Nikko Southlake Restaurant — Restaurant in Southlake

My wife and I went to Nikko over the weekend. It’s in a location of a former sushi joint that I don’t remember the name of in Town Square. Very much a hidden location in comparison to the rest of the restaurants in town, but it started to pick up as we were leaving our early dinner. So let’s jump into the pros and cons:

PROS: -The design of the restaurant interior is much better than the previous restaurant that occupied the space. Hip but inviting. -The Forbidden Fruit cocktail was 10/10. Reminded me of my favorite drink I’ve seen years trying to find here in TX. -The Brussels Sprouts app was really flavorful and well cooked. Maybe a tad heavy handed on the sauce for my wife, but not for me. -The dumplings app was also very tasty. I always roll my eyes when an app has 3 of something and not an even number, but whatever, it was good.

CONS -My wife’s white wine was warm. And that’s not just her opinion, the server actually said, as she was pouring it, “it’s pretty warm so let me know if you want ice.” Ice? In a $12 glass of wine? The server should have offered a different wine. But my wife just got the ice and drank it red neck pool party style. -The Salmon Sashimi my wife got looks nice but was just so small for the price. 3 very small piece of salmon. I guess it’s high-grade salmon? Maybe it’s just Southlake? -My Unami Roll had good flavors. But I will say this, it’s just over the top. Maybe trying to justify the $22 price tag on ONE roll means you have to make it super complex and fancy? I’m not one to not like interesting things or different takes on classic items, but I’ve never not finished an umami roll before and this one, I left 2 pieces behind. Just not my jam. Some may think very different than me. -With a final ticket of $100+ it felt steep for what we got. Usually at other sushi places we’ll get 2-3 rolls each and an app and we end up spending that.

Final thoughts: With no shortage in sushi places in the Grapevine/Southlake area, I’m afraid this one ends up in the, “it’s a no for me, Dog.” I thought I was in for a treat when it started off with a killer cocktail and app. But the final chapters of the book are the ones...

We went during lunchtime on a Tuesday. It was not very crowded but the kitchen had an issue with their ticket machine. Yes, I understand that these kinds of things happen but our server didn't let us know. The food came out very sporadically, we ordered the lunch special which is a good value for how much food you get. DO NOT order the bashi chirasi bowl, I repeat DO NOT! The chirasi bowl literally had baby size pieces of fish and roe. I kid you not the pieces of fish were tiny cubes the size of a die (if you don't know what a die is think dice from the board game Monopoly). The menu stated sashimi but it was more like dice size piece of fish, it was terrible. My set came out after I had eaten the main, shouldn't it all come out together? Also when my set came out it only had 2 pieces of tempura while everyone else had 6 pieces. I told the manager about the problem and he brought out a proper serving. The miso soup and udon was much too salty. Our server never returned after the mishap which was kinda odd. As a gesture the manager took the chirashi off the bill and gave us a $5 off coupon for our next visit but it expired in 2 days, kinda pointless. Bad customer service is when the restaurant provides excuses to their guests on why the service is slow. Good customer service is when the restaurant addresses the issues and makes the experience good even with the mishaps. You don't want customers thinking about how bad the service and food was but you want them to leave feeling that they were served well given all the issues. This is what makes customers COME BACK. Food issues can always be addressed but having customers come back is the hard part of food and hospitality. Not sure what's going on with the service and food here but probably won't be...

Another OUTSTANDING experience at Nikko! I’ve dined at this amazing restaurant for dinner a few times since they opened, but their lunch service (now available every day) is my favorite! The service is always incredible and the ambiance is luxurious and stunning.

The staff is what sets this place apart though - Sunny has been my server a few times, she is always smiling and always a joy to see!! She makes you feel so welcome, is so knowledgeable about the menu, and has the kindest energy. I have loved getting to know her! She has helped my family members and friends who hadn’t dined here before find the perfect dishes and now everyone is obsessed.. She is amazing!!

And now - The FOOD. I went for lunch with a friend a few months ago and we shared two rolls, shishito peppers and edamame. Everything was AMAZING! When looking at the menu, I noticed their Lunch Special menu and knew I had to return. I’ve ordered the Chicken Teriyaki and Salmon Towers and I think I might have stumbled upon the best lunch special in town… Maybe the city? The state? WOW - Look at how much food you get!! And everything, again, was INCREDIBLE. So fresh and delicious!

This place cares about their customers and the employees are just fantastic. From the hostess, sushi chefs, servers, and managers here - Everyone makes you feel special and has a smile on their face. Don’t miss a chance to dine at this wonderful place!! 10 STARS!!

One of my favorite places in town for a great dining experience and I will continue to recommend to everyone visiting Southlake or asking for the best...