4. Restaurants

Ninki

4530 HardIng Rd, Nashville, TN, 37205
  • (615) 386-0072
  • Store is closed

Ninki Menu

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  • Piper P.

    Excellent sushi. Wait staff very attentive. Felt as though my mother was serving us dinner. Making sure everything was perfect and it was

    (4)

  • Kathy V.

    Don't be turned off by the strip mall location and impression that it's tiny. I was surprised to walk in and go down a hallway to be greeting by a great looking, HUGE space with ample seating and hibachi tables! My friends took me here for dinner when I was in town for a visit. We had no problems getting seated right away on a friday night (though most people were probably still at the Preds game or watching on TV). Our waiter was very pleasant and on top of our order and refills. And how awesome is the half price sushi!?! And on a Friday night?! It wasn't as good as my favorite place in my hometown, but it was delicious and CRAZY affordable (I paid for myself and my friend who was letting me stay with her, and my bill was about as much as just my meal at my usual place at home!). Based on my experience, I highly recommend this place!

    (4)

  • Jacob T.

    Love this place. Can't beat the price and some of the best Japanese style Sushi in Nashville. Portions are also very generous! However, their wait staff is stretched very thin so don't be surprised when it takes you a good ten minutes to flag down a Waitress. Over all for me it's a solid 4 but have to hold off that final star for the slow wait staff. Try it out, you won't regret it! (Unless you're in a hurry)

    (4)

  • Matt L.

    I've tried a lot of sushi in Nashville, and have always felt it was a little lacking. Until now. I found Ninki. It's wonderful that the best sushi in Nashville also happens to be the best prices. I just had a $6 rainbow roll piled high with tuna and salmon on top, while drinking a manhattan. That's right...they also have a bar. Best deal in town. Definitely give this place a try.

    (5)

  • Charli J.

    Friendly service, beautiful presentations, fresh fish, you can't go wrong. This is the first time I have ever been presented with sushi rolls sitting on a plate above blue flames. How exciting! And on Wednesdays when it's 20% off all sushi? I'm there. UPDATE: I am taking away two stars from my original review. A dining experience for a friend's birthday left me never wanting to go to Ninki again, as the service was terrible. Bringing out dinner plates at various times and forgetting to submit an order for a guest at the table until AFTER all checks had been delivered to the table is by far, the worst thing a server can do. This is exactly what our server at Ninki did. my friend had to ask if she was ever going to get the food she ordered when all the individual checks were already delivered to the other guests at the table.

    (2)

  • Erica F.

    Even half priced feels overpriced when the service is so poor you cant get water when you literally flag down a woman holding a full water pitcher to return to the kitchen and then you have to add a tip on top of it. mediocre sushi from the one I got and I didn't hear any raving down the table of choices. You will smell unpleasantly deep fried coming away from this place. Overall, way too many better options to want eat here again.

    (2)

  • Michelle S.

    First time eating here and I was very impressed. Got the Miami roll and the Lexington roll, both of which were fantastic. The fish was fresh, the service was friendly and attentive, the aesthetic was comfortable and stylish. Would definitely recommend.

    (5)

  • Heidi V.

    I love this place! The Tofu Teriyaki is the best I have ever had! It is delicious, crispy and caramelized on the outside and soft tofu inside. Get it with the Yum Yum Sauce. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Victoria L.

    Ninki is one of the few places in Nashville that doesn't make me grimace when it's picked for sushi night. The atmosphere is clean and relaxed and service is always friendly but leans towards the slower side. The menu has plenty of options at reasonable prices for the quality. They have a "half-off" sushi menu but it's always that price so it's really just the "value" menu. I find the rolls on that menu are a little more on the plain/smaller side than the regular menu but still pretty decent, especially for how inexpensive they are. I've always enjoyed everything I've ordered off of the regular menu and I've never left here disappointed. Most sushi places in Nashville are either low quality or overpriced for decent quality. Ninki strikes a good balance and it's a regular on my sushi rotation list.

    (4)

  • Abigail P.

    At Ninki the service is fast, the fish is fresh and the prices are amazing! I love their special rolls! My favorite is the Snow roll. I always order 2 every time! Ninki is always number one on my list when I think of sushi. I could not love this place more!

    (5)

  • Dez S.

    Avocado crab salad is yummy. Sushi is more than decent and they have a special-priced menu (page 4) with deeply discounted rolls every day.

    (4)

  • Andy B.

    Okay, so the food here isn't really worthy of 5 stars - more of a 4 star for just the food, but this really has become one of my go-to places in Nashville, for one, because I love sushi, and two because they have a really vast and interesting menu. I can always come here and get something new. Also, they always have toro and uni, which is very hit or miss at other places. Another one of my favorite things about this place is that when I order nigiri when they are busy, I usually have to wait a little longer to get it for the best of reasons - they only let their most experienced chef slice the nigiri, and I don't think it's because the others are not capable, they just want the master chef cutting it, and I appreciate that, especially when forking out money for toro, and it always comes the same way every time. I've always felt that nigiri needs to drape over the rice and be laying flat on the plate at both ends. That's just the size nigiri should be, and it always is like that here. Don't neglect their specials! I ordered the (cooked) yellowtail collar, and not only was it very good, but the portion was quite large. I've ordered the bibimbap, which was quite good as well, but really was slightly overcooked as the hot bowl crisped up the rice too much, and yes I stirred it right away. I had a couple issues with their bulgogi. Was it good? Yes. It wasn't even close to the best I've had (especially since Korea), but they don't serve it with lettuce to wrap it up!?! In any case, I really like this place now. I forgot to mention that you can also get in and out of here on the cheap if you're just have a craving. Cheap: I highly recommend a Jack's Roll if you want that fried fish, eel and cream cheese taste. I get it every time I go. Also, the lunch boxes are awesome, and come with their delicious salad and onion soup. Expensive: Toro, of course. Lots and lots of Toro. Their salmon is always very, very good as well. I tried the Kagero style steak for $26 one time, and it's very good, but it's no bargain, and I'd argue not worth it. Honestly, the Filet mignon lunch is better for half the price.

