Ever since the 1980s, I've been dining on sushi and sashimi at least once a week or so. I'm like an addict who needs a fix. After a week without sushi, I begin to feel a strong craving for raw fish. I don't want to turn into a walking thermometer like Jeremy Piven, but if I find hamachi in the vicinity of my mouth, in it goes.
A Japanese restaurant opened in Sacramento a couple years ago down Freeport, just south of Sutterville from Land Park called Akebono II. I think the first Akebono is in Granite Bay. It's a strange location for such a wonderful restaurant. The place is sandwiched between Rite Aid and Hollywood Video on the west side of Freeport, next to where Filco's used to be (I think) and a stone's throw from Raley's. Not your ideal setting, but what the hey.
The food is superb. It's a bit more expensive than, say, Sushi Cafe or Ricksha, but the fish seems fresher, lighter, cut with precise care, and the presentation is lovely.
I ordered the sushi and sashimi lunch box for $12.95. First course, of course, was miso soup dotted with tofu, which lets me play with my chopsticks while I'm waiting for the soup to cool down. I always pick out all the tofu and eat it before I drink the soup. Our waitress was friendly, efficient and fast. When I asked if I could take a photo of the sushi bar, her eyes light up, and she said, "Is this for your web page?" Then she told the sushi chefs to smile as I snapped away.
My husband requested ramen with pork and mushrooms. The bowl arrived, as big as your head, filled with plump chewy noodles and plenty of steam. I tasted the broth, which was rich and satisfying, as though it had been simmering all day, and perhaps it had.
Usually the place is packed, but yesterday there weren't very many diners there. I hope it was the weather that kept people away and not the downturn in the economy. Maybe they were watching football. Which reminds me, the big screen TVs on the walls were picking up a satellite show of Sumo wrestlers, dressed, naturally, in loincloths. I've never given much thought about sumo wrestling, but even without sound, the show was fascinating. I found myself glancing up to watch the matches, which didn't last more than a minute, wondering what would happen if one of their thongs slid the wrong way.
Just the program to watch while dipping my tuna in wasabi and soy sauce. I highly recommend Akebono II. I give it five stars for food, quality, service but 3 for location and ambiance. If you go there, you'll most likely agree that the sushi is the best in Sacramento.
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Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub, Sacramento Real Estate Broker
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Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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Sorry, Elizabeth, but I'm gonna hurl! Sushi is already not my thing, but when I scrolled down to the "broth," I almost lost it. Nice, vivid photos, tho! LOL
Hi Elizabeth, We have a great sushi restaurant right around the corner from us and the sushi bar is jammed with elbow to elbow people on the weekends. I'm not a huge fan of sushi, but my sister absolutely loves it! Enjoy!
What was wrong with the broth, Randy? Don't you like ramen noodles?
Hi Sandy: You know, not all sushi is raw fish. Some of it is cooked. Perhaps I could interest you in a freshwater eel?
Hey E ~ the first pic was alright, and the second was ok, but that bottom pic I was just not prepared to see this morning. In the right light, before a person is fully awake, it kinda looks like barf in a bowl. Sorry! :)