This was published 9 years ago
New taste sensation Akiba generates excitement on opening night
By Kimberley Granger
Owners of Canberra's next big eatery, Akiba, are keen to differentiate themselves from the rest.
But if you're not a bar or a restaurant, what does that make you?
A queue of people waiting on Saturday night to take advantage of a promotional offer from new restaurant Akiba in the heart of Canberra.Credit: Jay Cronan
"A bit more like a social club," explains owner Peter Harrington. "We're making it fast, fun and affordable."
Akiba comes from the creators of renowned Canberra restaurant, Sage.
Lucky diners peruse the menu at Akiba attended to by wait staff.Credit: Jay Cronan
But brothers Peter and Mike, along with Dino Jugovac, have decided to shake up the dining scene with their new project.
Peter Harrington said the restaurant's fit-out and Asian-inspired food brought a little bit of New York flair to Canberra. Bright neon lights combine with natural materials and earthy colours to create a vibrant, relaxed atmosphere.
Akiba used social media to offer the first 100 people through the door free food on Sunday. There was no shortage of takers – some patrons queued up for over an hour in the drab and drizzly weather.
Grant Heino said he saw the invite on Twitter earlier in the day.
"We got here just before 5pm," Grant said. "I think it's exciting to see new stuff like this happening in Canberra. It's pretty dead around this area ... so it's nice to see something in here again," he said.
Eve Sawa had the inside scoop on the free food, as her daughter, Jasmine, is an apprentice chef at Akiba.
"We're pretty keen to see her in action and cooking ... we don't know what to expect, but we're hoping for pleasant surprises," Eve said.
The owners were keen to perfect the food, drinks and experience before officially opening to the public.
As diners were seated by friendly wait staff, the food was beginning to roll out.
The night's menu included Japanese fried chicken, dumplings, steamed buns and a selection of raw fish and seafood.
Yum Cha-style trolleys make for a casual but vibrant dining setting. Peter said the "eclectic electric" theme, came from the space they've moved in to.
"This is the ACT's energy-providing building, so we really wanted to correlate our style with an energetic feeling," he said.
"It's a fast-paced style of venue, lots of great drinks, really tasty food."
And as for the name: "What we were looking for was a name that captured the energy of the place. You know when you walk in to a place and you can't quite decipher what it is, but it just feels great? When you walk in and you're excited already," Mike explains.
Akiba will be open to the public on Monday night, ahead of the grand opening on Friday, December 19.