    (4)

  • Zeb M.

    I wish I had been coming to this place sooner! I used to work in Belle Meade and never considered trying Ninki until a friend had told me this was her go-to sushi restaurant. Unlike some of my other favorite sushi spots in town that are way crowded in terms of tiny space, Ninki provides plenty of free parking and the restaurant inside is big with plenty of tables. Every roll I've tried has been fantastic, including the adventurous Pizza Roll I recommend, and the staff has always been lovely. We seem to get the same server each time, who makes our dinner even more enjoyable with her jokes and attempt to remember our names. There's also a hibachi option, but I've only come for sushi, so I can't speak on it. Another thing I love about Ninki are their drinks. The lemon drop cocktail is freaking delicious and their dark and stormy drinks are pret-ty strong.

    (5)

  • Heather B.

    We haven't been here in a long time and decided to try it again. Service was good and attentive and the food was great for the price. I'm a very picky sushi eater (I have eaten sushi all over the country) and I was very pleased with their quality. I ordered the salmon nigiri, Philadelphia roll & Titan roll. I was impressed! My daughter ordered the kids chicken/rice and loved it! It also came with vegetables. My husband had the steak teriyaki and all I observed was an empty plate. My daughter even got an amazing orange slice dessert! We live in the neighborhood and were much happier with this visit so we will be back!

    (5)

  • Kimberly S.

    Ninki is one of my favorite lunch places. The sushi is great and inexpensive. My favorite roll is the Wasabi roll, which is always very fresh and filling. I also generally order the Philadelphia roll with fresh salmon instead of smoked and also add jalapeno. For both of these together (which is enough for two meals), my bill is around $12.00. It's a great deal. My other favorite is the Bibimbap on the lunch menu, which comes with soup and salad. This is $9.95 (I think?) and a ton of tasty, semi-healthy food. The hibachi is fine but not great. The one big issue with Ninki is the service. It is often terrible. To remedy this, I generally ask for my check as soon as my food is brought so that I don't have to wait to pay. Also, a lot of times you have to wait for the hostess to come to the front. Be patient-- it is worth it (although sometimes frustrating!).

    (5)

  • Tim G.

    This place is amazing. Get the Hibachi! Such a good price and huge portion. The staff here is always great and they have a decent wine selection. The chefs that cook in front of you are great at interacting and entertaining! Be sure to tip them!

    (5)

  • Jared K.

    My wife had to spend Valentine's weekend on call, so we didn't want to do anything super fancy just in case she had to run to work unexpectedly. Ninki sounded great, and it's also pretty close to her job (just in case). I wish Ninki had taken the time to renew their GoDaddy subscription so I could check out the website. It took me about 20 minutes of Googling to track down a menu. I think the menu I did find was out of date though, judging by some of the more recent Yelp reviews. When we walked in, the hostess told us it was only about a 15-20 minute wait without a reservation, which I thought wasn't bad at all for a Saturday night Valentine's Day. The poor little hostess girls were kind of unorganized and seemed completely overwhelmed by the task set before them. I'm assuming they don't often deal with an extremely busy dinner service. After waiting 20 minutes, we asked how much longer it would be, but they said they really didn't know. That's strange because I had just heard one of the hostesses tell someone it would be a 45-minute wait for a table. There are also apparently different wait times depending on whether you want to sit at a table, the sushi bar, or the hibachi grill. Trouble is, they don't always ask which seating type you want. Do they just guess and make up times as they go? We didn't want to press our luck any further, so we ended up just sitting at the sushi bar. From what I'm told, Ninki used to have a huge selection of cheap half-price sushi, but sadly no more. Although there are still a few $3-$4 rolls on the menu, the majority of their rolls are somewhere in the $6-$10 range, with a few closer to $15. Price wasn't really an obstacle since it was Valentine's Day, but still. There were too many delicious things to choose from. We each picked two. My wife selected the Jack's Roll (fried halibut with avocado and cream cheese) and the TN Roll (deep fried roll with shrimp, avocado, crab, and roe). I decided to be a little adventurous and try the Texas Roll (spicy crab, deep fried Japanese pepper, and avocado topped with seared NY steak and eel sauce) and the Hawaiian Roll (tempura shrimp, asparagus, and cream cheese topped with avocado, mango, and nuts. Everything we had was delicious! I thoroughly enjoyed the fried halibut in the Jack's Roll, and the cream cheese complimented it quite nicely. My wife has a fondness for fried sushi, hence the TN Roll. It was crunchy and packed with flavor. The Hawaiian roll was very good, although the mango didn't stand out as much as I expected. The highlight of our dinner was the Texas Roll, which comes out flaming like the sushi version of Crepes Suzette. The seared beef added an interesting savoriness to the sushi, and dipping it in spicy mayo made things even better. Despite the trouble at the hostess stand, we had a really friendly waiter who was quick and gave us great service. He and the food made up for whatever was going on up front. I'm sure we'll be back to Ninki, though probably on a weekday instead.

    (4)

  • Alex P.

    This used to be a regular stop for me. I've been coming here since Spring of 2012. Thats when they first introduced the half off lunch special and dine in special. And way before yelp offered the check in thing. Anyway, my favorites were Jack's roll (fried Halibut, avocado, cream cheese, and eel sauce), spicy salmon and an eel roll. Here is the menu if you're viewing with an iPad or tablet. issuu.com/tmc3p/docs/lun… I really liked the half off lunch special... I used to be a little piggie and eat 3 or 4 rolls at a time... So much sushi happiness... Anyway, i still go there once and a while but I had a bad experience with one of the waitresses named Ester back in October. My mom was visiting in from out of town and I told her that we had to come here since it was my favorite sushi spot. At the end of the night, Ester was yelling at my mom and I was just horrified that this could happen at a business. I was just so embarrassed and angry about it so I don't chance taking friends here but I come here occasionally when I want some quality and cheap sushi for myself. Also, I think they get their fish in the beginning of the week so coming from someone who used to eat here on a daily basis, the beginning of the week is a lot fresher. Definitely try this place out. The sushi is fresh and tasty and the half off special makes it super cheap.

