartender gave us tastings of the fresh sochu infused cocktails...Lime, pineapple, raspberry and honeycomb. Honey comb was my favorite!
What I liked was the small plates enough to share and to give you a taste of the food.....But I must say a little disappointed with the food. Maybe I had too high of an expectation.
Here is what we had:
- Lobster and Abalone dumplings - good, but i found the Abalone to be a bit chewy.
- Calamari- tasty but a bit over fried...didn't get the flavor of the squid.
- Robata grilled eggplant - DELICIOUS!!
- Tuna Tartar - SO good I loved the raw quail egg and caviar and how they made me mix it together. One tiny cracker accompanied the dish. A bit overpowering with the mustard...and it took 30+minutes to come to the table
- Soft Shell Crab roll - okay, I liked that they used Kimchi in the roll, and it didn't overpower the roll.
- Black Cod - this was yummy, but there is a place down the street that i find there black cod to be a bit better. I did like the presentation!
I am not sure if I am being hard on Roka Akor, maybe I was just so excited to get there and reading everyones reviews...I know that I will be going back. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and I would like to visit on the weekend and try some more food and have a sochu!