Norikase - Modern Japanese Omakase & Sushi — Restaurant in Jacksonville

This was our first time getting sushi after moving to Jacksonville from California where we have had many amazing sushi experiences. We had met our friends who have lived in the area for a while and highly raved about this sushi spot and who have also been here many times before. After reading their website, menu, and seeing the advertised quality and elegance of the restaurant we were excited to finally eat sushi again. They were accommodating for us bringing our stroller in with our 3 month old son. The front hostess was not very welcoming and seemed to have an attitude off the start which was odd at a place that advertises their service and quality as top tier. We sat down for our reservation in the dining room and were approached not too long after by our server who was not very enthusiastic. After putting in our food order and enjoying some drinks, the rolls started coming. For a place that is advertising their service as top tier it was a bit odd to have the server come over who was running the plate and not know where at the table the food was going to. They advertise the service as a one of a kind experience which I would compare to other similar tiered restaurants and this isn’t the norm. Another roll came out a few minutes later followed by another a few minutes after, about 5-8 minutes apart for the first three rolls, not a big deal. We then received our Otoro and Wagyu Nigiri pieces minutes later. We waited for the other roll for my wife while we ate maybe one piece from each of our rolls to be kind. We waited another 5-10 minutes patiently and finally said something to the waitress walking by that we were waiting for a roll. We were then told she would check on it. No apologies were said to us. Nothing else was said to us as we continued waiting. It probably was 15 minutes later and the roll for my wife finally arrived. We continued eating while this went on and I shared my roll with my wife. Luckily we had to take care of our son so that bought some distraction time. But we were all eating very slowly as to be kind and not finish before my wife’s food was even delivered. There was no communication or ownership taken as to why it was that late or how much longer until it would arrive. Our friends were pretty annoyed with the service since they had been there previously. When the food arrived, again there was no apologies or ownership taken as to why the food was so late. Had we ate at a normal speed we would have all been done before my wife’s roll had arrived. The quality of the fish was great and the flavors of the Otoro and Great White roll were great as well. However, the size of the rolls were very small compared to other sushi restaurants we had been to which was disappointing. The server never asked if we wanted a second drink or came back to ask if we needed anything or how the food was. In fact, one of the bussers actually asked my friend if he wanted another beer, which was again odd, and nobody else had been asked. The icing on the cake of this brutal service was the 20% gratuity that is automatically added to our check. Usually gratuity is added for larger parties, but we were a table of 5, including our 3 month old son. Per their website on the policies section: “Auto Gratuity Notice: Commencing February 1st, 2024, a 20% auto gratuity will be added to all dining patrons to ensure equitable compensation for our dedicated team and to ensure quality service.” I understand the equitable compensation portion as my wife has worked as a server years ago and people would dine at a fancy place like this and not tip because of how expensive it already was. I also believe in tipping a waiter/waitress based on the service that was provided and a basis like this allows for bad service to continue. Clearly adding an automatic gratuity does not entitle guests to exceptional service as we experienced. I would not have given the 20% had I been given the choice because it was not a 20% service experience, especially given the advertised quality and service the restaurant claims. A...

My boyfriend and I went here this past weekend. We were visiting JAX for a friend's wedding and we are foodies. He has been craving beef tartare, I’m a sushi fanatic and we love supporting small businesses (not chains) so this seemed like a great place to try. We made an online reservation on open table. We attempted to book the Omakase experience (13-17 chef selected course) but they were booked up for the night. They said they are usually a month or so booked out for this experience, so if you’re interested, book early.

We booked the chefs counter for 7:45pm because we go to Michelin star restaurants and love watching them cook and plate the meals in front of us. We figured it would be just as enjoyable here. When we arrived (around 7:40pm), we checked in with the hostess, gave our name and our booking time. She took us to a table and I said “We reserved the chefs counter.” She said “ Oh let me check.” She then stated “Yes you’re right, sorry about that. Would you like to wait for the chefs counter to be vacant or would you like to sit here?” My boyfriend and I asked how long the wait would be for the counter, since we made a reservation for 7:45, and it was already 7:40. She said “Since the counter is currently full, I’m unsure how long it will be until one of those tables gets up.” There were only 6 stools up at the counter, so we decided we would just sit at the table and not wait since there was no ETA given. The table was more of a padded and cushioned booth and it was extremely comfortable.

