Roka Akor Chicago Raises Funds for Breast Cancer Awareness

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Roka Akor Chicago was thrilled to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness month by creating a special drink menu and a nightly silent auction for Omakase for two in the month of October. The Roka Akor Chicago team strongly supports the cause and as a result of the generous contributions of our guests, we were able to raise over $6,000 in donations to support the American Cancer Society.

Roka Akor raised funds for breast cancer awareness, education and programs within the Chicago area by promoting our special “Think Pink” drink menu created by our talented mixology staff, a partnership with Champagne House of Laurent-Perrier. The “Think Pink” cocktails included a Pink Pomegranate Shochu, the “Pink Ribbon”, and the “Beat It” cocktail. We also featured a special on Cuvee Rose Brut champagne, where portions of glasses and bottles sold were donated to the cause.

Additionally, each night during the month of October, Roka Akor auctioned an Omakase dinner for Two, a special chef-created menu where guests enjoy a one-of-a-kind multi-course dining experience. All proceeds from the auction went directly to American Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Awareness.
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. But helping create these birthdays has taken hard work — decades of scientific research, advocacy, patient support, and much more. Thanks in part to the work of the American Cancer Society, 11 million cancer survivors will celebrate another birthday this year. Roka Akor proudly supports the cause and is thankful to have the great support of our customers to make such a great contribution.

Sake Myths Debunked!

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Think sake is a spirit or a kind of wine? Think it has to be consumed warm? Think again. We’re here to debunk a few popular myths about the Japanese alcoholic drink.

MYTH: Sake has a massively high alcohol content.

TRUTH: The exact proportion varies depending on the brewer, but the typical percentage is 16% or so. That’s higher than wine, but not by much, and way lower than typical top-shelf spirits.

MYTH: Sake is a kind of spirit or wine.

TRUTH: Sake is often described as “rice wine”, which is inaccurate, and sometimes compared to spirits because of its appearance and perceived strength. In production terms, it’s actually more like beer than anything else, but still so distinct that grouping it together with other western-oriented alcoholic drink categories is fairly pointless.

MYTH: Sake should be served warm or hot.

TRUTH: Sake should be served slightly colder than room temperature, so no long-term refrigeration or heating is necessary.

MYTH: Sake should be consumed from shot glasses.

TRUTH: In a Japanese context, the key rule is that you shouldn’t top up your own drink. The spirit should be sipped to enjoy the flavor, rather than shot like tequila.

Wondering where to start ? Here’s our list of the best sake Chicago has to offer.

Chicago, Meet Shochu

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Since we’ve shared the best sake Chicago has to offer, Roka Akor wants to introduce you to shochu – a distilled spirit that is ubiquitous in Japan. Not widely known in the States, shochu outsells sake in its homeland, and can even be purchased from street vending machines.

With an alcohol content generally averaging 25 percent, shochu can be made and distilled from any number of starches including buckwheat, barley, rice and even brown sugar. The spirit provides different taste profiles depending on which starch is used in it’s creation. The palate may read it as similar to vodka, gin or tequila, although it is lower than all of these in both proof and calories- shochu has about 1/3rd the calories of an equal amount of vodka.

Roka Akor is currently offering seven varieties of shochu, with flavors including blueberry, pineapple and mango-chile. As we head into the Fall and Winter season, we will be adding seasonal options including fig and spiced apple. The infusions are served over ice that is freshly chipped from an ultra-pure 60-pound-block custom ordered for the restaurant.

Join us today and enjoy the fresh cherry and black peppercorn Manhattan, mixed with house-infused cherry-peppercorn shochu with Punt e Mes vermouth, Angostura bitters and cherry syrup.

Chicago Sake Highlight at Roka Akor

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At Roka Akor we take our sake seriously. We’ve made it our mission to bring rare and hard to find brands to Chicago for your tippling pleasure. The best sake in the world is now available in River North.

Here’s the lowdown on five sake brands you won’t find anywhere else in Chicago.

