Location: AKI
                181 West 4th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenue)
                New York, NY
Phone:     (212) 989-5440

Price Range: Appetizers - $6.00-$11.00
                     Rolls - $3.00-$10.00
                     Sushi/Sashimi - $16.00-$38.00

AKI may be defined as an innovative sushi bar that masterfully blends Jamaican accented ingredients with an authentic interpretation of Japanese cuisine. A few steps above street level, the Japanese restaurant is easy to miss, although it would be a loss to any serious diner should it be overlooked. The extraordinary thing about AKI is that it is one of the only Asian eateries that features creations that fuse flavors from the tropics with traditional Asian cuisine.

The master behind AKI, is Chef "Siggy" Shigeaki who simply goes by the name of "Siggy." His past cooking experience includes serving as the private chef to the Japanese Ambassador to the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.

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The exciting and artfully arranged appetizers seem to hint at tropical beaches and fragrant breezes - exactly how you want to feel in blustery New York weather.

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There he developed a unique blend of Japanese cuisine with Jamaican zest. His creations were served at various diplomatic affairs in the past and now thankfully, New Yorkers may taste a little AKI.

The interior of AKI is quite small and appears to fit a maximum of about 25 people. Several customers can sit at tables and several more can be seated by the sushi bar to the right. But the restaurant still manages to be comfortable and cozy. It might be friendly waitstaff who are always on hand to answer any questions about the menu.

The exciting and artfully arranged appetizers seem to hint at tropical beaches and fragrant breezes-exactly how you want to feel in blustery New York weather. There are more than ten choices and it may be difficult to choose since all of them seem worthwhile. It is best to order several for everyone to sample. Salmon stuffed with shrimp paste in mushroom soup is immensely gratifying with its delectable blend of savor and sweetness. The Jamaican Chicken is rolled with shrimp paste and vegetables and complimented with a strip of mango teriyaki (fried mango) and banana teriyaki (fried banana). An appealing item is the tofu entrage, a pizza topped with tofu, enoki mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and green curry sauce. The eel napoleon is prepared with pumpkin, fried tofu, crispy won-tons, and mashed eel. Subtly spiced with ginger, it conveys a flavor not found in mainstream Japanese restaurants.

AKI, recognized as a sushi bar, offers a variety of sushi and sashimi combinations as well as a-la-carte options. The fried oyster roll is of particular aesthetic delight. Creatively rolled with red leaf lettuce, fried oysters, and vegetables, it is not only artistic and colorful, but extremely palatable as well. The Caribbean roll, made with mango, avocado, and yellowtail, effectively exemplifies the establishment of Jamaican influence as does the jerk chicken roll composed of hearts of palms , jerk chicken, vegetables, and black tobikko.

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