Squid Eats: Akita Asian Cuisine

We took our time on our way down to Pennsylvania a few weeks ago.  Between Schenectady (see here) and the Tree Farm (here), we made an overnight stop in Scranton because it's about halfway.  In search of a place for dinner that was reasonably close to our hotel, we chose Akita Asian Cuisine in nearby Moosic.

It's not fair to say at all but upstate Pennsylvania - meaning everything that isn't Philadelphia or Pittsburgh - can easily feel like a land of strip malls.  Such is the location for Akita, though the restaurant itself is inviting once you're inside.  I'd say there were about eight tables and a sushi bar in a comfortable, shoebox shaped room with an open space in the middle allowing easy navigation for the wait staff.  The decor is simple - nothing either glamorous or memorable.  It's a functional space.  Sometimes, that's all you need.

I got the sashimi dinner:

The fish was both expertly cut and beautifully presented.  Some of the cuts were still a bit too cold.  We're talking about raw fish so obviously you want it stored on ice before it's prepared but it's supposed to then warm in the chef's hand.  I realize I could also have been a bit more patient.  I was hungry.  It's a minor gripe.  Overall, I enjoyed my meal just fine.

Akita does not have a liquor license - not a disaster, obviously, but I do typically enjoy a couple beers in the evening.  We bought some elsewhere afterwards - no easy feat in Pennsylvania.  The state has some of the strangest liquor laws in the United States.  If you're curious, Nick Vadala explains it all here.