Aoki is a small Japanese place in cap hill with lots of traditional and roll options. I got the sushi bento box which came with California roll, salmon sashimi, 3 pieces of nigiri, salad, and miso soup. The miso soup was pretty standard, the tofu pieces were a little too firm for miso soup and was a little strange but that's fine. Salad was pretty basic. They give ample sesame dressing which I love. California roll was also pretty standard. They use imitation crab and added cucumbers. Nigiri was not bad! The tuna wasn't the freshest, it tasted pretty fishy. The escolar was really good, probably my favorite of the three. The salmon was standard as well. I liked the sushi rice as well, perfectly seasoned, not too sweet or overpowering. We came for weekday dinner and maybe we just came on a bad day, but there was apparently only one chef working and our food took super long to come out. No fault to other parts of the service, the servers themselves were super welcoming and nice. Overall, not a bad Japanese place!
J Mo
Hokkaido uni, flown in that day..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aja M.
A little pricey but worth it cause I wanna try everything lol. The sushi was so good and the salmon sashimi was like buttah!
Ella ..
Quick service and delicious sushi with a cozy feel! We came to Aoki on a Friday night and though it was definitely busy, we were seated almost right away. We ordered the Ginza, Seahawk, and Sea Serpent rolls with deep fried soft shell crab as a starter. Every roll was delightful, but the Seahawk was our favorite! The soft shell crab was sweet and perfectly crispy :) It definitely seemed to be a good date spot, as well as a wonderful stop for a quick and casual bite!
Casey G.
The food was great. Unfortunately, the customer service was severely lacking and unkind, which easily brings this place from a 5 to a 1.
Bobby T.
That was great. All around good stuff. Service, food, atmosphere. Killed everything. Wow.
Richard Ellis
Had visitors from out of town & couldn’t get reservations at a different restaurant so decided to give this small place a try. Born/raised in Japan, I’m always “suspect” when the owners or head sushi chief isn’t Japanese; being a “sushi chief” literally means nothing in America vice Japan where a chief could train for 10-20 yrs before being certified a full sushi chief. When we walked in, I immediately started talking Japanese to the head chief and he said “sorry, I’m Korean.” I immediately thought, “this ain’t gonna be good!” Well, I was mistaken. The fish was fresh and the rice was of better quality ( Americans wouldn’t care about how the rice was and only know of and been served lower class sushi rice). The Sea serpent roll was a huge hit with everyone. The only “ify” was the gyoza. It was actually more like Korean Yakimando and deep fried; not a gyoza at all. I didn’t care for it but the first time eater would think it’s good. Our “picky” eater friend refused to eat any fish and was hesitant to even try Japanese food - I suggested the Tonkatsu Bento Box and she liked it. Overall, a nice experience with good customer service and a pleasant enough atmosphere. If you live nearby or in the Capital Hill area, consider this place. We will likely never go back as we live on the other side of the sound but if we happen to be nearby and need our Japanese fix, we would definitely go back! Support this small business!!! Under new ownership
Aoki is an unassuming, utilitarian sushi restaurant. They have consistent business, so the fish is always fresh, never fishy. I've been going there for several years and have never had any other than good experiences whether it was to go or eating at the restaurant. My son always gets the katsu bento plate, which is always tasty. Their miso soup is standard, good. I don't know what they do with their escolar ngiri, but it's magic. I think they paint a little bit of sesame oil on top, It is my favorite thing. There. The crunch roll and don't cry roll are both excellent. Anytime. I'm at a sushi restaurant. I get albacore ngiri as well, and it is always excellent. I have also had the agadashi tofu, and it was quite good. As a creature of habit, I don't really order many other different things, But suffice to say, Aoki is a safe bet for good sushi, served with a smile at a good price. Hope you guys are always up there on Broadway for me and my family!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jose Barbosa
My favorite sushi joint with many options. One of the best spider rolls in town and all the sushi we've had tasted so fresh and delicious. Price is pretty reasonable and I've been going here for the last 20 years and I'm never disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roll, Gyoza
Mikael M
Amazing place, has very unique aura. Loved this place, definitely will go there again. Highly recommended, they have huge menu and very friendly stuff.
Best Crab Rangoon I've ever had. Best miso soup. Great saki. Great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Soup
Clayton H
Very warm and authentic vibe, food was great for the price, great experience except the servers stood too close waiting for us to be ready to order & they gave us our coke in a can. But deserves 4 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Roll
Kwak Family
Quite nicely decorated restaurant with reasonably priced meal options. Staff were attentive and courteous.Miso soup was a bit saltier than should have been but with good flavor and portion. The rest of the orders were good, with larger portions in general than typical. I would suggest using a slightly higher oil temperature for the fried food to make it crisper and less oily.Good value and pleasant experience!
Takoyaki, hamachi belly nigiri, spider roll, miso soup, special roll. All super affordable and great quality. Cute spot would definitely
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anondah M.
I was happy to see them open again, but now I'm disappointed in how they do the business. Charging for green tea and Worcester sauce? That's a disgrace to Japanese culture. Sushi wasn't that fresh either.