Azure
We love this stuff. In fact, Roka Akor is the only restaurant in the state of Illinois who carries it. Shipped directly from Japan, our working relationship with Azure allows us to carry this rare gem at all of our restaurants worldwide.

Chikurin Junmai Ginjo Organic
Yet another sake you can’t imbibe anywhere else in Chicago (starting to see a parttern here?) by the glass, it’s the only EU and USDA certified organic sake. That means a start to finish process of starting with estate grown organic rice and sake production and ending in your hand at Roka Akor.

Kenbishi
Japan is an old country and they adore tradition. Kenbishi is one of those special alcohols that have been produced the same way by the same brewing masters for six hundred years. That’s right: it’s the oldest brand of sake in Japan, and we’re serving it for you buy the glass.

Watari Bune
Rare means hard to get. Watari Bune might have taken the idea of a “limited run” too far… Made from a thought to be extinct sake rice that was rediscovered from 28 grams of seedlings and brought back into production Watari Bune is the sake that almost never was.

No. 9
When top shelf sake is made each grain of rice is polished down to the best inner morsels. No. 9 is produced from the highest polished rice in the world. Amazingly, fewer than 400 bottles remain in existence due to the devastating 2011 Japanese Tsunami. While the producer has vowed to rebuild, it will take years. In the mean time we’re holding a bottle or three behind the bar at Roka Akor Chicago.

Mention this blog post in the Sake and Shochu Lounge and we’ll put together a special off-the-menu sake flight with some of our best offerings.

Roka Akor Opens in Chicago’s River North

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Good news for Midwest-based fans of Roka Akor: you no longer have to fly to Arizona to get your sushi fix! This week, Roka opened a new location (alongside sister restaurant Bombay Spice) in Chicago’s chic River North neighborhood, resulting in plenty of buzz from the local media. Monday’s grand opening event was a huge success, with over 500 satisfied attendees.

The Chicago outpost has much in common with the Roka you know and love, with some exciting additions. The dazzling dining room features tall windows that let in an abundance of natural light, illuminating the wood and glass that fills the restaurant’s interior. The wine room, enclosed by a stunning glass wall, is home to an extensive selection of international wines, carefully selected to pair with Roka’s cuisine. Shochu infusions make an appearance as well, crafted specially for the restaurant using fruits, spices, ginger and honey to be consumed alone or mixed into cocktails. Exciting new flavors include mango and chili, black cherry and pepper, and coconut and ginger. Bartender Dante LoPresti has expanded on the cocktail list of the Scottsdale location to include original libations such as his signature creation “THE ONE,” featuring Bombay Sapphire Gin, junmai sake, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, housemade kombu-infused soy syrup, ginger, fresh lemon juice and a lemon peel garnish.

The menu will feature all of Roka Akor’s classic dishes, as well as many new items including roasted king crab with chili lime butter and fresh cucumber, beef tataki with shaved black truffle and truffle jus, and robata-grilled chicken wings with sancho salt and lime. Chef Ce Bian will offer an omakase menu, allowing guests to leave the fate of their meal in his capable hands.

Whether you live in Chicago, have friends there, or plan to visit soon, you won’t be disappointed by Roka’s 111 W. Illinois St. location. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, make your reservation by calling
(312) 477-7652 or clicking here. We look forward to your visit!

Double Your Happiness This Summer At Roka Akor Scottsdale

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If you weren’t excited enough that summer is here, Roka Akor in Scottsdale has two more reasons for you to be happy this season: double happy hours every day!  From 5 to 7 pm, enjoy half-off shochu infusions and premium martinis, $3-off wines by the glass and $5 cocktail specials!  Five dollars can also get you a glass of hot or cold sake, a Skinnygirl margarita (with only 100 calories), or two Japanese beers.

