It's been a week since we came for hubby's bday dinner and I'm still thinking about this place lol. Everything from the ambience, service and of course food was superb. Our orders: -Scallop Crudo-the sauce in this dish is everything. -Bone Marrow-still thinking about it to this day. It had bits of steak, grapes, olives I think on top of the marrow. The sourdough was also delicious. That's a lot coming from my hubby who hates sourdough lol. -Shigoku? Oysters- small, plump oysters but meaty and refreshing with that cucumber thing they added on top. I'm sorry I forgot the name -NY Steak-hubby's steak. Juicy, soft, tender -Ribeye- my SIL's steak. Had one bite and it was pretty good too -Wagyu Short rib-My order. So tender and soft like butter, but it is quite rich. -Rice- I believe there was something fermented added to this, tastes so good eating it with the steaks -cauliflower- devoured lol. We needed something semi healthy to balance all the meat consumption- -Hen of the woods mushroom-can never go wrong with having this with your steak -Brownie with Miso Ice Cream-best brownie I've ever had imo. -Stone Fruit Rice Pudding-enjoyed eating this with the brownie lol -Amuse Buche, Confetti Bday Cake for the hubby, and Black Sesame Oreo? Cookie complements of the restaurant We will definitely be back. Also, don't forget to visit the meat market next door. Nice to pass the time while you're waiting on your food! And if you do purchase meat, the restaurant will refrigerate for you until you're ready to go home!

I had an incredible dining experience at Niku Steakhouse! The food was unique and absolutely delicious. We tried three different cuts of meat, and each one was exceptional. The flavors were rich and perfectly cooked. The service was top-notch--attentive and knowledgeable, making our meal even more enjoyable. We also had the sweet ears, which were surprisingly tasty and added a delightful twist to our meal. The presentation of the dishes was beautiful, elevating the whole experience. I highly recommend Niku Steakhouse for anyone looking for a remarkable steakhouse experience!

Wow. What an absolutely incredible experience. Obviously, and I'm going to say this up front, this place is extremely expensive. Like $300-400 per person if you're not drinking. There are other steakhouses that won't set you back this much but I heard this place was famous for their wagyu and it probably is the best wagyu steak restaurant in the entire bay area. Ok, what surprised me: the steak prices are for 3 oz cuts. They can do up to 6 oz cuts but 3-4 is a standard serving. I was suspicious that I wouldn't be full and would need to order double to feel satiated, but I was pleasantly wrong. I think because the fat content is so high, it makes you full even with a smaller piece. The food we got: pig ears, potato cubes, their famous rolls, broccolini, an A5 cut and their special cut off the day which came from a cow where the farm in Japan only gives out 8 cows to the world per month. For the steak, the A5 was amazing. There is simply no other way to describe it. I've never had steak that so effortlessly melts as much or tastes as decadent. That is, until I tried my partner's special cut. Holy cow. Literally. I would never know it could get better, but trying them side by side, holy cow. Broccolini was tasty and I'm glad we had at least one vegetable to pretend to have a balanced meal. Potatoes were crispy and dense and delicious. We ended up taking some home because we were so full (of fat). Pig ears were really good and addictive (fish sauce) so I'm glad we tried them but these are salty and should be had next to other things, which brings the rolls! Oh they were so good. So warm. The phrase 'stone-ground' comes to mind. I don't know how else to describe it. It feels like someone took the wheat and hand ground it in a pestle to make this bread. Everything was good but the bread is a must have side. They give little treats for birthdays. It seemed everyone was there for a birthday which makes sense because spending this much usually is reserved for a special occasion. We were also there for a birthday. Like avocado bites and then a sesame cookie at the end. I'm going to pretend the mini cupcake they brought out with the candle didn't exist because it's flavor was sub-par and after the meal we just had, i don't need a free mini cupcake clouding my memory. Come for the wagyu! Will we ever be back? Maybe if I save my pennies for another year. This is definitely a lifetime experience.

I declare this place the temple of beef. You're gonna spend a pretty penny, but it really was quite delicious. Everything we ordered was on point. The Michelin star is definitely earned here. The interior is swanky and is not too loud. The servers were all professional and friendly. drinks: ordered an Kawagoe Old Fashioned and some peach thing with rye whiskey. Both were delicious. Food: Avocado toast amuse bouche: Little croutons with avocado whip topped with trout roe 4.5/5 Lettuces with sunflower crumble, zucchini and green goddess: bright and fresh. Green goddess dressing was delicious 4.5/5 wagyu tsukune with egg yolk and tare: Delectable and packed with flavor. Very moist 5/5 Broccolini with black garlic bagna cauda: Delicious. The black garlic was very present in the dish which I loved. Broccolini was cooked to perfection 5/5 Pickled market veggies: So bright and fresh. My favorite was the pickled fennel and the cauliflower. Necessary to cut through all the fat. 5/5 Crispy wagyu potatoes: Amazing. Pave style crispy potatoes. Loved these. The miso chickpea was so smooth 5/5 Wagyu tasting: ordered and A3, A4, A5 and some special A5 (don't remember what it was called). Truly spectacular. 5/5 Rice Pudding: Served with sake poached fruit and sorbet. 4/5 Wagyu Fat Brownie: The most incredible brownie I have ever had. This has ruined other brownies forever for me 10/5 So yeah, it was pretty great. Keep in mind, that beef costs a pretty penny, so this is really a special occasion type of place. Not sure if it's really the best value in town, but there really isn't another steakhouse in the Bay Area of this caliber, so I guess it doesn't really have an competition and they can charge whatever they want lol. If you like beef, come here. Even if you don't like beef, come here. If you are vegetarian, do NOT come here.

