Okinii — Restaurant in New York

Made an afternoon reservation on a Sunday for my little guy's birthday... arrived early and found that the reservation wasn't necessary and oddly they didn't allow me to specify we wanted the hibachi grill specifically. They took us to regular seating upon arrival and we had to ask if we could do hibachi (the reason we were there).

The space is a good size and standard decorations for such a place. It was a little cluttered and not exactly spic-and-span but they are making things work in that regard. Seriously strange was the amount of employees just kinda chilling, meaning more than one literally lying down in the booths and sleeping while people dined. It was hard to get over while we attempted to enjoy our celebration nearby.

Perhaps most importantly to me was that the staff was not inclined to make us feel welcome or look after us in any way. The lady working the front was kind but she didn't serve us (except when our own server stopped showing up). No one smiled or greeted us, and our own server seemed like she hated us being there.

Our server was not accommodating, not helpful, not pleasant. She didn't want to work around our one person's dietary restrictions, didn't offer the listed options but instead assumed our choices. She didn't offer us sake. She didn't acknowledge when we told her it was our 7-year old's birthday. She alone almost single-handedly ruined our birthday experience, and we almost walked out while she was taking the order. And while we almost didn't see her most of the meal, she lingered around our table when she was waiting for the tip. That is no exaggeration.

The bright spot was our hibachi chef. He was awesome - very attentive and accommodating. He put on a great show, catered toward our birthday boy, and did his best to work around the dietary restriction. He made a balloon hat for the birthday boy and made him feel special. Everything he did was with us in mind and he deserves to be recognized. He made it (almost) worthwhile and the only reason they got two stars. It was only because of him that we tipped a normal amount, as we assumed they shared it.

The food was pretty standard - we had four hibachi meals (one with special dietary needs) - and the prices were a bit high but such is life in West Village. Portions were pretty typical also in regard to protein, while the rice was a bit skimpy (odd considering it is the cheapest). You pay $6 extra for fried rice over the advertised white rice. The food was fine, at best, but the chef's performance made it worthy.

Overall, certainly not a spot I will visit again, if nothing else because of the server. I wish I could say differently but that is...

Terrible Experience — Disrespectful Service

I’m writing this review to warn both current and future customers about the unacceptable treatment my friends and I (a group of five) experienced at Okinii. What was supposed to be an enjoyable dining experience quickly turned sour due to the rude and disrespectful behavior of the staff. When it came time to pay the bill, we were still deciding whose card to use when the waitress stood over us as if monitoring our payment. One of my friends politely asked for a couple of minutes, and she walked away. However, when she returned, she snatched the bill right out of my hand. I calmly told her, "I'd appreciate it if you don’t snatch things out of the hands of paying customers." Shockingly, she laughed as if it was funny and then returned with a new bill showing a higher total ($177 increased to $188) without a clear explanation. When we asked why the amount had changed, they gave us vague responses, claiming it was an error but refusing to provide specifics. By this point, we were fed up with the blatant disrespect. Sadly, I couldn't help but notice how other patrons were treated with far more courtesy. No bills were snatched from their hands, and their questions were answered politely. It was hard not to feel that our treatment was racially motivated. If you're Black, I urge you to avoid Okinii. They do not treat Black customers with respect. We need to stop giving money to establishments that blatantly disrespect us. This experience was not just disappointing—it was...

I had come here a few times, but the most recent visit stood out the worst. I ordered miso ramen with vegetables instead of chicken. After waiting for 20 minutes, I was informed that this order would cost an extra $5 and I couldn't change it because it was too late. They did try to cover up this blunder with a complementary serving of edamame. When my order arrived (another fifteen minutes later) it was a regular ramen bowl with broccoli instead of chicken, and stripped of even more. No fishcakes, no egg, no bamboo, no seaweed. It was basically just like the vegetable ramen bowl that my friend ordered but stripped down and $5 more. The rest of my friends waited another 10 minutes before getting their food. Some received ramen instead of udon, others got no extra bamboo both incorrect from what they ordered.

The service was very laxidasical at best and didn't make up for the food, which on any other visit would've made the experience for me. To add insult to injury, one of the waiters then informed one of my party that they "need to pay the minimum gratuity" while she was getting change from them. The whole dinner was very slow, disappointing...