I can't review the sushi, as I did not partake, but the karaoke rooms here are great. Â The space is clean, the technology is easy to understand, and the songbooks are decently varied. Â Our server did a great job keeping drinks filled, and he had no problem providing split checks for the 20 or so of us that crammed into a karaoke room.
Review Source:My new fav sushi joint!
Went here with my clients and we got a lot of sushi. I love the atmosphere. I got a Ketel One Martini made dirty and it was perfect!
I loved the Seaweed Salad and the Spicy Tuna stuff. The dynamite Mussels were to die for and I will get them again and again!
We got so many rolls I can't list but every one of them was great. We tried only a few spicy things but I love spicy.
My go to place for sushi in Athens. Definitely the best quality of fish out of all the sushi places of Athens and, while the wait staff kinda sucks, sitting at the sushi bar is the best. Chefs are very friendly and nice. Great to go on a slow night; on top of the free salad and tempura oreo, they usually make an extra appetizer (once it was baked mussels, I've also been given a grilled steak appetizer) when it's not crazy. My fiance and I went here last night for Valentine's day for a late dinner which was perfect most of the diners had cleared out.
Review Source:In fairness this was mine and my wife's first sushi experience, but it was fantastic! We read the other reviews and sat at the bar. Our waiter was an exceptionally nice guy. When we explained this was our first experience he took time to explain everything then he came back a short time later with marks on a menu with things he would recommend. We took several of his recommendations and wow! They were great. We talked to several of the chefs behind the bar and they were very helpful and exceptionally friendly.
Now for the food we had a salad that had crab in it. Quite tasty. They gave us some mussels in sauce on the half shell. These were amazing! My wife who does not like mussels ate hers up. This was followed by some steamed dumplings and sashimi (chefs choice). The steamed dumplings were great dipped in the sauce. Both were great and we followed those withe a miso soup and a spicy mushroom soup very good. Then the stars of the show arrived. We ordered spicy tuna roll, chefs choice, and a UGA roll. The chef took the time to come over and asked what we proffered and split the chefs choice between spicy for me and regular for my wife on the chefs choice. I can't tell you how much we enjoyed these creation or how great they looked. Our waiter then came over and took the time to give me a tip of combing some of the warm soy sauce and wasabi and dip the spicy tuna roll in it. Amazing! It took a good dish to the next level. Fully satisfied we talked a bit then the fried Oreo's arrived. You need to get these, they are fantastic.
Shokitini is a very nicely decorated place with great service and unbelievable food. This trip was my wife's treat for my birthday. When we finished I told her I was buying the next time and how soon could we come back? Â We wanted to try saki and asked our waiter for a recommendation and ordered it. We enjoyed it so much. I can't wait to go back.
Sushi is good. They have a lot of unique rolls at all price levels. I'm a huge fan of the Georgia roll and UGA roll - I get those every time I go. The UGA roll is fried, but it is more substantial for my boyfriend. Also, the  Caterpillar roll and Tuna Shokitini roll. You can't go wrong with any of them. The dynamite mussel appetizer is amazing. You get one free mussel if you sit at the sushi bar - sitting at the bar also gets you a free salad and fried Oreo at the end of your meal. The karaoke rooms are a lot of fun. They serve you drinks and food right in there and time flies when you're having fun!
Review Source:Fish: 4.8 stars
Markedly better than it used to be. Prices have gone up a dollar on a few of there items but they taste so much better that I don't care. I'll pay for quality.
Service: 2 stars
Still not great, but better. Sit at the sushi bar and you fix this problem.
Other Menu Items: 3.5 stars
not bad. not bad at all. Lacking greatly in terms of traditional dishes like Oyako Don, okonomiyaki, and many other, but for what they are aiming for they've done well.
Decor: 5 stars
There are lots of shiny things and blue lights in the establishment. It is staffed with lots of attractive women that don't care about your order at all. However, it would be wrong of me not to award them the 5 stars for what is seemingly the only thing they care about.