Of course, there is no shortage of delicious and inexpensive izakaya snacks to accompany your pleasingly priced libations.  Choose from mini burgers like our savory crimini mushroom burger with spicy wasabi aioli, or a variety of hot and cold plates.  Classic Roka Akor dishes like robata-grilled meats, seafood and vegetables are available, as well as many of your sushi and sashimi favorites.

Now, here’s where the double happiness comes in: you can do it all again every night after 9 pm!  Join us until we close for a reverse happy hour. All the same specials are available; you can find the full happy hour menu on our website. We look forward to seeing your happy faces soon–twice!

Father’s Day Ultimate Grilling Experience at Roka Akor

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It’s hard not to notice the robata grill while dining at Roka Akor. Located in the center of the dining room, it is the heart of the restaurant, where sixty percent of our menu is prepared.  Japanese for “around the fireplace,” the robata grill originated hundreds of years ago among Japanese fishermen who would grill their daily catch while still on the boat, using wooden oars to pass food from boat to boat to share with their neighbors. This slow grilling method relies on oak charcoal to enhance natural flavors, and meats, fish and vegetables are finished with savory marinades. Binchotan, the charcoal used for grilling, is nearly smokeless. It is arranged in a pyramid to evenly and steadily circulate heat around the food, helping to develop savory umami flavors. Because of the simplicity of this cooking style, it is imperative that the ingredients used are of the highest quality.

Of course, grilling is an American tradition that is commonly associated with dads. This Father’s Day, June 19th, bring Dad to Roka Akor so he can learn all about a new kind of grilling. Chances are he’s never tried his hand at the robata grill, and our special four-course Father’s Day tasting menu will be the perfect introduction to this flavorful and robust cuisine. The whole family is sure to love our robata-grilled shishito peppers, yakitori skewers, prime ribeye with Madagascan tiger prawns, and more.

If Dad is still craving that robata-grilled flavor for days afterwards, he may be in luck–everyone who makes a reservation for June 19th will automatically be entered to win the Ultimate Grilling Giveaway.  If your dad is selected, he will be invited along with four friends to attend a private grilling class where he will learn to work the robata grill like a master, taste a variety of meats paired with Japanese beer and sake, ride around town in a chauffeured limo, and take home a grilling essentials prize package so you and the rest of the family can enjoy the benefits of his grilling adventure! Visit our website for more details, and then reserve your table online or by calling (480)306-8800.

Sake and Shochu at Roka Akor

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When selecting a beverage to go with a meal, we usually go straight for the wine or beer list.  While both can pair wonderfully with Japanese cuisine, sake and shochu are two other, often overlooked options that can add new dimensions of flavor and authenticity to the dining experience.

At Roka Akor, we offer a wide variety of both spirits to enjoy alongside your meal or with  some Izakaya bar snacks in our Shochu Lounge.  Sake, the more ubiquitous of the two, is a rice-based fermented beverage brewed in a similar manner to beer.  It is often characterized by crisp, clean and fruity flavors, and can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature.  Sake is available at Roka Akor by the glass, carafe, or bottle.  Our most popular selections by the glass include Azure Ginjo, a light, fragrant sake, and the more complex Masuizumi Junmai Daiginjo.  If you’re looking for an interesting bottle of sake, try the Taisetsu, aged in ice igloos, with a hint of caramel on the palate and a smooth finish.  Another great way to enjoy sake at Roka Akor is in one of our specialty cocktails, like the Saketini–made with sake, shochu and cucumber.

For a drink with a bit more of a kick, you might want to give shochu a try. Shochu is similar to a vodka so if you prefer this spirit, you will certainly enjoy the smooth taste of shochu. Distilled rather than brewed, shochu has a slightly higher level of alcohol (about 25%, as opposed to sake’s 15%).  Shochu can be distilled from many different ingredients, but most commonly it is made from barley, rice or sweet potatoes.  It is not quite as fruity as sake, but rather leans more toward nutty and earthy flavors.  There are many different ways to enjoy shochu, including neat (on its own), on the rocks (with ice), diluted with a small amount of room temperature or hot water, or in mixed drinks.  It is delicious when infused with fruits or other ingredients–at Roka Akor we offer infusions including honeycomb, pineapple, and Fuji apple, as well as an ever-changing seasonal selection.  You can also select from our list of shochu by the glass or bottle.  Try the Jougo, distilled from brown sugar, or the Sakura Saku, made from cherry blossoms.  You can also sample our shochu cocktails, like the Tokyopolitan–a fun twist on a classic consisting of shochu, lime, and
cranberry juice.

