Nikugen Steak Sushi & Ramen — Restaurant in Frisco

An above average, good choice for a Japanese outing. I definitely had a positive experience.

The ikageso karaage (fried squid with spicy mayo) was plenty tasty. Great texture on the fried squid with shredded cabbage, dipping it in the spicy mayo made it all come together nicely.

The takoyaki (a dish that’s close to my heart) was surprisingly good, and the most authentic dish I tried here. It was incredibly rich; I had a hard time finishing it! It was a little mushy on one of them, but the rest were crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, and it captured all the flavors. It reminded me of iyaki my Japanese mother made when I was a child.

The miso soup was good, too. It had bits of tofu and seaweed, and the miso was real, not a powder. You can tell if miso soup is real by the little bits it leaves at the bottom of the bowl when you finish it. Miso is, after all, soybeans ground into a paste.

The steak combination (I ordered medium well with scallops) was tasty, too. The fried rice in particular was surprisingly good; I ordinarily don’t care for fried rice. It was much more flavorful than I was expecting. The scallops, steak, and even vegetables were all well-cooked, and I cleaned the plate. It’s very rare for me to clean a plate if it has a big portion of veggies on it, which this did (onions, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and zucchini). The sauce was a nice touch. I sure wish there was more protein on that dish, it was that good! One scallop was gritty for one bite, but that was it. All the other ones were perfectly clean.

The yuzu white peach drink was certainly unique. It wasn’t too much of anything, and captured all the flavors of yuzu and peach.

The staff got the job done, and did it well. They were some of the most attentive I had seen, and were always courteous and smiled. I think they could have been just a little friendlier, but the way they are is fine, it’s not something I can really take issue with.

The atmosphere is nice too, it’s quite modern with an element of Japanese decor. I do feel like something was missing and it’s all very black, but it wasn’t a problem or anything. A few more decorations to liven up the place would make it perfect in my opinion, but the way it is is just fine. I especially liked the mural on the wall of black mountains with soft-white lights behind them, casting a silhouette of each.

The only real complaint I have was the bar counter, it was sticky for some reason, and it bothered me. I asked the staff if I could move to a proper table, which they allowed. So if you come here, until they use a different cleaner for that countertop that doesn’t leave a sticky residue, do yourself a favor and...

Go to this place!

Absolutely the best service I have ever had. My server was attentive in a way that I would assume only a psychic could be. I thought to myself, "self! More sauce would be nice!" And there it was, my server bringing to me. The whole experience was like this.

And that was just the highlight! The food was spectacular too! My wife got the "Spicy Shrimp Garlic Ramen". When it arrived, my senses were overtaken (I mean this in the best way possible). I remember wafting the wonderous aroma, wondering if I was missing out... then my combination, hibachi steak and shrimp was before my... what happened next shall not be described! Go now! Experience first hand their masterwork!

Breakdown: 10/10 Walking in the door 15/10 service (this denotes by how much my expectations were surpassed) 10/10 Food

If I were to nitpick, just a little, the music could be better. It just didn't match, but I don't have a better alternative either. Me and my wife both got hot tea as a beverage, it too was wonderful. This is just a peeve of mine but it was 3 bucks each. Granted we both got our own tea pot, which I can imagine has quite a bit of upkeep to it... so I digress.

My 2 nitpicks had 0 impact on the experience as a whole. This restaurant receives my full...

We ordered the black garlic ramen and the creamy white udon with fried chicken on top. Both were very tasty with decent portion sizes and the presentation was also taken into consideration. The ramen wasn't overly salty or fatty like some other ramen that I have had. The garlic oil was prominent and complimented the other parts of the ramen like the green onions, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. The pork slices were crispy and fatty which I thought was really good compared to drier, leaner pieces I've had. The only issue I had was that I not a fan of the red ginger that came with it, but that is my personal preference. The udon came with a lot of mushrooms and bacon so I can tell they did not skimp out on the toppings. It had a nice chew to it that wasn't gummy or tough. I thought the fried chicken on top was tender and juicy but overall, average. We came in on a weekday for lunch when they were about to close, so it was a slow day, but the service was still accommodating. The atmosphere was nice and dim, but I did not pay attention to it much during my quick lunch. I would want to come back to try their sushi or gyu-katsu for a...