Price: 2 stars/ 4 stars ( sitting at sushi bar)
They have been the only sushi game in town for years and they know it. You pay for this too, but its a far cry from highway robbery. It is worth mentioning that you get a free Kani salad, baked mussel app., and tempura Oreo desert if you sit at the sushi bar. This is awesome. The only drawback is that you might actually have to literally fight someone to get a seat. It is also worth mentioning that your very nice,attractive, wildly inattentive waitress will be expecting a huge tip.
Lasting Impressions: Waaaay better than last time. Fish was fresher, service was better,sushi chefs were happier. Officially the best sushi in Athens and also pretty damn decent as compared to most spots I've been. Maybe the chefs were just on their game tonight. Who knows? Who cares? It was good... and in Athens.
The veggie sushi rolls were pretty good, better than a certain place in downtown that starts with a U. Â The waitress was very knowledgeable about what was in the food (e.g., that the salad dressing was vegan). Â
Also, first time I'd ever seen Asahi Black. Â It was $5 for a bottle, but she talked me into it and I didn't regret it. Â It was awesome. Â
Decor was nice, clean, and relaxed on a weeknight around 6pm. Â I'd go again.
Definitely a sushi place worth going to!
We decided to head to Athens for a night of debauchery and chose to grab some sushi at Shokitini.
When we arrived the placed was packed but we were able to grab a seat at the bar. The bartender 'Buddha' was attentive and personable even thought he was swamped.
We both ordered a mojito (delish!) and proceeded to ask for menus which were delivered promptly and as we received them we were given a heads up that they had just received a $400 sushi order for take out so our food might take a while and that he would give us a complimentary edemame appetizer. The heads up would have sufficed but ++++ for adding the free appetizer on top!
We ordered some sushi and a squid salad appetizer on top of the free edemame and lef me just say... TRY THE SQUID SALAD! It's delightful!!
The sushi was fresh and well made and competitively priced!
All in all a great place! Will definitely be back!
3.5 stars rounded up.
Service lacked (she was sweet but not ATTENTIVE which is key to my dining experience). The hot tea in the pot is ridiculous...it kept pouring everywhere but my cup! The sushi was tasty and fresh...pricing wasn't too ridiculous either ($7-$12 a roll).
*DO* sit at the bar. They gave us complimentary salad appetizers and 2 pieces of dynamite mussels that are normally $8 for the appetizer size. SO THOUGHTFUL! Instant tip to the tip jar.
They also gave us complimentary fried oreos for dessert. That stuff is DELICIOUS. I initially thought it was some fried rice ball topped with whipped cream...but nope. That fried sucker in there is a piece of oreo.
I like the decor, it gave the place a snazzy lounge vibe to it. Very chic is the word. I'd come here again if I'm feelin' the mood for some sushi downtown. Otherwise I'd head over to Ru Sans.
Had a horrible experience at Shokitini. Â I went with a few friends and 5 minutes after beginning our meal we found an insect in our sashimi. Â After the waitress took away the offending plate we reluctantly decided to stay and finish out the order since we were pretty hungry. Â Big mistake. Â Halfway through the meal I found myself picking a scale out of my teeth. Â There were fish scales in the sushi! Â At this point we decided we had had enough. Â We informed the waitress about the fish scale and she went to get the manager. Â After making us feel awkward, the manager told us we'd have to wait for the owner. Â We waited another 15 minutes for the owner to come and talk to us. Â When she finally got there she said that she did not know which plate the scale came from so she would take the most expensive plate off our bill and charge us the rest. Â Since we weren't sure which plate the scale came from and did not want to risk eating more fish scales that did not really help us. Â We asked if we could just have the meal comped (it was only a $40 meal and we had already found an insect in our sashimi prior to finding the fish scale). Â The owner then argued with us and told us that we needed to pay the rest of the bill. Â We mentioned that we had already found an insect in our meal and she actually argued that it wasn't a big deal since it was only in our lettuce. Â At this point we were so frustrated and shocked that no one at the table said anything. Â After about 30 seconds of staring at the owner in disbelief she reluctantly agreed to comp the meal. Â Needless to say, we will not be returning here again.
