Ninki: Japanese Bistro

I saw some polarized reviews of this place as of late so I was curious to see what it's actually like. From my experience tonight, I thought everything was pretty good. The service and food were good and the portions for hibachi were huge! They automatically add 18% as a tip for hibachi so make sure to take that into account when paying. Overall though, if you want good service and lots of hibachi and are ok with paying around $70 for two people, this place is solid.

Ninki is your go-to cheap (relatively) and delicious hibachi. I have been here about 8 or 9 times, mainly due to the price. The food is not going to knock your socks off but if you are looking for a well-made hibachi meal, this is the place to go. NY-strip is always cooked well. One ask would be to have noodles incorporated into the hibachi meal package, similar to other hibachi places. The service depends on the waiter(ess), but overall I have had no problems. There was one time where we waited over an hour for a chef to come to our table, but most other times the speed of service was reasonable. They don't accept reservations, so you might have to end up waiting 1-1.5 hours on peak nights.

The salmon nigiri was so delicious and fresh. I am always hesitant to order sashimi or nigiri in Nashville (as opposed to on the coast) because I worry it will be disappointing. But Ninkis was so tasty! The hibachi chicken entree was pretty good, on par with other hibachi places. The broccoli was a little soggy but overall decent. I will definitely be coming back to try more nigiri, shashimi, and sushi! The interior is definitely outdated but I didn’t care after eating the nigiri.

TIL that there is a difference between a professional chef and a professional hibachi chef. Both make good food, but the latter can entertain as well. It wasn't very busy when I got there around 5:30pm on a Sunday, and I asked to be seated at the hibachi grill. I noticed that there was still a wait to fill up the seats around the grill. While I waited, I ordered a "Japanese hot green tea" for $2.75, and it came with a little ceramic cup + tea pot (I suspect it was matcha; I liked it). I was also brought a complementary bowl of soup (possibly miso, or maybe a mushroom soup broth). Once all the seats around the grill were full and everyone had made their order (from a "hibachi" page in the back of the menu; I ordered the salmon for $19.95), the chef came out with a cart that had all the raw ingredients on it. He started by making an impressive (for me, at least; first time seeing it) display of his spatula and fork skills, flaring up something (possibly sake; it burned like alcohol, and I suspect the flame had a caramelizing effect, but I don't know for certain; it was hot and entertaining though (FIRE!)), and started the rice. I opted for the "spicy" fried rice, same with everyone else at the table (in the sense of "had spices"; contrast the Indian culinary sense where "spicy" = "raging inferno", which this rice was not). It was excellent, flavorful, had a hint of what my limited culinary vocabulary can only describe as "Mongolian grill-esque", and there was a lot of it. By the time I was done, I didn't have to wait long for a couple small shrimp that came complementary, and after that was the stir fry vegetables, and my salmon followed shortly after that. All very good food, and I left full. An 18% mandatory tip is automatically included when seated at the hibachi grills (not mandatory at other tables), but I thought he deserved more, so I added a bit extra on top all that. After taxes and tips my total for a single dinner was $30. Expensive, yes, but I'm on travel, and today I thought that it was worth it.