Living a vegan lifestyle in Australia can be super easy and super hard at times, depending on where you happen to be in the city. I live in Canberra so for the most part it is pretty easy to pick up some vegan grub, especially treats. I have finally found a few places that really hit the spot, which includes Sweet Bones in Braddon and Double Shot in Deakin. AKIBA falls within this group too and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and amount of food they served.
I went to AKIBA on a weeknight; I know a night out on a school night and eating out, Ruth you are so rock and roll. We actually went there as a colleague was leaving that week, so we gathered to say our goodbyes and share our I went to AKIBA on a weeknight; I know a night out on a school night and eating out, Ruth you are so rock and roll. We actually went there as a colleague was leaving that week, so we gathered to say our goodbyes and share our favorite memory of working with her.
I have broken down the review of this restaurant into five sections. They are vibe, location, service, food, drinks and service. After that, I will then give an overall rating from my experience.
Vibe
For me the vibe is super useful, so lets start there. AKIBA feels quite relaxed and not too formal, the other restaurant visitors were like my group; mainly people that had come straight from work or were meeting friends for a quick bite. There was eight of us and we sat outside in their heated undercover area which was actually really warm. The table was a long one with benches and provided the idea set up for sharing dishes. The waiter was super friendly and checked on us as a group just the right amount of times. Not too many where they interrupt the flow of conversation, but enough that no ones glass ran empty and was knowledgeable on the menu.
Location
Located in the heart of Camberra, the restaurant is very accessible. It sits on Bunda Street, which is services by Canberra Centre car park and off-road spots too.
Evening parking in Canberra is usually pretty good. I parked in the outside car park at the Canberra Centre, which was less than a 3-minute walk from Akiba, so I’d feel safe to go back to the car if I was walking back alone after having a last little chin wag. When I got back to my car to pay, I noticed the boom gate was up. I am not sure if it was due to the time of night (20:30) or if there was an issue with he gate. Either way, that meant that I did not pay for my parking. So, that’s another bonus.
Service
The service was quick and good, there were a number of staff that brought our food out and they were very clear in highlighting what were the vegan dishes and what were not. We had the FEED ME menu as we were a group and boy, was that the perfect name for what we ate.
Food
The vegan menu was;
Josper roasted Edemame beans with chilli and lemon: These were AMAZING, the right balance between chilli and lemon, the portion was big and I think culd have service 3-4 people
Agadashi fried tofu, nori, daikon: was also lovely, very flavorsome and a good (smallish) portion size
Vegan laksa dumplings: there were two of these serviced and they were ok, nice enough for dumplings, but not match for the Dumpling House dumplings that for sure
Green papaya salad, bean shoots, peanuts, chilli and lime: was probably my favorite disk, very fresh, clean and tangy. It has loads of flavor and I coupled it with the Wok blasted Asian mushrooms, chilli, tofu, cashews.
Miso dengaka eggplant, pepita seeds, nori, puffed rice: I was not a fan of this dis unfortunately. My collegue said the puffed risce looked like maggots and when I tucked in to what could have been bush tucker, it tasted slightly fishy. I think they might have cooked it with or along side a fish item so after one mouthful I decided to give it a miss.
Vegetable friend rice, snake beans, mustard soy: was nice, I am not a big fan of fried rice but it tasted good and had a lot of flavor. You could couple it with one of the other dishes service r easily eat it on its own. Ahmed loves fried rice, well rice in general and I think this would have been a hot with him. I had a couple of spoons of the rice then gave up. Not because of the food, just because I was stuffed. The vegan feed me menu was massive.
Wok blasted Asian mushrooms, chilli, tofu, cashus: What I tasted on this dish was nice, if your not a fan of mushrooms I would suggest giving this dish a miss as it did taste quite a bit of mushrooms.
Charred Chinese broccoli, lemon: The broccoli was lovely. It felt a little oily but overall was very tasty.
Drinks: as it was a school night, I didn’t have any alcohol. Also I am a light weight, so half a glass of red and I am busted… I saw from what others ordered they had a wide variety of drinks and the group appeared to be enjoying them which is a good sign.
Overall rating: 9/10
Thank you for reading this far.
Don’t forget to check next week for the next what I ate Wednesday.
Peace, Love and Happiness
@JustJallOZ
The Jalloh Family 