Classic steakhouse vibes :) Food: Crispy pig ears [5/5]: loved these and the twist they put on classic pig ears. Sooo crunchy and delectable. A bit salty however Ribeye [3.5/5]: which this was bone in. But it was nicely cooked and had good flavor, it is a steak so nothing mind blowing A5 wagyu [5/5]: classic wagyu can't go wrong here. Melts in your mouth but of course super filing Bone marrow [5/5]: i am a huge fan of bone marrow but it is also super heavy and we might have over ordered for 2 people. Overall, think it is better to do the wagyu tasting menu than a la carte, you probably get more value out of it. The ribeye is one of the most expensive boneless ribeyes I've ever seen (and I've been to many many steakhouses) and would probably forego that next time

Was able to get two seats at the chef's counter for my boyfriend's birthday, and it was a great experience! We had an earlier reservation for 5:15 PM, so we got some extra attention before it started filling up. I had left a note in our reservation, and my boyfriend was told happy birthday by every server we encountered; they also gave a nice little note! The service was really great, they were all very attentive and nice! I really enjoyed sitting at the chef's counter, you could watch them grill the steaks and prepare some of the appetizers. We started off with a glass of wine and a cocktail which were tasty, and they gave us some small bites to start. We got: Beef tartare (5/5) - this was fresh and I liked the "chips" that these were paired with! Was a nice contrast to the other dishes which were heavier Bone marrow (4/5) - the mushrooms they had on top paired well and the marrow was roasted well! I did expect more than one though... Crispy pig ears (5/5) - got this based off of other reviews' recommendations and it did not disappoint! It had a bright acidity to it so it wasn't too heavy, and had a nice crunch without being hard New York strip (4/5) - got this because we wanted a bit more meat, it had a nice char to it and was a very good medium rare! A bit of chew to it, but still tender Crispy potatoes (4.5/5) - came out piping hot, I liked that it came with creme fraiche! Outside was crispy and the inside was soft Wagyu fat brownie (5/5) - this was so decadent and delicious! The brownie was warm and paired so well with the saltiness of the caramel and miso ice cream Overall, this was a great experience! Definitely a splurge but worth it for special occasions. Thanks to another review who gave a heads up that Niku is on inKind, so I was able to save a bit by pre-buying credit for what I knew what would be a hefty bill. Would definitely come back if the opportunity came up, the dishes our neighbors got looked great as well!

What an amazing experience at Niku. Came here to celebrate my husband's birthday and sitting at the chef's table was such a unique and worthwhile experience. Our server was attentive and the ambiance felt welcoming, fancy, and nice. We had some complementary croquettes to start off which was very tasty. It was awesome to watch the dishes being made by the chefs with special care. The portions are quite sizable here and we left feeling stuffed. Everything was absolutely delicious. Definitely became one of my favorite restaurants! We ordered the beef tartare, potatoes, maitake mushrooms, tomahawk, and parker rolls. We ordered way too much but it was worth trying them all!

The staff was pretty friendly and helpful. Service was great. The interior was modern and fancy. This place was busy so I recommend making a reservation. The crispy potatoes were tasty and unique. It went well with the given sauce. Definitely recommend trying. Before they served the tomahawk steak, they let you select a steak knife which I thought was pretty cool. The tomahawk steak was definitely fatty to the point where I couldn't even finish it. The mushrooms were a good side to eat with the steak but it wasn't anything mind blowing.

Came here with good company (aka great friends) to enjoy good food - and was blown away! Street parking only, but there is plenty around the neighborhood and it's not super sketchy or anything. (There is a Room & Board about 1.5 blocks away, how can a neighborhood with Room & Board be sketchy?!) If it's your first time, just know it's right next to the butcher shop. (Not sure how I just walked right past it...and I have glasses. Yes, that was a fail on me.) Their private room is awesome. The music was on point, too. Huge shout-out to CHRIS who was amazing the entire evening. He's earned having me type out his name in CAPS. He was a rockstar explaining all the dishes and he just had such an infectious enthusiasm for the food. I tend to get really excited when I'm full (akin to being drunk in a weird way, haha - my longtime friend can testify to this as she was there for countless sushi buffets in college and this) and when I loudly proclaimed to everyone "CAN I GET AN AMEN?" He jumped right in too with his "AMEN!" Great hype man, and provided excellent service. Food was amazing. Glad we went with the A5 wagyu upgrade as it melted in my mouth. And the tomahawk was HUGE (that's what she said!) and was seasoned perfectly. Those potatoes were so crispy and the brownie dessert with miso ice cream was divine. Yes, it's a super heavy meal, but how often do you get to eat so much amazing beef? Sooo good to have once in a while. 5 stars for sure and definitely looking forward to coming back!