    (4)

  • Kaleena 'Kala' H.

    The deals that are offered at Ninki are great (who wouldn't want 50% off sushi rolls!), but the actual sushi isn't that great. My sushi was very bland and had no taste to it. I tried some of the fried rice from my husband's bento box and it was bland as well! The only thing I liked was their gyoza...now that was good! Probably won't be returning here anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Scott P.

    The lobster roll is crazy good! Often they have half price sushi! I had lobster roll,some sashimi and seaweed salad.

    (5)

  • Nicole P.

    I give this place 5 stars because my kids LOVE it! It's really conveniently located for our family of 5 to come here. We always sit at the Hibachi table and have the chef cook for us... yes, a little silly, but again our 13 and 11 year old twins just love it. We have often met families with kids there as well. The food is always fresh and we leave stuffed.

    (5)

  • Janet Y.

    Before heading to Ninki, I read all the mixed reviews- so I was a little nervous. However, I was craving sushi and the 50% off of selected sushi rolls seemed too good to turn down, especially on this part of town where the pickins for good Asian cuisine are slim. When we walked inside, a friendly host greeted us. The restaurant was more spacious than I expected. Our server was also very attentive and enthusiastic about the restaurant. She talked it up so much I thought maybe she was the owner! I really appreciated her recommendations too. I think she was spot on for what I was looking for. When the food came out, it was displayed well. The sushi rolls were the perfect combination of fresh fish and rice! It was obvious the sushi was fresh- it melted in your mouth! I still can't get over the 50% off sushi menu that is offered all day everyday. Plus, the lunch menu looked like it had some great prices-- from bento boxes and hibachi. Those lunch prices are surprisingly also offered everyday of the week-- which is rare to find. Other restaurants typically only offer their lunch specials Monday through Friday. With excellent prices, service, and food-- I can't see why Ninki shouldn't get 5 stars! Can't wait to return!

    (5)

  • Craig W.

    This is as authentic as you can get in Nashville. The feel of the restuarant is like an establishment in Tokyo. The sushi and other dishes are fresh and delicious. Not to mention they have a half priced sushi menu everyday of the week. I recommend Ninki to anyone who enjoys fresh and delicious Japanese cuisine.

    (4)

  • Chris M.

    The sushi is fresh and the price is perfect. I love stopping in here for lunch or dinner any night of the week. The miso soup is very good, and the portion size of their rolls and sashimi is spot on. It's a little jaunt out to Belle Meade for me, but well worth it as long as I don't go between 4:30-6:30pm and have to deal with the height of rush hour.

    (4)

  • Jim V.

    Cheep food and good prices. We sat in the hibachi section and loved the atmosphere. The restaurant is smaller in size so I'm guessing would be hard to get into on Friday and Saturday nights. The sushi was fresh and everything came out to our satisfaction. For sushi we usually venture to ru sans in the gultch, but they are so over priced. This establishment will now be our go to because it is close to home, cheap, and reasonable quality.

    (4)

  • Chloe H.

    Really love their sushi, but am I the only one that's really annoyed that they don't have a menu ANYWHERE online?!

    (3)

  • Calvin G.

    As a Ninki lunch regular who has been coming to this establishment weekly, I feel it is time to inform the masses of what I've learned. Please note, I am not a huge fan of dinner here; the 4 stars I am awarding for *Lunch* only and here is why... 1. $7-8 for Hibachi during lunch served with a meat, vegetables, fried rice, a salad, and soup. That is ridiculously cheap. I seriously think they are losing money on this transaction. (Just don't tell them that). 2. Half price eat-in sushi. While the original price is moderately inflated, the half off discount makes the a price of a role very reasonable/economical. If you can't fill up on hibachi alone, throw a roll or two on as well. 3. Refillable soda. This is one of the few Asian restaurants were you aren't served a stupid can of soda that you have to pay individually for. You can have all the diet Coke you want here. Thank god. 4. There is always a ton of convenient parking. (No making loops around midtown looking for that one space on a side street that everyone else also glanced over.) Please note the cons of Ninki: 1. Service is generally slow. If you're in a rush, don't chance it and come here. I think this is especially true at the hibachi tables. While there yesterday, I am pretty sure there was a 15 minute period where they forgot I was there. No harm because I wasn't in a hurry to get my bill. 2. Windowless dining room. I'm a fan of restaurants with windows (personal preference) so coming here on a nice weekend afternoon hurts my soul a little bit. Hate sunshine and good views? Then this should always be your go-to spot. 3. Dinner prices are fine. Not cheap, not overly expensive. Meh.

    (4)

  • Brandon P.

    MY NEW REVIEW 1/29/15: GREAT FOOD, GOOD SERVICE. The owners have done what few places can do - turn around a critically bad service situation. I'm a regular, so it's good to see the service dramatically improve. Long live Ninki! OLD REVIEW:::: TERRIBLE SERVICE!!!!!! TERRIBLE SERVICE!!!!! Lunchtime or Dinner, service is HORRIBLE. However, the food is good. But why bother, it's cold be the time you get it and they never bring you a check or refill your drink.

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    Ninki was exactly what a three-start review entails - A-OK. If you are reading this review prior to November 15th, 2011, you should run not walk to Ninki because ALL sushi rolls are 50% off until then!! And the sake tonight was $1... that's right, $1. Um, it tasted a few steps up from isopropyl alcohol, but it was $1. (And you don't have to order the cheap hot sake like I did. ALL sake tonight was $1.) The rolls and nigiri I had were good. Thankfully they were 50% off, because I agree with other reviews that the menu does seem expensive. They were "specialty" rolls I ordered, I realize, but still - $14 and $9 for a roll. Seems like a lot. The variety is interesting. There are many rolls, but commonly found things like spicy tuna or just salmon are missing. However, cream cheese and/or avocado are very prevalent on the menu. I asked if the "Fire" rolls were spicy. They are entitled "Fire" rolls because they actually come ON FIRE. Yes, lit on fire. This is a cool presentation, with the only downside being that it halfway cooks some of the raw fish! I'd go to Ninki if you're in the area.

