Chirashi Test at Akebono

 

5/14/25 Akebono, Wedgwood neighborhood

On my way to the Wedgwood post office several weeks ago, I noticed that a new Japanese restaurant was getting ready to open nearby. Its space had been occupied by a divey Chinese place for many years, so a cleaner (and hopefully tasty) Japanese restaurant was very welcome in my neck of the woods. (As much as I like Moriyama and AA Sushi, each requires a drive through time-consuming traffic, despite being only a few miles away.)

Someday I'll arrive for lunch earlier so that I'll have
the patience to sketch this lovely meal properly in full color.

The next time I had a postal errand, I stopped for lunch at Akebono (which means dawn) to give it my “chirashi test.” I like to order chirashi the first time I try any Japanese restaurant because it gives me a useful general overview of the food quality and presentation. It’s typically a colorfully arranged “chef’s choice” of sashimi over a bowl of rice. As an extra credit to the test, I asked if I could have saba (mackerel) added to my chirashi (saba, one of my favorites, is not usually included in any chirashi I’ve ever ordered). They happily accommodated my request at no extra charge. I’d say Akebono passed my test with flying colors!

Speaking of colors, with lunch a bit late-ish that day, I was famished, so my sketch was hasty and without much detail (but with enough notes for my future reference). However, I’m including a photo here so you can see how colorful it really was.

In addition to sushi, Akebono has a vast menu of other items – ramen, Japanese style curry, non-fish meats, bento boxes and more. I’m looking forward to trying other things someday, especially since it’s so close to my neighborhood.