The main thing I got out of this drama was the catchy theme single "Sayonara" by Orange Range. Otherwise Akane Teppan Girl is perfectly watchable for the tight interaction between the likeable and campy characters.
Yes, treatment of the regional delicacies was shallow and they could have given a little more depth to the ingredients and "terroir" rather than have Akane drive somewhere far, "fight" and then return to Tokyo.
The final episode was not entirely satisfying and I felt the producers rushed the plot to squeeze it into 9 chapters. However, when it finally finished I wanted to see more of Akane and Shinta-san and their road trips.