Maison Akira

After studying under the world renowned Joel Robuchon in Paris, and achieved success in Japan, Chef Akira Hirose moved his cuisine to Los Angeles and cooked in several successful establishment, including Belvedere in Beverly Hills. Maison Akira is his very own establishment dated back to 1998 and has been providing top dining experience for the Southern California foodie. His French cuisine is infused with Japanese influences and over the course of dining here, I understand why.

Seared Hokkaido Scallops

This scallop comes with a bit of saltiness and a moderate heat from the Sriracha sauce. A very interesting start for the night 

Hamachi & Ahi Tuna Sashimi Duo with Masago Wasabi

This is actually my first time having Wasabi Masago and, I must say, I prefer this over regular wasabi. Not only does it come with the wasabi flavor, the wasabi masage also bring along the saltiness, which I really enjoy. The Hamachi is quite fresh and it's at the thickness that I like, same goes with the Ahi Tuna. Along with the red round pepper, the combination of this dish balanced each other quit well.

Escargots de Bourgogne

This is another first for me: Traditional French style Escargo. The sauce is a bit buttery with a strong hinch of garlic and green onion. Going along the squishy, yet spongy texture of the Escargo. It was definitely a bliss.   

Foie Gras (with Toasted Brioche, Poached egg) 

The seared Foie Gras comes with a nice touch of sweet terrikayi sauce, which enriches the Foie. Along with a perfectly poached egg, this definitely makes the dish a hearty bite. However, the sweetness was a bit too much for me, but it was still a great bite.

Duo of Oyster Flan & Hamahama Osyter with Salmon Roe 

There's two parts to this dish: One is the Osyter Flan, the other is a bacon wrapped oyster. (warning: if you're not a fishy person, you may stop here and move on to the next dish, otherwise, please proceed) The Oyster Flan can be described as "taste of the ocean", it is comparable to the flavor of Uni, since it's a concentrate of Osyter. Along with sea urchin sauce, this dish is a very heavy dose of fishiness. The bacon wrapped oyster is a delicious, "I can eat all day" delicacy. Its sweet and smoky flavor definitely makes this dish complete.

Matsutake Mushroom & Shrimp Bouillon

This broth can be best explained by imagining a nice home cooked broth. Everything came together in a harmonious way. Yet, to my disappointment, this broth come with a lot of ginger and it's a bit bitter.

Miso Marinated Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Grilled Ratatouille & Quinoa

This is Chef Akira’s Signature Dish, served to the Emperor & Empress of Japan during their visit to Los Angeles in 1994. The seabass is perfectly cooked, with a nice crispy and a bit fatty skin. The Ratatouille is served on top of a bed of Israeli couscous, which brings in a subtle flavor to this dish.

Pear Sake Granité

Very light, sweet and clean. A very nice palet cleansing sorbet. Definitely a good break. from all the heavy food.

Grilled Snake River Farm “Kobe“ New York Steak in a Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

This nicely cooked kobe beef is tender, moist and juicy. Bringing in a lot flavoring and extenuating the beef's natural flavor.

Brown Turkey Fig Compote, with Vanilla bean ice cream and roasted almond

What I really like about this dish is the nice fig's texture. A little caramelized, yet, keeping its natural flavor in tact. The addition of Vanilla bean ice cream definitely make a great complement to this dish

Grand Marnier Soufflé Classic, strawberry sorbet

This perfectly cooked souffle contains a nice fluffy spongy cake texture, in addition of the vanilla flavor, makes this a very nice ending for the night. The strawberry sorbet that follows has a natural sweetness of the strawberry to go with it.

All in all, I'm satisfied with what I've experienced here. The food is consistent and subtle. You can't go wrong with this place. Yet, perhaps I was looking for more creativity in the food, I wasn't satisfied. However, I do hope that Chef Hirosh will bring in some interesting dish in the future that could knock my hat off, and I'm sure he can do that.