    (3)

  • Chrissy S.

    Great local place with good sushi. Great environment for small families or large ones! Business traveler? No problem, they have a nice bar area as well. Staff is good and gets whatever you need with no problem. Definitely one of my favorite places to go for sushi in Nashville!

    (4)

  • Marcia M.

    I give it to Ninki for being wise about their marketing strategy. Our recent Yelp's Cravin' For Asian Weekly Yelp ( yelp.com/weekly?edition_… ) informed me that Ninki offers 50% off an alluring assortment of sushi at all times. No kidding! Sounds too good to be true, right? This is precisely why I had to venture out to Belle Meade for my veg sushi fix... well that is until I saw the fantastic lunch bento box deal at $6.95. Everything from the 4 pieces of sushi to the salad, miso soup, tempura, and rice were excellent. The portions were just right but the standout was the miso soup! You may not think that miso is very exciting but I appreciated the big chunks of shitake mushrooms and robust flavor. Yum in the tum. Don't judge this book by it's cover either. From the exterior, Ninki is nestled inside a dated strip mall but when you walk through the doors, it is a spacious and dark place to relax and enjoy tasty but affordable Asian cuisine. If you're planning a dinner for a large group or a dinner party, the space has a couple of private areas that accommodate and there appears to be some flexibility in the layout of the space. I will definitely come back to Ninki but on my next trip, I will try the deeply discounted rolls instead. Definitely consider this spot for lunch or even a date too!

    (4)

  • Chris H.

    One of our families favorites. Great selection and very affordable for the quality. Wonderful sake selection.

    (5)

  • Q Y.

    I would agree someone's post here regarding the general sushi situation in Nashville. Mostly mediocre, only if you know what to order. This place's special point is its lunch half price for rolls. Well that's the reason I went there last time after avoiding it for a while. All rolls on the menu were half price. But the halfed price was still higher then other places. Felt ripped off.

    (3)

  • Corey G.

    Not a bad option for Sushi in the West Nashville area, I prefer Asahi over Ninki but Ninki does have its perks. They are much faster than the prior mentioned establishment and offer a wider variety of cuisine. They have select roll for 50% off! I've tried the sushi bar and hibachi and both were pretty good. The rolls aren't the biggest or best I've had for at 50% off they're not too bad on your pocket book. The fried rice and veggies on the hibachi are very favorable as well as the steak I ordered. It may have been because we were there later in the evening and there was only 2 people at the hibachi but the presentation by the chef was somewhat lacking compared to other hibachi experiences I've had. I'd recommend this place to people in the Belle Meade area looking for a fast bite to eat at lunch or a nice evening dining spot.

    (4)

  • Kathryn E.

    What has happened to this place? I ordered my usual, the Kiss of Eel and Spicy Crazy rolls. They were both warm. Eww. It gets worse. The fish was anything but fresh. I think they tried to cover that with about a cup of oyster sauce on each roll! And the roe was bleeding pink. Service was great! Two stars for my server. That is all.

    (2)

  • Kristina L.

    The office peeps decided to go out for hibachi today and Ninki's is where we wound up. I was thrilled that the sushi rolls were 50% off during the lunch hour. There were some decent choices as well. Three of us decided to split a couple of rolls and also order the hibachi meals as well. The wasabi roll was my favorite. It was just zingy enough without being overwhelming. The crazy, spicy roll was not overly spicy and had a nice crunch with the addition of a fried pepper in it. Both were good - not over the top good, but for the price, it hit the spot nicely. The hibachi was your standard fare. It was less than $7 for the chicken lunch portion. And boy did I get my $7 worth! There was a ton of food and I also was served a bowl of miso soup as well as a small salad. For it being a hibachi grill, we got out of there relatively quickly as well. Overall, service was good. Our glasses never went empty and everything moved along at a decent pace. The hibachi "show" was not as dazzling as it is at places like Kobe or Goten, but it was fun nonetheless. Yes, this little hole in the wall in the Belle Meade shopping center is certainly easy to drive past; however, for the price point it is worth making the trek if you are in the neighborhood. Personally, I would not make the drive all the way from Hermitage, but since it is relatively close to my office it is good on the occasion that we want to venture out.

    (3)

  • Janet S.

    Coming in from a Bellvue roadtrip we stopped in here at around 3.00 pm on a Tuesday. There were still a few stragglers from lunch - the vibe is dark and soothing, gentle Moby tracks were wafting and the lighting low. Service prompt and attentive, panko fried avocado appy was delicious with hot mayo. The Wasabi roll was beautifully presented and tasty but devoid of wasabi, no matter plenty to dip into on the other plates. The Maguro and Saba were both delicious and generously cut. A ginger Martini thingy was quite lovely. We split all this for $55, it seemed a little pricey and it is far from home but definitely A-OK. Private rooms and hibachi tables available.

    (3)

  • Ben F.

