Roka Akor a Dining Review

Roka Akor a Dining Review
By LeeAnn Sharpe

February 15, 2008

You will want to make a note of this new “Hip Robatayaki Cuisine” restaurant, ROKA AKOR. It is located in north Scottsdale at 7299 N. Scottsdale Road, Phone 480.306.8800. Keep that number handy as I’m sure there will be long lists for reservations. Look for the tall blue spiral sculpture out front. Food doesn’t get better than this!

Native New Zealander Chef Nicholas Watt brings his 16 years of international experience and raving success in London to his first Roka location in the U.S. The handsome Watt roamed the dining room engaging his guests with a genuine boyish charm speaking of his days in New Zealand where his mother cooked with the freshest fish. He wanted to bring that to his restaurants. Study in Toyko and his love of fresh fish make Roka a perfect fit for his talents.

My dining companion Julie and I started out with edamame (v) $3.50: steamed edamame with sea salt, hotate no miso-shiru $5.60: white miso soup with scallop and spring onion and maki rolls. We could have chosen any from about 11 different maki options including kappa maki (v) $3.60: a cucumber and sesame roll, chirashi maki $6.90: spicy sashimi fish selection with spring onion and cucumber, age watari gani $8.60: softshell crab, cucumber, kim chi, and chilli mayonnaise, kankoku fu yaki buta $6.30: korean roast pork loin, shiso and chilli cabbage, california maki $6.30: crab meat, avocado and toblko. But we chose the ebi no atama $7.60: a heavenly combination of crispy prawn, avocado, chilli chrysanthemums and dark sweet soy. We would have been happy eating these all night!

General Manager Jeffrey Berkowitz stopped by our table to welcome us and make certain everything was to our liking. He was totally attentive to each guest all evening. All of the staff was obviously trained to the highest level and the service was beyond any you can find anywhere in the world. Eli was our wonderful server, explaining dishes and making excellent suggestions, but the entire wait staff worked together to bring out dishes as they were ready. And each came wrapped in smiles and genuine concern for every desire being met. I can not see how they could have made the dining experience more enjoyable. Executive chef Bjoern Weissgerber directs the symphony of cuisine to perfection.

I love how they label vegetarian dishes with a (v). Some diners might be a little apprehensive about experimenting with unusual dishes or flavors. There’s no need to fear here. Everything is prepared in such a way as to give your palette a thrill ride to ecstasy!
Dishes are on the small side so you can graze through multiple options. Health conscious will find many very healthy low fat opportunities here. Sauces are light and grilling keeps dishes healthy.

The snacks, salads & soups included a wide variety of flavors such as baechu kim chi (v) $4.00: napa cabbage in garlic and hot chilli, butaniku to hotate no gyoza $6.50: pork and golden scallop dumplings, lobster to awabi no gyoza $14.00: lobster and abalone dumplings (I wish I had tried these! They look fantastic!) The gyu no tataki to truffle $14.00: beef tataki with pickled daikon and winter truffle and the abura bouzu no tataki shiro asparagus zoe $12.00: butterfish tataki, white asparagus with yuzu shallot dressing and the maguro no tataki $14.00: tuna tataki salad with apple mustard dressing all piqued my interest as well, but will have to wait for my next visit.

Robatayaki Cuisine relies heavily on the 25 foot long robata Japanese oak charcoal grill which is open to the dining area. Sit at the bar facing the grill so you can watch the dozen or so chefs as they work in unison under the direction of the lead chef who hollars out orders in Japanese and they all respond in a loud crisp retort as if clapping out of a huddle. The robata tradition has been handed down for centuries by Japanese fishermen who cook their daily catch over a charcoal fire and use oars as serving platters. An exceptional ventilation system pulls the little bit of smoke straight up but leaves the room with a warm gentle scent that is very pleasing. Smoke sensitive need not worry. I am the most sensitive to smoke and never had an itch or sniffle all evening. You can also sit in the large dining area with earthy aesthetic clean lines on oak tables and very comfortable cushioned chairs. There’s also an outside patio and an enchanting private event room with a long wood slab table that can be divided in half.

Roka Akor dishes look magical in their presentation. The maguro to caviar no tartar, uzura no tamago zoe $12.00: tuna tartar, sevruga caviar and quail's yolk are served in a dish with a boat like sail in a bed of crystal ice. We had the ebi no kushiyaki $32.50: wild jumbo Madagascan prawn with yuzu koshyu chilli paste with a magical taste like nothing you’ve ever experienced. It starts out with a mild tender prawn taste tinted with a touch of blue watercress and then the fire of the chilli paste presents itself in a subtle burn. Delicious! The presentation on a long dish includes the jumbo prawn head looking like a creature out of a Jacque Cousteau documentary.

