Nikkei MTL — Restaurant in Montreal

I visited the restaurant with a friend after seeing all the great reviews. We went on a Tuesday evening a few weeks ago but the experience stayed in my mind for a while and decided to write a review. We went to the restaurant without any reservations. It was an active evening but wouldn’t say very busy. They had quite a few tables available and the seats at the bar were mostly empty.

We were to be seated at the bar and requested a table instead. The hostess told us she would check and let us know if there’s any tables available when there were clear over 4 tables available in just the section we were. After 10 minutes, we asked one of the waiters/bartenders if we could have a table. He said he’d check but again after 15 minutes still nothing.

We decided to just order at the bar our meals and drinks. After a while, we were just uncomfortable so asked the guy behind the bar ( one of the cooks I think) if we could have a table. The first and only genuinely nice guy we encountered that evening at the restaurant, and within a minute of checking he said of course.

We then changed table after waiting around for almost 30 minutes. Now at the table, we waited another 20 minutes for our first dish that the waitress left at the table rudely without explaining what it was.

The dish itself was the eel, which I personally quite enjoyed. We had to wait another 20 minutes for the other dish and again left without any explanation. During the night, the waitress never asked if we enjoyed the meal, give us water or even smiled at us.

On top of all that, after 40 minutes of being at the restaurant we hadn’t received our drinks. So I tried getting the bartenders attention, same guy from the beginning who said he’d check for our table but never came. He then told us we never placed an order for drinks…

At this stage, I am quite done with the service and treatment but my friend tells me to be patient and give it one last chance. We order our drinks and wait another 15 minutes to get it. Which honestly would’ve been reasonable if we had just walked in but we had already been waiting for over 40 minutes.

Finally we get our drinks, which were pretty average. We wanted to get more drinks as we were there celebrating but again never once were we asked if we wanted more drinks or anything for that.

I wouldn’t even give one star for the service honestly. It was the first time in my life that I didn’t feel like even leaving a tip. We still left a 15% tip which was way too much for the service.

As for the food, I wouldn’t even give say it’s so so. We had to wait around 20-30 minutes between dishes and weren’t very impressed.

The only dish I enjoyed was the eel.

Personally, I would never go back mainly for...

Ceviche Nikkei / Tina, Salmon, Leche de Tigre al Ponzu, Aji Amarillo, Red and Green Onion, Trout Eggs. . I have to say that from start to finish the team at Nikkei absolutely killed it, but that's to be expected from the sister restaurant of Barranco! They opened up a couple months ago now and have been hitting the ground running in this little food haven on Laurier Ave that I didn't even know existed! . Similar to Barranco they are serving up some delicious Peruvian dishes but this time with a Japanese twist combining them all together in what I think is a perfect blend. . First here we have the Ceviche which is traditional to Latin America and hold a special place in my heart as a delicious raw fish that I always love to devour. We see it here with the Japanese fusion of addind Ponzu and Caviar, amazing fresh and light start to any meal. . Next and maybe my favorite of the night was the Ribu Arquipeno also known as the sous vide ribs that were absolutely fall off bone tender. With the delicious adobo sauce and grilled shishitos from the Latin side and sake and salsa/slaw from the Japanese side. An amazing dish when paired with the Slaw on top of devine. . For another raw classic we have the Tron Shi-To By Atun which is Tuna Tartare, again everything is always so well planned out to have a good about of dish elements from each culture. Amazing plade, great texture and fun use of the Nori Sheets to make a kind of tartare taco! . Last but not least we have the Causitas 2 Ajis, this was the big surprise of the night and honestly last minute game time decisions to order. Not at all what I was expecting, but with that being said really did blow my mind. The soft texture of the potatoe mixture on the bottom, the sharpness of the wasabi vinaigrette , the freshness of the Salmon and green Onions all tied together by the saltiness of the Trout Eggs. I've not had such a perfect one bite of food in quite some time! . Thx yoy again to the Nikkei and Barranco team for such an amazing experience, I'll be back you can be sure to have some more amazing food and some of the sickest...

TLDR; Nikkei MTL is a rising star to watch. With expertly crafted food and cocktails, and service to match, it’s worth a visit for any enthusiastic diner looking for something new.

Firstly, the service. From the moment we entered until the moment we left, the service was impeccable. The service staff were friendly, knowledgeable and enjoyed speaking with us, as well as the tables nearby. Service was prompt without feeling rushed at any point.

The drinks were a major highlight. The bar definitely know how to expertly craft some thoroughly enjoyable drinks. These were beautiful, flavorful and a treat for both the tastebuds and the eyes.

Now onto the cold dishes. We thoroughly enjoyed many of these. The flavors were fresh and delivered what was promised. These were the favorites of the table. One that was worth noting as an unfortunate miss for us however was the Tron Shi-To de res. We found the beef to be a bit too sweet, and while the saltiness of the Parmesan should have helped offset this, it unfortunately did not. Otherwise, excellent.

As for the warm dishes, these were a bit of a mixture for us. The ribs were beautifully tender and promising, but the sauce was missing that needed punch of flavor. The Hamburguesitas were another unfortunate miss. It’s almost a little too much on the bun. The Napa slaw muddles the flavors and creates a bit of a soppy mess. The Bacalao al Miso on the other hand was an absolute hit with our table. We could have eaten two or three and been quite happy.

Finally, the dessert. When you only are featuring one single item, it needs to be a hit. A few of us thoroughly enjoyed this, a few of us did not. For me, that perfect mixture of sweet and salty, combined with the smoothness and richness of the whole thing just worked. The only thing I wish is that there was just a little texture there, maybe some nice crunch.

Overall, we really did enjoy and will return again...