    Here's my quick and dry review of this place, which I USED to frequent about once per week. I rated 4 out of 5, based on my experiences with other sushi restaurants in Nashville, because it is unfair to compare to some of the other sushi restaurants I've been to while living in Manhanttan, NY. I usually rate sushi based on three criteria. Rice, Fish, and Presentation. Here, the sushi rice is of good consistency and taste. Not too dry, not too mushy. Good overall texture. Not too sweet or too much vinegar, but seasoned right for my palate. Here, the fish is always consistent. Fresh and vibrant in color. The raw scallop is so-so. Sea urchin is good. Occasionally, they have specialty fish like Toro. The nigiri fish is sliced appropriately, in terms of size and thickness. Acceptable fish to rice ratio, but could be more delicate. Here, the presentation is average. I'm not expecting much, particularly since the prices are average. Again, not delicate but acceptable. As others mentioned, the location (in a strip mall) is quite deceiving. I would have skipped this place had I not stumbled upon it by accident. The interior is ok decorated with appropriate lighting. If it's busy, it can get a bit noisy inside due to the high ceilings and large interior space. Service is average, friendly. Sometimes a bit slow when busy, but expected. Sometimes when it's busy, they look clueless. They have sake, wine and specialty drinks, but I cannot comment on this since I get water. I love raw fish and shellfish. I love toro, hamchi and mirugai. Sadly for me, people in Nashville tend to favor the more common fish so this place doesn't carry the more selective fishes/shellfish on a regular basis. Ninki sometimes sells the fatty salmon skin, which I HIGHLY recommend. I typically order the nigiri or the chirashi here because ANY specialty rolls tend to mask the flavor of the rice and fish. I realize this may be desirable for some, but I prefer the raw taste. I eat all my raw seafood without any garnish - no cocktail sauce, lemon, nothing. Only wasabi and soy sauce. Sometimes, without it too. If I'm on a budget that day, I'll stick to ordering their maki rolls since it's always 50% off for dine-in customers. The hibachi is so-so. Not my favorite, but I come here for the sushi. Ok, so maybe this wasn't a quick review. Too bad we can't do a powerpoint presentation, complete with animation. I'll end by saying this...the place is Japanese owned and operated. Why is this important? Because it is.

    (4)

  • Hoa T.

    Went here because I had the LivingSocial coupon and I will say that I will be back. I did not even know that they have hibachi but I'm glad they did because a friend was not that into sushi (baffle my mind I know). Service was top notch. The Hibachi chef was very personable, nothing too flashy but with a drink in hand, the experience was great. I had the gyoza for appetizers, mahi mahi entree, and wasabi margarita to drink. The gyoza was good, typical but good. The mahi mahi was cooked well, I had it taken off the grill before it was overcooked, gotta be careful with fish. I also tried my friend's calamari steak. It was pretty awesome I may have to get that next time. The wasabi margarita was not overpowering with just a hint of wasabi at the end. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. The sushi menu was pretty extensive and not too pricey either. I ordered the Pretty Woman Roll (shrimp tempura on the inside with raw tuna on the outside). It was so tasty. My friend had the Volcano roll which came out on fire. A+++ for presentation. I will definitely come back especially on Feb 27, 2012 since it's their 1 yr anniversary so 50% off sushi roll baby. Can't wait!

    (4)

  • David O.

    The better half and I stopped in at dinner for Teppanyaki. The location is very nice, but as other reviewers have said, it's quite large and feels a bit empty. For us, Service was prompt and friendly. We even had a table just to ourselves. Food was decent, but not great. I found the Sushi to be average (We ordered the "Sexy Girl"), but its possible I'm just a snob about such things. For dinner I had the Hibachi Salmon which was really good. I've never been to another Teppanyaki place that offered this so it was a pleasant surprise. The downside was the absence of Teriyaki Steak for the Hibachi. Overall I'd probably return, but only for the Salmon, which I did enjoy quite a bit, but it wouldn't be a strong recommendation to others if you are looking for something to just BLOW YOU AWAY.

    (3)

  • Dan R.

    I just moved to Nashville from SoCal and have been very disappointed in the sushi. Ninki did not disappoint! We didn't try the hibachi, but the sushi and drinks were very creative and delicious! I will definitely be coming back!

    (5)

  • Kelly V.

    I went to Ninki for the 2nd time last night, and again I loved it! The mixed reviews scared me at first, but I wanted to check it out for myslef. I was definitely pleasently suprised walking into this restaurant, it loks small from the outside, but its actually pretty big! We got excellent service, and the food was great both times!! My boyfriend and I got the teriyaki tofo, and its the best we've both had! We also got the happy sunday roll, which is to die for! Yuuuum! The only reason it does not get 5 stars is because my boyfriend and I do not like the fried rice, thats the only complaint we have with this place. As my boyfriend said last night its a fried rice away from being perfect!

    (4)

  • Jason P.

    Excellent sushi! Very fresh and well priced. Hibachi is great as well. However, we've been forced to wait for our hibachi table to be full before they would cook for us. With two small children that are hungry, that doesn't sit well. Food gets 5-stars and the occasional wait on the hibachi table brings the overall to 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Elated J.

    Sushi yes...HIBACHI NEVER! The chef (from Wyoming) was sarcastically arrogant and rude. He threw the food on the plate, was unengaged, unenthused...NOTHING like the great chefs at Tokyo! The vegetables were hard....the rice was in clumps (no flavor). It was so bad, I was mad lol. They have also changed their clear onion soup recently...it's like a store bought broth now:-/ I really can't find anything good to say about this eating experience! I had been there before for sushi...I should've never ever in life explored! I don't want my money back...I want my wasted calories back LOL

    (2)

  • E G.

    Great little place tucked away in a strip mall next to Bellmeade Kroger. I mostly have either had sushi or lunch specials but it is very reasonable for a Japanese Sushi and Steakhouse. I love the Bento box. Sushi, Tempura, Tofu/Beef/Chicken with miso, salad, gyzo all for $12 @ lunch. You can't beat this! Sushi specials are also excellent during the lunch hour and the they have some speciality items no one else in town has. ***'s due to the waitstaff. They are not very thrilled to be there. Maybe the management. Either way, its a good bargin for the money!

    (3)

  • Ray L.

