SCOTTSDALE

ROKA AKOR

ROKA AKOR PROMISES ENERGETIC, UPSCALE JAPANESE DINING

02/15/2008 - 2 comments by Megan Finnerty and Howard Seftel - Feb. 15, 2008 11:36 AM
The Arizona Republic

The American sister to the buzzy London Japanese restaurant Roka opens Monday in Scottsdale, bringing its modern, earthy aesthetic and uncomplicated culinary style to the Valley.

Roka Akor group executive chef and COO Nicholas Watt said the company, which has Roka Akors in Macau, Dubai and Hong Kong, is thrilled to open in Scottsdale as the first of several restaurants planned for America.

"This area has an educated palate, a gorgeous location and the demographics are a perfect fit for the restaurant," he said.

The 7,500-square-foot Roka Akor is built around a massive, multitiered Robatayaki grill, staffed by shouting, energetic chefs who skewer vegetables and meats over bincho-tan, fragrant Japanese oak charcoal that’s noted for burning hot and smokeless.

Designed to be a reflection, not a copy, of the London original, Roka Akor derives its name from the words Ro, which means a hearth, and Ka, which is related to ideas about fire and energy. And the Akor part is Roka in reverse, as though reflected in a mirror, or at least that's the PR take on the whole thing.

"This is not a quiet, reserved place," Watt said. "There is a great deal of energy coming from the kitchen, noise and smoke and movement, all spilling out into the dining room, and the chefs interact with the guests, demonstrating techniques, discussing ingredients."

Noriyoshi Muramatsu designed the bar and lounge in collaboration with the Tokyo-based firm Super Potato, giving it a distinct aesthetic, with rustic elements juxtaposed against modern ones. Walls are made of rammed earth, so rocks, straw and dirt are part of the visual and tactile experience.

Similarly, the wide wooden bar around the grilling space is made of reclaimed Irish Oak, with unfinished edges. But the space is finished with round wooden tables, frosted glass ice bars, a stainless steel and glass vertical wine cellar and slatted wooden shades.

"Nothing gives me more pleasure than to see a person touching the walls," Watt said with a smile. "It's a very full sensory experience here."

Even the plates invite touch, as they're hand-made, rustic ceramic pieces with rough edges and grainy textures, all in earthen colors.

The food served on them ranges from small plates to entrees to sushi, all cooked with an eye for simplicity and purity of presentation as directed by executive chef Bjoern Weissgerber. Items include tuna tataki salad with apple mustard dressing, rock shrimp with wasabi pea seasoning and fresh lime, Wagyu sushi, Oscietra caviar, spring onion and fresh ginger, and lamb cutlets with Korean spices.

The attention to simplicity and authenticity continues at the bar, where servers saw off chunks of ice from a block for shochu, a distilled grain alcohol stored in glass jugs and served with wooden ladles. It comes infused with flavors ranging from blood orange to raspberry and makes an exotic alternative to sake, but you can get that here too, of course.

The food

What comes off the showcase robata grill is called robatayaki, skewered meat, seafood and vegetables.

Among the meat robatayaki are baby back ribs ($18), quail marinated in plum wine ($12), honey-basted duck breast ($24) and miso-braised veal chop ($35). Robata seafood includes sea bream ($16), black cod marinated in yuzu miso ($24) and wild Madagascan prawn ($32.50). Vegetables range through eggplant ($6.50), mushrooms ($7.50) and asparagus ($6).

The menu also features house specialties like foie gras wrapped in soy paper ($16), a rice hot pot with king crab and tobiko ($24), tuna tartare with caviar and quail egg ($12) and beef tataki with daikon and truffle ($14).

Sushi is also part of the mix. The sushi list rounds up the usual suspects: yellowtail ($6.50), sea bass ($6.50), Japanese red snapper ($10), octopus ($10), unagi ($10), uni ($12), blue fin tuna ($16) and o-toro fatty tuna ($26).

There’s also a selection of tempura, like assorted vegetables ($10) and rock shrimp ($12).

Written by Megan Finnerty and Howard Seftel