Shishito Peppers: The Perfect Japanese Snack

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Japanese cuisine is generally not known for being particularly spicy, but one type of pepper has snuck its way onto izakaya menus in America and Japan alike–and acquired many adoring fans along the way.  The shishito pepper, which some diners may recognize as the larger cousin of the Spanish Padrón pepper, has a delicate, mild and slightly sweet flavor that makes for a simple and delightful Japanese appetizer.

The shishito pepper resembles a shrunken green bell pepper in appearance–about three inches long and bright green, with grooves or “wrinkles” running up the length–but the flavor is quite different from that of a bell pepper.  Though shishito peppers are generally not as spicy as a jalepeño or serrano pepper, once in a while you may find yourself biting into one that has a bit of a kick.

These peppers, allegedly brought to Japan by the Portuguese several centuries ago, have been aptly nicknamed “wrinkled old man peppers,” though their name translates to “Chinese lion.”  They can be eaten raw or pickled, but most lovers of the shishito pepper will agree that they taste best simply stir-fried or grilled in olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Next time you dine at Roka Akor, start your meal with our robata-grilled take on the classic preparation, enhanced by the flavors of ponzu and bonita flakes.  You might just find yourself a new favorite snack!

Valentine’s Day in Japan

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As soon as February begins, Americans are bombarded at every turn with images of Cupid, hearts and flowers, and the world (or at least the mall) seems to be painted in varying shades of pink and red.  We are encouraged to buy Valentine’s Day gifts for our loved ones, exchange cards, and dress up to dine at romantic, dimly lit restaurants.  It is easy to assume that these traditions that are so ubiquitous in our country are customary throughout the world, but many countries have their own unique ways of observing this celebration of love.

The centuries-old European and American tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day did not reach Japan until 1936, when it was introduced by a confectionery company in an advertisement aimed at foreigners.  Two decades later, the same company began to promote the giving of heart-shaped chocolates.  Other companies quickly followed suit and a new tradition was born.  However, the giving of chocolate is generally the only similarity to Western Valentine’s Day celebrations, and it is only given by women to men- supposedly the result of an error in translation!  On this day, women give chocolate not just to their boyfriends and husbands, but also to their male co-workers and friends.  This custom originally was favored for allowing normally timid and reserved Japanese women to express their feelings.  Great attention is paid to making sure the right amount of chocolate is given to each person, and a hierarchy exists that ranges from “obligatory” chocolate, which may be given to an unpopular co-worker, to “favorite” chocolate, given to a loved one.

In the 1980s, the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association launched a successful campaign to establish March 14th to establish a “reply” day on which men return the favor to the women who gave them
chocolates with gifts of at least two or three times the value.  Initially only chocolate was given, but now it is common to give more typical “Western” gifts such as clothing, jewelery and lingerie.

If this Japanese chocolate-exchange sounds all good and well to you but you still want your romantic Valentine’s Day dinner, join us at Roka Akor!  We will be featuring a special Valentine’s Day tasting menu from Friday, February 11 through Monday, February 14.  Enjoy chef-created menu items including Creekstone Farms prime filet and chili ginger sauce with robata-grilled mushrooms and soy garlic butter.  The tasting menu is priced at $79 per person (minimum 2 people), not including beverages, tax and gratuity.  Roka Akor’s regular menu will also be available all weekend long. View the complete Tasting Menu, then call 480.306.8800 to make your reservation!