Our server was Emily and she was phenomenal. She went over the menu with us, answered our questions, gave us some recommendations, was attentive, friendly and really paid attention to our needs. We ordered the Chisai tori (bird shape cup) and don’t break my heart (mushroom shape cup) for drinks to start. They were excellent. My boyfriend also ordered the nori fashioned and the summer thyme in Okinawa.

We got the wagyu tartare with the caviar appetizer. It was the best beef tartare my boyfriend said he has ever had. I trust his opinion because he eats all his beef rare, is extremely picky about his meat, is a wonderful cook and is constantly on the carnivore diet. It was the third time I’ve had beef tartare and it was extremely tasty.

The second item we ordered was the akami (Emily’s recommendation) on the crudo menu and it was delicious. The chili/soy dipping sauce it came in was awesome, we used it to dip our sushi in. The akami was tender, fresh and melted in your mouth.

We got two maki rolls: the surf & turf and the luxury roll. The surf and turf roll was exquisite. It reminded me of a lightly deep fried roll I have enjoyed in the past and I dipped it in their spicy mayo. The spicy mayo was heavy on the sriracha and had a kick, but I enjoyed it. The luxury roll melted in my mouth with freshness and it paired great with the sauce served with the crudo dish.

My only complaint for this restaurant was the mushroom risotto with scallops. We are risotto and scallop connoisseurs so we had extremely high hopes due to all the other dishes being so great. It came out, we both tried one bite and were disappointed. The risotto had no flavor and was extremely bland. The scallops were tender, but were extremely small in size and tasted dried out as if they were not cooked in much butter and then sat out before being brought to our table. We told Emily we were not happy with the meal. She instantly apologized, said she would make the chef aware and would take it off our bill.

We said we wanted to try the Japanese A5 wagyu hot stone, to replace the risotto. This came out with thin slices, a beautiful hot stone to cook it on, some Wagyu fat to be used as butter on the stone, sea salt and some other spices for seasoning. The Wagyu was tender, melted in your mouth and I wanted more once it was gone.

To end the experience, they had a fire dancer perform and...

My husband and I went here for a date night for the second time and had another incredible experience so I thought I would write a review. We didn’t have a reservation on a Friday night, so we called to see if they could squeeze us in somewhere, and they ended up being able to put us on the covered outside patio area, which we ended up loving. It was a slightly more casual and relaxed vibe, and the new furniture they recently got in was really comfortable. The service here consistently stands out to us— very attentive, knowledgeable, passionate, and friendly people. We love sushi and we also care about quality, and this is now our go to spot for all of these reasons. It was really important to us that they use wild-caught fish, and they get their salmon from New Zealand and Tuna from only quality places. It is all wild-caught and their chef is incredibly talented and we were told would not cook with anything but the best ingredients. The menu names were a bit hard for us to understand but they are very good at describing and recommending menu items. We got several plates from the Happy Hour menu (served until 7pm) and we were super impressed. The Otoro Nigiri (extra fatty bluefin tuna) was melt in your mouth delicious! The Coconut King Salmon Crudo was also so good, as was the Blood Orange Akami. We couldn’t identify our favorites from what we ordered because every item was truly fantastic. Justin and Mike from management came to our table several times to see how our meal was, explain the dishes and even treated us to drinks and a special toast of Saki after having a conversation about quality Saki. I have tried hot saki before and was not crazy about it, but the cold Saki they treated us to was really delicious - refreshing and a bit sweet. I can actually say now that I would order it next time. We learned that they put out a new menu every season with fresh seasonal ingredients tied into their dishes. They also do a 17-course meal experience that sounds amazing for a future special occasion or date night. You can’t go wrong here if you’re looking for a great atmosphere and AMAZING food and service. I don’t tend to write reviews, but I truly felt compelled to write one because we were blown away by our...