Akiba Dori has opened its doors in Abu Dhabi

The Japanese street food favourite resides at Yas Bay Waterfront.

Neon lights, lofi hip hop and Tokyo-esque pizza can mean only one thing in Abu Dhabi: Akiba Dori is here. Located in the newly launched Yas Bay Waterfront, the new dining destination presents a modern store-front styled space, with its design and vibe inspired by the food halls and buzzy streets of Akihabara, home of anime culture and all things electronic in Japan. Here, diners can choose from indoor and al fresco seating, the latter boasting one of the best panoramic sunset views on the waterfront.

The menu at the Abu Dhabi outpost features a selection of classics – sushi, curries, sandos, sliders and gyozas included. Each offering represents the culinary traditions of Japanese street food – reimagined by Akiba Dori, of course. Highlights include fan favourites such as the Akiba Rock Shrimps that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and glazed with the restaurant’s secret spicy mayo sauce. From the sushi menu, the Wagyu Truffle Maki offers a top serving of Wagyu beef-rolled sushi topped with the house sauce. 

Mains, meanwhile, call for comfort food. Case in the point: the Chicken Katsu Curry, which pairs a generous serving of Akiba Dori’s rich and creamy chicken katsu curry with a side of Japanese rice. To finish, the aptly named Lotus Cheesecake is topped with lotus sauce and lotus crumbs – and a must-try for those in the capital guilty of a sweet tooth. But we’d be remiss not to mention the unique Tokyo-style Neapolitan Pizzas that Akiba Dori is known and loved for. Using Japanese dough topped with Neapolitan ingredients, which is then prepared in a Japanese wood-fire oven, these pizzas blend two different styles to create slices like no other in the country.

Samer Hamadeh, founder of Akiba Dori, says, “The thought process behind the expansion is to continue to deliver on the promise we made when we opened our doors in Dubai, three years ago. Our goal was to make Japanese food as accessible as possible to everyone in Dubai and beyond. Akiba Dori is a Japanese restaurant for people who have never been to Japan, purely because our food is comfort food above all else – it is something that everyone can experience, enjoy and celebrate”

GO: Visit www.yasbay.ae/dine_in/akiba-dori or call 04 770 7949 for more information.