    With the amount of Japanese restaurants that are in Nashville, most are mediocre to... bleh with a few hidden gems. This place is unfortunately not one of the latter. There kitchen serves not only sushi, but also serves bento boxes and teppanyaki. I came here three times and based on those experiences, I would probably say that if you want food to arrive on a timely fashion, make sure you order their "hibachi" and that the rest of your table does so too. Let's start with the best thing that they do well: The NINKI bento boxes during the lunch special is extremely well priced for what they give you and the kitchen actually cooks up a pretty delicious (albeit thin) tonkatsu and tempura. My only complaint is that you have to get fried rice with the dish. The onion soup is actually not bad. The next best thing? The teppanyaki that they call "hibachi". It's nothing like a Benihana since they aren't as fun to watch. With the hibachi, you get the meat of your choice (beef, chicken, salmon, and shrimp and you can choose how well done you want the beef). I ordered the beef and even though they cooked it to medium rare as I had ordered, the beef they serve though is unfortunately not of great quality. On my first visit with my group, we ordered different items and for those of us that didn't order the teppanyaki, we waited so long that our friends who did had already finished eating. Our waitress though was quite helpful and did the best she could to keep us complacent. On our second visit, we all ordered hibachi and this worked out much better. I haven't had their sushi so that judgement is reserved for another visit. Price: 4 Food: 3 Service: 4

    (3)

  • Vicki S.

    I'm sorry to do this to you, Ninki, as we've had a pretty good run during your 50% promotion (which seems to have gone on forever), but you're losing a star. The service on a recent night for a friend's birthday was confusing and infuriating. I've dealt with the slow service in the past, figuring it was worth it for such a great deal. On this particular night though, my entire table of 7 people were served their food long before I was. I waited patiently for a while - until the server started handing out individual checks and I STILL hadn't recieved my meal. I'm talking a good 20 minutes between my friends' food arriving and me sitting there hungry and angry. Turns out she never put my order in. How does that happen? I have not been back since, and it will take a good deal of convincing to get me back again. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

    (2)

  • Amanda F.

    Cute, dark restaurant. My boyfriend and I have been here a few times and we love it! There are tvs with sports playing too, so the guys don't get bored. Definitely recommend.

    (4)

  • Kitty K.

    Ninki has beautiful food. I love going for lunch or getting take out whenever I'm in Nashville. The only reason I'm giving 4 instead of 5 stars is that their fried rice used to be AMAZING, just the best, but last time it was more greasy than usual, couple of my Nashville friends said the same thing. But regardless of the rice, it is nice, stylish, pretty, and tasty.

    (4)

  • Jennie F.

    Ninki is the best sushi in Nashville. I moved here recently from New York and had pretty much given up finding a great sushi place. I love sushi. I love interesting rolls, and I demand fresh. Ninki's rolls are unique, exquisitely fresh and well done. I also love the chirashi (sashimi plate.) Theirs is varied and invariably fresh and delicious. I'm not a big fan of the decor. It teeters between a disco and a sports bar. But with sushi this good, I shrug it off. I've never had a bad meal here. If you love sushi, you definitely should try it.

    (5)

  • Jennette F.

    Delicious fresh sushi and the rolls are 50% off.

    (4)

  • Rahel K.

    So I'm here right now at Ninki ..... ordering carryout; waiting at the sushi bar; drinking a glass of Chardonnay. To my left is a quiet large screen TV, a cozy couple, and a semi-stocked bar. Behind me is a chatty group of girlfriends. To my right a large room with multiple tables romantically lit for good ambiance but with outdated decor. In front of me attentive sushi chefs. Oh, what's this? They hand me a 20% off coupon next time and thank me profusely for coming in. Do I need a coupon for sushi? Then the waitress hands me the bill. Ouch; $70 for 5 rolls, edemame and a glass of wine....but I haven't tried the sushi yet. So now I'm at home and I've just finished the meal. The rolls were small but REALLY good. Unique combination of flavors like tuna and mango, and bonnito (smoked fish skin) toppings. Will I be back? Yes, but only with my coupon.

    (3)

  • Chef X.

    Where's my salad? Where's my soup? Where's my server? I know where the rest of the staff is-standing in front of the G-d Damned front door sucking down cigarettes. Classy. This place needs a GM that can run a restaurant instead of a flock of half-wits that can't. I've been to Japan, too dude and this ain't it.

    (2)

  • Howard L.

    I was not impressed. Prices are high and why have a lobster tank if it's empty? Too many gimmick rolls on the menu. If there are no live lobsters in the lobster tank, where are they getting lobsters for their fancy raw lobster roll? I'm guessing way dead frozen ones in the back. And if that's true, I certainly wouldn't want to eat it. I ordered some fried oysters and received fried chicken instead. It was actually kind of funny because the waitress insisted that despite it not looking like the picture in the menu, they were indeed oysters. I had each of my friends sample it before deciding conclusively that it was instead chicken. I ordered the sweet shrimp and received the standard raw shrimp on rice and fried shrimp heads. I ate one piece and nearly threw up. It tasted like an old aquarium, which is not a good place for raw shrimp to be. When I asked the waitress about striking it from the bill, she did. However, if that was my sushi restaurant and I was confident in the freshness of the food, I would have explained all that before striking it from the bill. The fact that they did not come over to speak to me speaks volumes about the freshness of their food. That is to say, it probably isn't very fresh. The hot food was a joke. My friend ordered bul golgi (Korean dish). It was absolutely pathetic. And it was 16 bucks. Unforgivable. The uni was good. For 7 bucks, I should hope that it is. Otherwise, I do not plan on going back.

    (2)

  • Justin R.

