Niko Niko Sushi — Restaurant in Irvine

Title: Declining Quality and Inconsistent Service

Rating: 3 stars (restaurant), 2 stars (service)

Review:

I've been a loyal customer of Niko Niko for years. Previously, I would have easily given them a 4.5-5 star rating. The food was consistently delicious, and I always enjoyed my experience. However, recent visits have left me with a less favorable impression. The food quality seems to have declined somewhat, and the take-out service has been particularly disappointing. I'm not sure if there's been a change in ownership or chefs, but the overall experience isn't what it used to be.

One recurring issue is that they don't consistently review the order with you when you pick it up. It's always bundled and ready to go, which makes it difficult to confirm accuracy on the spot. This has led to missing items on more than one occasion.

Furthermore, on several occasions, I've called in to place an order and been assured that a specific dish was available, only to arrive and discover it wasn't. While I appreciate that they didn't try to substitute it with something else, a simple phone call to inform me would have been appreciated. This would have allowed me to either choose a different dish or order from somewhere else entirely.

What's most concerning is that when I expressed my disappointment, I was told they had tried to call me, which was a blatant lie. I had my phone with me the entire time and there were no missed calls. This lack of honesty and accountability is unacceptable and has eroded my trust in their service.

While I still enjoy some of the food at Niko Niko, these recurring issues with their take-out service, particularly the lack of communication and honesty, have made me hesitant to continue ordering from them. I hope they will take this feedback seriously and work to improve their order accuracy, customer service, and overall...

Went here with my mom and friend for a quick dinner and ended up having such an amazing time!

We ordered the 2 combination with salmon teriyaki and sashimi (tuna and salmon) bento box and also the 3 combination beef teriyaki, salmon teriyaki, and crispy scallop bento box. It was delicious and the portions were great for the price point! It also came with ginger dressing salad, sunomono salad, miso soup, a scoop of rice, and two orange slices!

We also got spicy garlic edamame which was absolutely addicting to eat. It was so so good, coming from someone who rarely eats spice.

We also tasted the bluefin tuna sashimi with crispy kale chips and garlic—OMG, this was delectable. It was so fresh and paired surprisingly well with the kale chips and garlic.

The owner also came over and let us sample one of the new appetizers they’re planning to serve! It was called negi tofu and it was so light and yummy, perfect for any tofu lovers or any group who wants a light appetizer. It was essentially a cube of tofu with a yummy sauce on top served with fresh vegetables and red onion.

For dessert we got the strawberry and matcha macaron ice cream which was just the cherry on top. Pretty sweet for my liking, but if you’re a sweet tooth, you’ll love it.

TLDR: Get the bluefin tuna with crispy kale chips sashimi! Also their salmon teriyaki and spicy garlic edamame is a must-try. Will for sure be coming back soon! Also, the miffy bento box is not included, I...

Bigger is not better. I am very disappointed. I expected to get okay tasting sushi with a good atmosphere. A friend recommend this place because of the buy one sushi roll get one half off special Monday - Thursday. The sushi was sub- All-you-can-eat sushi quality. I ordered a salmon teryaki and it tasted like boil salmon (half the size of my hand) with a watery sauce. If I bought salmon baked it and bought generic sauce from a grocery store it would be much better and wouldn't cost $8.50. The Hungry roll and Dragon roll were "meh". The hungry was eel on top of a california roll. The eel was cooked and the roll was cold. Strange I didn't know it was cooked roll and half cooked roll was more shocking. Dragon roll the tuna on top was okay. I didn't want to try any of the raw sushi after tasting the special rolls. Also, they use the large chinese style long grain rice and not the sweet small japanese rice. Will not go again. I recommend going to Maki-yaki express in Laguna hills which is semi- fast food over the counter. Niko Niko I can walk to but it might be worth driving a few miles to eat there. Also the food court sushi Wasabi at the Irvine Spectrum is also better. If you are looking for cheap decent sushi go to the other places I...