My favorite was the sake teriyaki $12.00: salmon fillet teriyaki infused with the smokey grill flavor and complemented by the most delicious teriyaki sauce, not too thick or sweet, just right with a lightness and tang that made me want more!

We also enjoyed the gin tara no saikyo-yaki $24.00: black cod marinated in yuzu miso and homemade hajikami. It was a very lightly blackened cod presented wrapped in a leaf with a sweet white sauce on the side. The cod was beautifully elegant in look and taste.

My friends enjoyed the niku no asparagus teriyaki $9.60: beef and asparagus teriyaki skewer and kobuta no ribs yawaraka nikomi $18.00: baby back ribs glazed with a spiced master stock and cashew nuts. What a flavor combination! That’s what it’s all about at Roka Alor, freshness and flavors presented in delicious combinations, simple yet powerful.

I want to go back (many times) to try the kamo no muneniku hachimitsu sansho fumi $24.00: duck breast basted with honey and sansho pepper or the kankoku fu kohitsuji $26.00: lamb cutlets with korean spices. The hireniku no pirikara yakiniku $28.00: beef fillet with chilli, ginger and spring onion also looked marvelous!

Robata vegetables fill the menu out but who has room for so much! Next time I will try the ko nasu (v) $6.60: eggplant in mirin, ginger and soy and the nimono (V) $5.00:grilled sweet potato with sesame and sweet soy.

Did I mention the sashimi-nigiri zushi selections which included hon maguro- blue fin $16.00: kihada maguro - yellow fin $10.00: bigeye ocean trout $6.60: shima aji - stripped jack fish $10.00: hamachi - yellowtail $5.30: nme dai - new zealand snapper $5.60: tako - octupus $10.00: sake - salmon $6.60: hotate - scallops $12.00: suzuki - seabass $6.60: ikura - salmon roe $9.00: tai - seabream $8.00: unagi - freshwater eel $10.00: ika - squid $9.00:ama ebi - sweet shrimp $6.60: ebi - shrimp $8.00: and kaki - oyster $7.90: The
tokusen displays botan ebi sashimi $14.60: extra large sweet shrimp served with oscietra caviar uni - sea urchin sashimi $15.00: gunkan $12.00: o-toro - fatty tuna $26.00: wagyu gunkan $16.50: wagyu sushi, oscietra caviar, spring onion and fresh ginger, kinme dai - japanese red snapper $12.00.

Dozens of colorful bottles of shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit flavored with apples, pears and raspberries, hang over the bar. Two climate-controlled wine cases hold 600 bottles apiece behind 14-foot-high glass. Bartenders were trained in London and blend the most delicious concoctions not to be found anywhere else, unless you visit Roka in London. The Green Tea and Pear Bellini $12.00 is the perfect combination of the pear shochu and champagne, crisp and light and delicious!

For dessert we had the sorbet with two miniature scoops of tangy ice cream perched on top of a crystal ice mountain. Delightful! And Julie had the chocolate pudding, more of a cake with green tea filling, so rich and beautifully presented. Each piece is a work of art, a feast for the soul as well as the palette.

Designer Noriyoshi Muramatsu with the award winning Tokyo-based firm Super Potato designed the bar and lounge. The décor is so subtle in its simple uncomplicated lines, but makes bold statements. The wall on one end features a wave pattern that evokes an ocean feel. Walls are made of rammed earth, so rocks, straw and dirt are part of the visual and tactile experience. The wood slats in front of the windows and the wide wooden bar around the grilling space is made of reclaimed Irish Oak matching the tables. Heavy glass doors have wood handles. Even the restrooms have natural wood counters and fully enclosed stainless steel stalls with a round European style commode. The elegant water faucets flow freely without a touch, producing perfect temperature warm water. Even the lighting is controlled in a subdued by sufficient level in each area of the establishment. Attention to detail has been mastered on every level. Chef Watt mentioned even the freezers are of a medical lab quality enabling them to freeze to the optimal temperature to keep food perfect. A Japanese ceramic artist was commissioned to hand design the serving plates and bowls in a variety of sizes and shapes that invite touch. All are hand-made, rustic ceramic pieces with grainy textures and nature inspired earthen colors. Great thought went into the design like a slight triangular bend in the soup bowl to make them easy to drink. And simple esthetic enhancement carved into serving plates, not just painted on.

Chef Watt’s blend of contemporary Japanese cuisine and the desert of north Scottsdale is sure to be a big hit. I hope you can get a reservation and enjoy this magical delight!
ROKA AKOR is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily for lunch and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily for dinner. Reservations 480.306.8800.
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