    I was extremely disappointed in almost ever aspect of Ninki. I was really excited to try this place out since it's really close to my apartment, but I should have known better based on all the previous spotty reviews. My girlfriend and I decided to stop in for lunch this past Friday, and even though there was not wait, the place was busy. The first thing I noticed when I walked in, was how huge this place was. It's not at all what I expected from the outside. With all the space in the restaurant, they didn't do a good job at filling it. It feels very empty, and cold. Now for the service. I honestly think our waitress chugged two Five Hour Energy's, and four Red Bulls before she came to our table! She had a heavy Asian accent and was talking a mile a minute. She tried to go over the lunch specials with me, and by tried I mean she flipped through my menu quickly and banged on a few pages. There were some things that were two for one and some things that were half priced, but which was which was a total guess. Between the time she brought out our drinks and when we ordered was probably fifteen minutes. And in those fifteen minuted we determined that their sushi menu was extremely over priced when compared to other Sushi joints in the city. So for lunch we both stuck to the Hibachi menu. I ordered the steak and L ordered the shrimp. Both tasted alright, but it was nothing great. I ordered a side of fried rice that tasted like I was eating a stick of butter. I added some soy sauce to it, but then it just tasted like I was eating a stick of salted butter. I asked for the steak medium rare and it came out medium well, emphasis on the well. But, when the steak is cut into cubes the size of dice, it's hard to cook then to any other consistency other than well. Thankfully the Hibachi menu was 50% off, it was one of the specials that our hopped up waitress banged on when we first arrived, so lunch was only 12 bucks between the two of us. Not a horrible deal, but I left shaking my head, swearing to never go back again.

    (2)

  • Melissa H.

    I was excited to try a sushi place near my house. I hate to say it, but my experience with Ninki was mediocre at best and above all disappointing: service and food. I placed a carry out order, to apparently the hostesses' chagrin, as the two of them seemed less than interested in taking my order or properly taking patrons to their tables. In addition to being treated like I broke up a private party, I was scoffed at when I asked for low sodium soy sauce. I wasn't aware that request warranted that response. To add insult to injury, the sushi wasn't even that good, and was sub par to some I have, in the past, had from the grocery store. Being a very recent transplant from NYC, It was my first time having sushi in Nashville, and last time having it at Ninki. I look forward to trying other places with better service and food.

    (2)

  • Zach G.

    Place was great when they still had $1 sake, but the prices were to draw in a crowd. I still really love their sushi even if it is a bit pricey. My guess is eventually the discounts on their pricing will disappear and so will the restaurant. No one wants to pay $12 a roll for sushi.

    (4)

  • Carla T.

    I cant believe I let you guys talk me into this! My daughter and I went in expecting the most awesomely inexpensive and delicious sushi on the market. Not so much. We were pretty well ignored after being seated, my sake took just as long as my food to get to my table (we sat 2 feet from the bar). I have had better sushi just bout anywhere ive eaten it. Needless to say the best thing bout this place is the space, and i will NOT be going back.... shoulda went to smoothie king

    (2)

  • Ian R.

    Ninki has renewed my faith in Japanese food in Nashville. I am a card carrying Japanese Food Snob. I lived in Japan for three years, my wife is Japanese, I cook and eat Japanese food all the time. Nashville has never had a Japanese restaurant that really stood up to my unreasonable expectations. Until now, until Ninki. I went to the Grand Opening event that was unfortunately scheduled on May 5th. If you speak Spanish or just like an excuse to drink and eat chips and salsa you understand why that might be a challenge for a Japanese restaurant. Nonetheless the meal and the evening were fantastic. Ninki is located in the shopping center next to the Belle Mead Kroger on West End. From the outside it is rather unassuming and will take a while for the locals to catch on to. Inside it is very sleek and elegant. There are two separate dining areas since they offer both Hibachi and a more traditional sushi and Japanese food menu. Overall I found the atmosphere to be very appealing place to spend time and enjoy a meal. The menu is broad and covers a lot of ground. I did not have the Hibachi so I cannot review that part of the restaurant. They have a full sushi menu and a great selection of unique Japanese specialties. I love a good hibachi, but with as good as the rest of the menu is I don't know if I will ever make it to the Ninki hibachi tables. If I had one recommendation for the menu at Ninki it would be to go exploring. They offer multiple dishes that are unique and definitely not offered anywhere else in Nashville or at almost any Japanese restaurant that I have been to in the US. Our group was fortunate enough to be seated with some friends of the chef so we got to sample most of the specialties on the menu. All of them were excellent and made me wish I had a bigger stomach. A quick recap of the meal is as follows: Salmon Ceviche Salad with shaved parmigiana and a wonderful dressing; Hon Maguro Tuna, the real deal and the best sushi I have had in Nashville; Duck Breast served Jibu-ni style which apparently means with a delicate mushroom sauce and grilled scallions, fantasic; Black Cod baked with vegetables in a paper wrapper which might have been the single best piece of fish I have ever had, moist and unbelievably full of flavor; Ribeye steak cooked on a ripping hot stone and flambed with cognac; Creme Brule; French Wine; Beer ; Lobster roll Sushi; Chocolate Cake. Honestly it is a miracle I was able to get up, but everything was perfectly sized and impossible to resist. Ninki left me completed satisfied and more than a little impressed. It is not a cheap place to eat, but it is worth every penny and then some. If you are a traditionalist the sushi is excellent and will definitely not disappoint. If you want to experiment then there is a wealth of great food waiting to be discovered. Explore the menu at Ninki. There are things there that cannot be had anywhere else in Nashville.

    (5)

  • Aria T.

    I stumbled upon this place on a Sunday evening, and let me just say: WOW! There were only a few good sushi joints in Nashville and I had grown way tired of them all. The outside is kind of strange--bordering on tacky-- but inside it's actually quite trendy and nice. I sat at the sushi bar. The server convinced me to buy a whole bottle of Kung Fu Girl, because on Sundays they do 20% off wine by the bottle. Plus, I would be able to take the remaining wine home with me. Yummy. I was unsure of what I wanted to eat, so the head sushi chef asked me what kind of fish I preferred and then got to work. You see, I like it when a man can make a selection for me and actually get it right... and he did! Instead of tossing my food over the bar like most sushi chefs, he took the time to walk around and place the most beautiful looking salmon tartare in front of me. Presentation gets an A+ for sure. The salmon was very fresh, as was the avocado and the ginger. This dish was so wonderfully delicate, yet perfectly filling. I really took my time with it and savored each bite. The chef then asked if I liked eel, and OF COURSE I do, so he then prepared a small dish featuring some very yummy unagi. The service was great. Very consistent and not too overbearing. The whole experience was very satisfying. I need to get back there ASAP, perhaps on another Sunday!

