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| - There certainly is no shortage of good sushi in the Scottsdale area. For a location in the middle of the desert, you would think that it would be tough to get fresh seafood in this area, but these area restaurants figure out how to make it happen.
The freshness was certainly one of the highlights of Roka Akor. i started with two sashimi dishes, the Butterfish Tataki and the Hirame Kombu Jime. The butterfish was light, smooth and surprisingly flaavorful, with a nice citrus twist. The Hirame, a type of fluke, had a tougher texture, was still very fresh, but didn't quite have the depth of flavor exibited by the butterrfish.
Several dishes were sampled for the main course. Much like other high-end steakhouses, the dishes come a-la-carte. The Black Cod and the 12oz Ribeye were ordered with a side of the cremini mushrooms. The flavors were certainly good, but didn't quite exhibit the high-end quality you would expect from a restaurant of this calibur. On a positive side, the texture of the Cod was exceptional. The steak was a little too fatty, even for ribeye and unfortunately hampered the texture of the dish.
On a slight negative note was the quantity of the food. For around $60 per person, I left hungry. It likely had more to do with the types of dishes I ordered than necessarily the restaurant itself. Sashimi always comes in small quantities, but I would have hoped that the main courses or side dishes come with a little more. The experience was positive, though not overwhelmingly so. It had a pleasant atmosphere, mediocre service and descent food.
[Edit] After some thought, I will be willing to give it another shot, possibly for a happy hour. I'll post another edit once I try it again.
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