Akar

"We had our anniversary dinner there last Sunday. Food was scrumptious! My husband said this restaurant reminded him of one of his favorite restaurants in SOHO, Hong Kong, which also reserved a lot memories of us together when we were in Hong Kong. We will definitely come back again. Short rib: slow cooked and extremely tender, excellent Asian American fusion with peas under and carrots. Scallops: love the risotto flavor with the scallops. That cabbage starter was typical Chinese restaurant starter , very appetizing. We love the desserts too, mocha brûlée, asked pear and that cake. All not too sweet but just right."

"This food was amazing! The tables were a bit close together for my liking but worth it. Great place for vegans and non. You all MUST get the brussel sprouts! We were also happy to see they had a mocktail menu and the drink I got was yummy!"

"Some of the best food in STL. Jason was a great and attentive server. Highly recommend the lamb shank, gnocchi, pickled cabbage, scallops, sake-poached pear, bread pudding, and matcha creme brulee. Thanks for a great night, Akar team!"

"I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the wait staff. The drinks were unique. The one i had, serai, was very good. I lived the addition of black pepper on the rim. The pickled cabbage is hands down the best I've ever had. I would order that by the bucket! The other two meals i had were mediocre. The crispy chicken was fine. But the chicken itself was under seasoned and the breading was too much. It distracted from the amazing herbs and glaze. The breading was initially crispy but began falling off. Id have preferred a lighter maybe cornmeal breading or none at all with a crispy skin. The scallop dish was mediocre as well. Everything was good until i got to the orzo pasta. Pasta was not necessary. It was very starchy/floury? The dish would have made a great appetizer if the lobster curry was lessened and the orzo removed. The mango/scallop pairing was great! The olive oil cake for dessert was very pleasant. Not too sweet. There was a lingering bitterness though but it isn't ruin the experience. Overall I'd try it again but try other dishes to see if the more traditional Malaysian foods are better."

"Nice and cozy place near the University area. Just bumped into this while searching for south east Asian cuisine on Google. Definitely worth the 4.8 stars that the reviewers have left. Excellent ambience (small but cute and cozy). Delicious food. And awesome service. They reserved a place for us inside (outside is free seating). Helped us through the menu providing great recommendations. The food was great. I loved the chicken as it had just the right balance of crispness and juicy and tenderness. The duck was tender and the ravioli was great. The ice cream was something I never tried before and I liked it very much (plain vanilla with a hint of coconut milk and pistachios). Would recommend anyone to give it a shot and I'll likely visit it again when I am in town."