|
NIJO CASTLE
39888 Balentine Drive
Newark. CA.
Phone: (510) 657-6450
Lunch: Monday thru Friday 11:30 am to 2:00
pm
Dinner: Sunday thru Thursday 5:00 to 9:00
pm
Friday & Saturday 5:00 to 10:00 pm
Featuring: Teppan, Sushi, Japanese
Dining, Tatami
As you enter this Nijo Castle you cross a
small bridge over a stream with fish in it
and a lovely sound of trickling water
welcomes you. Just inside the huge doors
you are warmly greeted and discover that
you are in a large upscale restaurant with
3 dining rooms, a separate Sushi Bar, and
a lounge with a regular bar where you wait
to be called to be seated at a grill which
will seat up to 8 people. This is not an
inexpensive restaurant but lots of fun to
eat at with your own group or to join some
others who are waiting too. You do need to
make reservations on the weekends. It is a
busy place and not crowded and since it
has been here for 12 years they must be
doing something right!! We were seated
with a newly wed couple, Tim & Angie,
and their sidekick ,Alan, who sat next to
me. He kept up a lively conversation and
was fun to talk to. Since they had been
there before I got some info as to what to
order.
The menu was ALMOST overwhelming with the
number of items you could order. Page one
listed 16 different appetizers! Page 2
& 3 were all Sushi items with
pictures, one of which was served in a big
boat dish for a number of people and was
$60.00! The next page listed 9 Teppan
dinners of Mahi-Mahi filets, chicken,
prawns, filet mignon or New York steak,
lobster, salmon or scallops and included
clear Japanese soup, small salad, prawn
appetizer, assorted vegetables, rice &
tea. I chose the SHOGUN dinner which was
the New York steak ($25.00) with a side
order of Shrimp Tempura that was wonderful
($6.00). The next page lists 7 combination
dinners of all of the above items for
$26.00 except for the MIKADO which was
$40.00. You sure won't go hungry here!!
There was also a childs menu for $12.00.
We did see a number of children here. The
fun part is sitting at our own private
grill heated to 450 degrees and watching
our chef cook to perfection all of our
dinners at the same time! He was very good
at it with a few flourishes of his own
including building a tower of slices of
onions and then setting it on fire,
tossing a couple of eggs in the shell
around(raw), which he cooked up with the
fried rice that was delicious. My friend
Barbara next to me ordered the Kosho which
is a New York pepper steak cooked in a
wine and mushroom sauce and very tasty
($22.00). The Yari, a combination plate,
with scallops and filet mignon was very
tender ($26.00). The newly wed couple had
Unagi, a salt water & fresh water
sushi. The best one of all was the fresh
water Punanie Sushi. Those of you who are
lovers of sushi will know what I am
describing here, I hope.
Overall, the Nijo Restaurant was exciting,
the food was very good, decor nice and the
people you can meet entertaining. I would
return for a special occasion.
SAYANORA
Aileen
|
