If you’ve been to Yas Bay Waterfront you’ve probably noticed the bright neon signage and upbeat music emanating from Akiba Dori. This new Japanese street food restaurant hails from D3 in Dubai, so it automatically comes with a sense of style that ushers you in from across the pier.
Akiba Dori is inspired by the buzzing Akihabara district in Japan; if you’ve been dreaming of a trip to the land of the rising sun, you won’t need to set foot on a plane just yet. This is the first time the restaurant has found a home in Abu Dhabi; it was founded in Dubai in 2018, where it’s become known for playful décor and fusion pizzas.
After taking many snaps of the interiors (and perhaps a selfie or two in the giant mirror inside) settle into your seat and order up. Our starting picks? Go with salmon tataki and seafood gyoza. Both are tasty and well-prepared, and you’ll be dancing in our seats to the hip-hop beats while you wait for mains.
If you’re curious about what goes into a Tokyo pizza, you might be a little disappointed that the dish the restaurant is best known for falls a little flat. The pizza arrives piping hot – a little too hot, with the sauce sliding right off the crust and pooling into a watery centre, leaving the buffalo mozzarella swimming. If you’re a sworn fan of sloppy pizzas, you’ll be sold. If not, we can confirm the flavours are still strong (just with added slurp).
But the real start of the meal is Akiba Dori’s crisp, tender katsu sando. You can’t go wrong with this dish.
Overall Akiba Dori manages to create a happy, vibrant experience with its cool décor and some mostly solid food. We’re eyeing the molten matcha brownie for next time.
What is it?
A new neon spot at Yas Bay that’s packed with fun vibes
Why go?
The katsu sando slaps