It's fine to make a mistake--everyone is human. Â What really got us is that the managers did not care to correct the mistake and actually made us feel worse by trying to argue about the money. Â She tried to make it seem like it was somehow our fault that we had found flaws in the food. Â We left half of our order on the table (it all came in a big plate), and the manager still wanted to charge us for the food that we did not eat. Â I do not recommend this place.
Fun place. =] Though I honestly didn't get to try the food/drink... aside from a sip of a mai tai. Lol.
Went here with the bride and bridesmaids after the reception to go to the karaoke portion this place offers. So I'm probably going to review this more for the karaoke aspect, the decor, service, and what I generally saw.~
The place was packed. It reminded me of a fancier Rusans. The place just looked really nice. The karaoke was upstairs away from all the bustle from the dining in customers. Service was very friendly considering they seemed to be extremely busy and our server apparently had another room full of very loud singing drunks to attend to.
I really wished I could have tried the sushi. It looked delicious. Next time I'm in Athens I'll definitely keep this place memo'd. =]
Good bar scene with a unique, well-priced selection of martini's & mixed drinks(try the banana pudding martini).
The sushi chef will make your rolls without rice(wrapped in cucumber) for those of us watching are carbs or gluten).
Upstairs features private karaoke suites to enjoy with friends.
Loved the service, upscale atmosphere, and food.
Been a long time fan (12 years) of Utage but recently decided to give Shokitini a shot.
I was more than pleasantly surprised. The food was excellent, on par, and better in some aspects than Utage. The fish was fresher and the grilled Hamachi Kama was very good. It's actually cooked to perfection, not deep fried or baked to leather.
The variety of sushi had me staring at the menu for a while. A little bit of something for every taste. A great selection of rolls and sashimi, as well as, non-raw dishes. The tempura oreo desert was beyond good and a great end to the meal.
The wait staff needs training in treating the customers, well, like customers. They are often very busy, sometimes surly, but helpful and nice most of the time. We sit at the sushi bar most of the times we go and the chefs were constantly giving us samples to try. They were very friendly and open to any questions we threw at them about their specialties. I love my sushi chefs.
Decor is asian sports bar fusion. Nothing spectacular, but very warm , comfortable and inviting. I do despise the large screen TV with non-stop sports programming. A simply video of a japanese landscapes, downtown Tokyo, snow on the temples would work much better at setting the ambiance and atmosphere.
I do highly recommend Shokitini to any sushi lover. and they are open LATE!
One powerfully snowy night, in a powerless Athens, two hungry college students began the search for food. They were not picky, but simply hungry.
After finding the Beechwood shopping center (and all of Alps Rd.) in complete darkness, they considered returning home to feast on raw ramen and warm beer.
That was not an option. The search must continue!
Many miles of perilous driving later... success! Downtown, somehow, still had power! The friends trudged through the slush and snow, following their noses and rumbling tummies to.. Shokitini!
Although crowded with fellow hungry, college students, they did not have to wait for a table. They ordered right away and were soon inhaling delicious little rolls of rice and raw fish.
The atmosphere was pleasant and warm. Popular music played in the background.
After a mind blowing dessert of fried oreos, it became clear: the voyage had been a success.
My last couple of trips have been lackluster, though my date was as happy as ever with our food. Â A couple of weeks ago, I visited and, after waiting a bit to get a table for two, I noticed a strange, gross, off-putting smell all around us. Â Was it some weird upholstery cleaner? Â Table cleaning spray? Â My date couldn't smell it at all (and it's true I have a very sensitive nose), so that made me decide NOT to mention it to anyone at the restaurant. Â My hypersensitivity to things means I often notice things other people can't, and when I try to explain "that weird smell" or "that really weird vibrating sound," I mainly get odd looks. Â So I didn't mention anything.
