Asuka Japanese Steak House & Sushi — Restaurant in Nicholasville

Full transparency: I’m a regular at Asuka in Brannon Crossing, just off Nicholasville Road. But let me tell you, my opinion is unbiased—this place deserves all the praise.

Asuka is hands-down one of the best Japanese dining spots in the Lexington area. The hibachi chefs are entertainers and culinary pros, serving perfectly cooked, bold, flavorful meals with a flair no one else in town can match.

But what really sets Asuka apart is that it’s so much more than just hibachi. The sushi here is phenomenal—fresh, creative, and a total steal for the quality. Wednesdays are the night to go, with the sushi taking center stage alongside an incredible bar scene.

Speaking of the bar, Lauren, the Director of Beverages, has crafted a cocktail menu that’s next-level. Every drink is made with top-quality ingredients and care. Her team, including Michaela, is just as amazing—friendly, fast, and always nailing the perfect pour.

The atmosphere is versatile, too. You can dive into great conversations with the staff or enjoy a quiet, personal Omakase-style solo dining experience. Whatever your vibe, they deliver.

Shoutout to Chi, the General Manager, whose background in NYC dim sum bars, fine dining, and top-tier restaurants elevates the entire experience. For the quality of the food, drinks, and service, the prices here are shockingly reasonable—it feels like you’re getting way more than you’re paying for.

If you’re Googling “best sushi near Nicholasville Road,” “hibachi restaurants in Lexington, KY,” or “cocktail bars in Brannon Crossing,” Asuka is your answer.

Yelp Review (Your Voice, Optimized for Search)

Full transparency: I’m a regular at Asuka, but I keep coming back for a reason—this place is genuinely that good. Located in Brannon Crossing, just outside Lexington off Nicholasville Road, it’s a spot that delivers every single time.

Their hibachi is easily the best in town. The chefs are top-notch, cooking fresh, perfectly seasoned meals while putting on a show that makes every dinner feel like an event. But here’s the thing—Asuka isn’t just a hibachi restaurant. Their sushi is phenomenal. It’s fresh, creative, and honestly, for the quality you’re getting, it’s an incredible deal. Wednesdays are a standout night for sushi lovers and anyone looking for an exciting midweek scene.

The bar is where Asuka goes from great to exceptional. Lauren, the Director of Beverages, runs the cocktail program like a master. Every drink is balanced, fresh, and perfectly crafted. Michaela, part of her team, is just as talented—she’s friendly, fast, and always makes an amazing drink.

The vibe is what makes this place so special. Want a lively conversation? The staff will talk about anything. Prefer something quiet? They’ll give you a tailored Omakase-style solo dining experience that feels personal and thoughtful.

Shoutout to Chi, the GM. His background in NYC dim sum bars, fine dining, and more shows in how smoothly everything runs while keeping the atmosphere approachable and welcoming.

Whether you’re searching for “best hibachi near Nicholasville Road,” “sushi in Lexington, KY,” or “cocktail bars in Brannon Crossing,” Asuka has to be...

Being a long time customer and fan of the Nicholasville location, and the fact it was our Wedding Anniversary, I decided to take My wife and Daughter to Dinner at the Asuka location in Danville Ky. After a 45 minute wait to be seated, we waited another 40 minutes to order our Entrees and Rolls, and then waited about 15 more minutes before the "Chef" came out to prepare the food.

The server was very apologetic because just about anything that was ordered such as drinks, beers, etc were "out "..She almost seemed angry, I can understand this, but at the same time I have to say she should keep the attitude in the back and the smiles at the table..

Our Salads and soups finally made it to the table, Soup was "ok" but the salad seemed like the lettuce was all completely limp. maybe the lettuce was frozen? Who knows.

Our "Chef" seemed to be rather new, or just bad.. He managed to forget to use ANY sauces whatsoever on our rice, chicken, steak or veggies, opting for water, oil and butter only.. I have to say this was the most flavorless Hibachi I have ever experienced in my life.

He also managed to dish out ALL of the chicken he prepared and skipped my daughter who ordered Chicken and Steak. I had to tell him he would need more chicken, and my daughter got to wait until her food was ice cold before HER chicken was done being prepared.

The Yum Yum sauce was basically forgotten until the last few minutes of our meal, and even at best it would have been rated "Yum Yum Water" because it was so thin. Drink refills for my wife and daughter were slow to say the least, and my Water was completely forgotten until I was handed the check, at that point in no longer wanted it.

Our rolls (California, Red Bull, and Crab Rangoon) came out at the end of our meal... At least they were great! Kudos to the Sushi Chef!

All in all - an INCREDIBLY Disappointing Meal. I know - I should have mentioned this to the manager, but with the speed of the service, seating, and everything else , I simply did not feel like waiting the 20 minutes or so to talk to him, So I paid my bill and left. Insanely disappointed in this location. Maybe Asuka corporate needs to do some checks.

Lesson learned to the owner - If you are out of almost all your supplies and drinks, and tremendously under-staffed, Maybe you shouldn't be open for...

Last year my former employees took me here for my send-off so I really didn’t get a typical experience in order to write a proper review. Last night I did, and it was eye-opening. The interior is well-lit, incredibly spacious, and nicely decorated; I really like the chalkboard wall wrapping around everywhere like wainscoting. Our party of four opted for hibachi, so the soup and salad portions of the meal were very typical. We ordered two rolls - the Smokey Bear and the VIP - the latter of which was served aflame and absolutely delicious! That’s where the positives end. Our chef was completely underwhelming and acted rushed. Elsewhere, like Miyako, you get an engaging, friendly experience, and all your food is cooked appropriately. Here, the ‘interactive’ portion of the meal - when they normally shoot small pieces of shrimp or zucchini at you - was unpleasant because again it was RUSHED, guests only got one shot before he moved on to the next person, and the broccoli was COLD and undercooked. Yuck! What about the sake shots, you ask? I thought he’d completely forgotten, but nope, he just waited until he was completely done cleaning the griddle and walking away, and once again, he acted uninterested, like he was watering flowers instead of entertaining guests. No personality whatsoever. I ordered my filet medium well, my boyfriend ordered his medium, and our friend ordered hers medium rare. We all got well done. Why ask if you’re not going to do the courtesy of an accurate cook? Although the meat (I also got shrimp) was delicious, the vegetables were just missing something. If you live in Lexington, don’t drive all the way out to Brannon Crossing when you can go to the OG (Miyako) and get much better EVERYTHING! The best part of this experience was the sushi and our...