[Scottsdale, AZ] - Roka Akor

For my very brief visit to Scottsdale, I ended up going to Roka Akor. It is yet another selection based on Instagram. The boyfriend follows Kai Torcuato, the executive chef at said restaurant, and said if it's in the area that I'll be staying I should pop by. Looking through his Instagram pictures I could not help but salivate. Wide varieties of fresh fish, incredible knife work - of course I had to give it a try!

Located in what looks like a strip mall, the interior of the restaurant looked almost like a night club. The sushi bar is immense compared to what I'm used to. I took a seat in the middle of the bar, and Kai introduced himself. He asked if I had any questions with the menu. I told him I trust him and that I would like to get the omakase.

Note to those who are used to more traditional Japanese restaurants - the omakase here is very different. Since Roka Akor is a restaurant that specializes in sushi and steak, you'll get a combination of the two. Had I taken the time to open the menu, I would have seen that the omakase has a recommended two diner note. Had I taken the time to read that, I would have just sat there asking for nigiri of whatever was fresh for the day. The meal was definitely too big for just me. I had a ton of leftovers (that I did eat pretty happily in my room later that night).

Hokkaido diver scallop with a wasabi pea crust, a dollop of yuzu aioli, and some micro-greens. The little stick worked as an implement to pick the huge scallop up to stuff in your mouth. The textures were pretty awesome. It was my first time having a wasabi pea crust, and I really liked how it contrasted with the buttery scallop.

Kusshi oysters on a half shell with yuzu ponzu, ikura, pickled wasabi, and some Hokkaido uni. The gentleman next to me at the bar said that he was from New York and does business semi-annually in Scottsdale and makes a point of coming to Roka Akor just to get this. I would have to agree. This ended up being one of my favorites. I'm normally not the biggest fan of Kusshis as they can be a little too briny for me, but the combination of everything was fantastic. I would also come back just for this!

Escolar/butterfish sashimi with yuzu, wrapped around white asparagus, and topped with crushed wasabi peas. This was also a new taste for me, and one that I really enjoyed. It was so crisp and light. This is on my list of things to get should I make it back to Scottsdale.

Grilled shishito peppers with ponzu and bonito flakes. This was the first dish that was a little bigger and had me questioning what I had gotten myself into. The peppers were pretty big, but not super filling so it was still good. I mentioned earlier that the bar area was really big, but did not mention that it's so big, there's space for a bincho grill. Which I'm sure is why these shishito peppers were so good.

Finally, something I recognized! Included in this sashimi bowl was: aji, kanpachi, madai, mebachi, chutoro, and hon maguro. The look of the plating was definitely pretty, functional, and overall fresh and tasty. While I worked on eating this, I was also watching them plate an immense one that I think would be pretty fun to tackle with at least one other person.

Here things start to get heavy. This is a wagyu bone marrow served with some squid ink brioche, and chimichurri made from shiso. They referred to it as "Asian chimichurri." It tasted pretty fatty and amazing, but it really was heavy to eat (so. much. fat.) so having that second person really would have come in handy. I knew it would not be good to take it in a doggie bag later, so I pushed through. Yes, like it was punishment or something. A really tasty one.

Mangalica pork belly. Something I didn't know existed and didn't know I needed in my life. Thank you, Roka Akor for showing me the light! The mangalica is a Spanish hybrid pig that is extra fatty and oh-so-tasty. In my research I have learned that it is related to iberico, one of my other favorite pigs. This delectable pig belly was served with a compressed melon and what tasted like a sweet teriyaki sauce. It was topped with micro-greens that helped cut the fat of each bite. The melon helped too. Either way, I loved this. It's on my list of things to order again the next time I'm there.

I felt a happy sort of pain when this appeared in front of me. Time started to slow as my blood thickened with pork and cow fat clogging my arteries. I wanted to eat it and enjoy it, but it was getting to the point of "am I going to die of overeating right now? Right here, right now?" I love grilled fish. This was no exception. This was a bincho grilled opah. Something I haven't tried before and it was nice and steak-y. The luau leaf added a little extra smokey flavor to the perfectly cooked fish. It was really good plain, but even better with the spicy mustard sauce. The locally grown squash was also grilled on the bincho, and topped with togadashi and some micro-greens.

It's not often that I start wondering if the meal is going to end. I really needed a dining partner for this meal because I was getting pretty full to throat. Pretty sure everyone could tell because one of the servers said, "you're doing really well! This is normally for two people!"

I was actually happy to see these brussel sprouts. At this point, vegetables would be my top pick to help me feel less of an obese monster. These brussel sprouts were really good. They were bincho grilled and topped with shiso leaves and bonito. I really am going to have to start throwing more bonito flakes on my food! 

The last official "dish" was this magnificent Australian A5 no. 8 wagyu steak, and a tray of three different tasting salts - deep sea, Hawaiian, and smoked. This was still perfect even though I thought I was full to the brim. The slender slices were just right to taste that full on beefy greatness. I enjoyed it plain for the first few, before remember that there was salt also. Do yourself a favor and give this steak a try. 

After all of that decadence came dessert. On the left is a chocolate cake with house made peanut butter ice cream. On the right is a yuzu sorbet. Scattered all around the bowl was assorted fresh fruit. I went for the dragonfruit first, as it has the lightest flavor. I was pleasantly surprised that it had the sweetness that a lot of the sad ones in the market don't have. I have to admit, the chocolate cake and peanut butter ice cream were really rich and very good, but felt too heavy especially after everything I had eaten already. That said, the yuzu ice cream was a perfect ending to my meal. Tangy and light. Even better with some of the assorted fruits between each bite.

Address:

7299 N Scottsdale Rd 

Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Website

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Instagram - Roka Akor (not sure why it's private)

Instagram - Kai Torcuato - Executive Sushi Chef