Restaurants/cafes, please use UNSCENTED cleansers and don't have your servers wear strong perfumes. Â Those scents can definitely alter your customers' experiences at your store. Â All my sushi bites tasted vaguely of that weird, weird smell. Â
I've used "weird" far too many times in one review. Â So be it!
Food was a solid a-okay the last two trips; nothing wowed me as it had in the past.
I was a bit skeptical based on some of the reviews, but I'm a believer now. We went on a Friday night and sat at the bar. Let me just say that J.J. is awesome. We ordered three rolls, but weren't counting on the freebies they dish out, including a salad (with crab) and roasted mussels with spicy mayo, masago, and cheese. When our rolls came, we also got some seared tuna and chicken. I was so stuffed from everything that I was about to bust! But then they gave us the most divine creation to ever cross my lips...tempura-style fried oreo. Yum!
We'll be back. (Plus the karaoke party rooms are awesome!)
I truly do not like this place. Â The atmosphere would be fine if there wasn't a giant 20ft. TV behind the sushi bar. Â It mainly played commercials during our dinner.
Our server was very sweet, but wasn't really able to answer any questions we had about the menu.
The green tea had a dishwater smell about it.
The sushi was very fishy smelling and tasting. Â not good flavors. Â Overuse of sauces to try to cover up the poor quality fish.
I have eaten here many times because a lot of people throw parties here in the Karaoke rooms, which are a blast.
This place has great potential, but they need a lot of work.
Every time I have sushi at Shokitini, I love it. Â My only complaint is that the huge projection screen detracts from the atmosphere. Â It seems very much like something that should be present in a sports bar...or at least that's my impression since the last time I was there a Gym Dawgs meet was playing. Â Otherwise, I really enjoy the food and would recommend it. Â I was went with a group of people, and we did karaoke in one of the upstairs rooms. Â It was a blast!
Review Source:One star is pushing it. This is the worst restaurant in Athens. The table service is TERRIBLE. I took my friend here for her 21st, bought her a $9.00 cocktail, the waitress spilled half of it, didn't even give us a napkin or offer to clean it up and didn't offer to refill it or give us a refund. The food was terrible then also.
I recently ate there again to give it a second chance but ended up feeling nauseous all night. Although this time we sat at the sushi bar and the service was definitely better and yes, they give you free appetizers and salads. The appetizer was some sort of mussel and was delicious, but everything else fell way short. I ordered the tofu appetizer and almost burned my mouth it was so hot. I let it cool down but it ended up being way too salty.
The only thing this establishment has to brag about is its karaoke rooms. But you have to fight for those on most weekends.
For good sushi and service, go to Utage instead. Never lets me down.
My friends and I got stuck in Fourth of July fireworks traffic, starving by the time we got back on the highway.
"Let's go to Shokitini!" the driver excitedly suggested. "It's open until 2!"
My meal was perfectly soothing after a full day in the sun. I scarfed down my shrimp syumai: six pieces of steamed dumplings on a bed of shredded lettuce. I'm glad I wasn't sharing the app with anyone, as the dumplings were half the size of what I'm accustomed to.
I decided to try our waiter's favorite roll: the Shokitini. It was prepared a lot like a rainbow roll, with different pieces topped with tuna, salmon, a white fish or avocado. The coolest part was the sirloin steak that filled the inside. Really original and tasty.
I completed my meal with green tea ice cream, of course, and was pleasantly surprised with the generous portion. For once, I felt like I had eaten enough dessert.
I really loved this place. Â We sat at the sushi bar, and were treated as if special guests, plus every piece of sashimi was amazing - not a single hint of not perfect quality. Â Also, the rolls were really great too! Â I still also love Utage, and have heard the new place on Broad is good too, but this is my favorite now.
Review Source:I have to say that Athens really doesn't have that many sushi places in Athens. So, in writing this review, I wonder if I should compare this place to the other sushi restaurants I've been to in my life or just the ones in Athens.
I'm settling on the former. The sushi at Sokitini is really not that great. I mean, it will do in a pinch - if you're really having a craving. But, overall, I would say it is pretty average.