Aoki is a small Japanese place in cap hill with lots of traditional and roll options. I got the sushi bento box which came with California roll, salmon sashimi, 3 pieces of nigiri, salad, and miso soup. The miso soup was pretty standard, the tofu pieces were a little too firm for miso soup and was a little strange but that's fine. Salad was pretty basic. They give ample sesame dressing which I love. California roll was also pretty standard. They use imitation crab and added cucumbers. Nigiri was not bad! The tuna wasn't the freshest, it tasted pretty fishy. The escolar was really good, probably my favorite of the three. The salmon was standard as well. I liked the sushi rice as well, perfectly seasoned, not too sweet or overpowering. We came for weekday dinner and maybe we just came on a bad day, but there was apparently only one chef working and our food took super long to come out. No fault to other parts of the service, the servers themselves were super welcoming and nice. Overall, not a bad Japanese place!
Hokkaido uni, flown in that day..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A little pricey but worth it cause I wanna try everything lol. The sushi was so good and the salmon sashimi was like buttah!
Quick service and delicious sushi with a cozy feel! We came to Aoki on a Friday night and though it was definitely busy, we were seated almost right away. We ordered the Ginza, Seahawk, and Sea Serpent rolls with deep fried soft shell crab as a starter. Every roll was delightful, but the Seahawk was our favorite! The soft shell crab was sweet and perfectly crispy :) It definitely seemed to be a good date spot, as well as a wonderful stop for a quick and casual bite!
The food was great. Unfortunately, the customer service was severely lacking and unkind, which easily brings this place from a 5 to a 1.
That was great. All around good stuff. Service, food, atmosphere. Killed everything. Wow.
Had visitors from out of town & couldn’t get reservations at a different restaurant so decided to give this small place a try. Born/raised in Japan, I’m always “suspect” when the owners or head sushi chief isn’t Japanese; being a “sushi chief” literally means nothing in America vice Japan where a chief could train for 10-20 yrs before being certified a full sushi chief. When we walked in, I immediately started talking Japanese to the head chief and he said “sorry, I’m Korean.” I immediately thought, “this ain’t gonna be good!” Well, I was mistaken. The fish was fresh and the rice was of better quality ( Americans wouldn’t care about how the rice was and only know of and been served lower class sushi rice). The Sea serpent roll was a huge hit with everyone. The only “ify” was the gyoza. It was actually more like Korean Yakimando and deep fried; not a gyoza at all. I didn’t care for it but the first time eater would think it’s good. Our “picky” eater friend refused to eat any fish and was hesitant to even try Japanese food - I suggested the Tonkatsu Bento Box and she liked it. Overall, a nice experience with good customer service and a pleasant enough atmosphere. If you live nearby or in the Capital Hill area, consider this place. We will likely never go back as we live on the other side of the sound but if we happen to be nearby and need our Japanese fix, we would definitely go back! Support this small business!!! Under new ownership
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Tuna Roll, Roll, Gyoza, Sushi Box
Aoki is an unassuming, utilitarian sushi restaurant. They have consistent business, so the fish is always fresh, never fishy. I've been going there for several years and have never had any other than good experiences whether it was to go or eating at the restaurant. My son always gets the katsu bento plate, which is always tasty. Their miso soup is standard, good. I don't know what they do with their escolar ngiri, but it's magic. I think they paint a little bit of sesame oil on top, It is my favorite thing. There. The crunch roll and don't cry roll are both excellent. Anytime. I'm at a sushi restaurant. I get albacore ngiri as well, and it is always excellent. I have also had the agadashi tofu, and it was quite good. As a creature of habit, I don't really order many other different things, But suffice to say, Aoki is a safe bet for good sushi, served with a smile at a good price. Hope you guys are always up there on Broadway for me and my family!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
My favorite sushi joint with many options. One of the best spider rolls in town and all the sushi we've had tasted so fresh and delicious. Price is pretty reasonable and I've been going here for the last 20 years and I'm never disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roll, Gyoza
Amazing place, has very unique aura. Loved this place, definitely will go there again. Highly recommended, they have huge menu and very friendly stuff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Soup, Takoyaki
Restaurantji Recommends
Best Crab Rangoon I've ever had. Best miso soup. Great saki. Great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Soup
Very warm and authentic vibe, food was great for the price, great experience except the servers stood too close waiting for us to be ready to order & they gave us our coke in a can. But deserves 4 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Roll
Quite nicely decorated restaurant with reasonably priced meal options. Staff were attentive and courteous.Miso soup was a bit saltier than should have been but with good flavor and portion. The rest of the orders were good, with larger portions in general than typical. I would suggest using a slightly higher oil temperature for the fried food to make it crisper and less oily.Good value and pleasant experience!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi Bento, Spider Roll, Gyoza
Takoyaki, hamachi belly nigiri, spider roll, miso soup, special roll. All super affordable and great quality. Cute spot would definitely
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was happy to see them open again, but now I'm disappointed in how they do the business. Charging for green tea and Worcester sauce? That's a disgrace to Japanese culture. Sushi wasn't that fresh either.