    (4)

  • Nicole P.

    Had lunch with a group of coworkers at Ninki today and we were all quite impressed. The decor was great and not something you would expect to find in a restaurant located in a shopping center - it has a fantastic, modern vibe that was very welcoming, though I can't say that I found the new age music to be the best accompaniment to my Japanese dining experience. As for the food, we tried an assortment of things. I can't recall the names of all of the five different rolls we ordered, but I think I remember there being a Butterfly and a Yum Yum roll in the mix - both received great reviews. We also ordered chicken teriyaki (quite tasty) and an insanely large portion of chicken fried rice that was delicious. There were a lot of interesting options on the menu - bibimbap & other Korean offerings and fois gras, for example - and judging off of our first experience, I can't wait to go back and be more adventurous. Prices were very reasonable and they do have a lunch menu. Definitely adding this place to our regular rotation - but on that note, I must make my one slightly negative comment and say that the timeliness of the service could be tightened up a bit. Seeing as how it is in an area that attracts lots of business lunchers, being able to make it in and out the door pretty quickly is essential. But since the place is still green, I have faith that this matter will get better with time. Overall, a great experience and a restaurant that I will enthusiastically recommend to others.

    (4)

  • Emma L.

    Only okay the night we went apparently. Soggy sushi with inedible fish has followed. Maybe worth it for cheap hibachi? Not sure since I've never personally had it.

    (3)

  • Marilee S.

    Ugh..., I really wanted to give this place five stars, but it's so damn big. Whoever designed the build-out, forgot to add some charm. It's big as in sterile in not a good way inside. However, the fish is good, rolls are creative and the service was exceptional. The prices are a tad high. Granted, this is the owners third restaurant with the other two in Kentucky. Surprised it looked the way it did inside. Guess it didn't help our last visual reminder of the place as we walked out was of a lobster tank in the hallway. One lone victim was lying at the bottom.

    (3)

  • Lyndi S.

    Ninki has all the intentions of trying to serve Japanese food. However, it falls short of that, amongst other things. While its location is what brought me here, it is not AT ALL what you expect to see when you walk into a Japanese restaurant of any sort. It looks like a late 80's, early 90's bachelor pad. Kind of like black laquer threw up on Japan. No bueno. The service was less than decent, considering it was a fair 20 minutes between visits from our waitress, who was extremely hyper and difficult to understand because of it. Needless to say, we finally chose our Hibachi bowls (shrimp for me, steak for JTR), and then waited our "alotted" 20 minutes for the food. Did I mention we watched a table of four (who ordered before us) get their food 5-10 minutes before us? The food smelled great. I was extremely excited at the look of other people's plates, but when ours arrived, my hopes immediately dropped. The veggies were covered in butter and oil, and my shrimp was sitting very lonely on the other side of the plate by itself. A small heap of arugala made a nice wall between the veggies and the shrimp. The steak looked fairly appetizing, but the plate was also pretty sparse and lonely looking. At least serve this stuff in smaller plates so it doesn't look so pathetic! JTRs fried rice tasted like a stick of melted butter. Luckily, I found the silver lining on the menu: steamed rice. Recap? I won't be back. Proverb of the day: A Japanese restaurant's ability to not screw up a bowl of steamed rice is no reason to return.

    (2)

  • Samuel L.

    So, Ninki was pretty good. The service was was adequate, the group I was with was quite a handful. I would not come to this place for the rolls, they are definitely designed for people that just like rolls, not fish. We ordered a whole bunch, and only 2 were standoutish. The wasabi roll was ok, and the sumokaro(or some shit like that). The other rolls were just ok(the rolls a koto are way better, and a much better value). The other stuff was standout though, the yellowtail collar special was delicious, so was the monkfish liver special. That's not something you can get very good versions of in many places in Nashville, so kudos. We also had salmon roe with raw quail egg on top and it was delicious, really good. They had good sea urchin also, really fresh. The sashimi was good, very fresh. The prices were pretty reasonable, and the wine prices were pretty reasonable also. They have hibachi also, don't know how good it is. The food took a bit to come out, but we ordered an enormous amount of food, and it was kind of expected. The stuff was fresh, and well prepared so it's ok that it took a little long. It wasn't anything crazy. The service staff was ok, they're kind of new at it(at least ours was). It is not as good as koto, but is definitely a good second choice. I will definitely go here over virago, samurai, pm, or any of the other places I've been to in Nashville so far. The rolls aren't my style, but the other shit was pretty good.

    (4)

  • Aubrey D.

    I tried this spot out on Friday night with mixed results. While the chef did some great tricks to entertain my toddler, the food was not as good as I've had at other, similar places. I ordered the chicken and shrimp with fried rice and veggies. I'd give it a "C-." The meat was bland and overcooked, and I had to drown it in "Yum Yum Sauce" to make it taste better. The rice was undercooked and almost crunchy! Hubs ordered steak and shrimp and also damned it with faint praise. We also got cheated on our shrimp appetizer--never received it! Other places usually throw in some ice cream at the end but not so here. The tahini dressing on the salad was fresh and flavorful but the onion soup was salty broth. In the end, we ended up forking over $60 on a not so great meal.

    (2)

  • Teresa B.

    Great selection of sushi at a good price. Definitely worth a try!

    (4)

  • Dana M.

    I liked it. The half-price menu is a great bargain. I liked everything I had, and the prices are very fair. I'll hit it again soon to check for consistency.

    (4)

  • Ted P.

    dined late night 2 nights in a row this week-- closes at 10 and rolled in at 9:30 very accommodating!! 1/2 price sushi menu avail all the time for dine in is a KILLER DEAL. and very tasty-- Wasabi Roll was great and the rainbow was good quality. Large TV to catch the NHL playoffs, nice lighting to chill and very quiet!! exactly as i wanted the setting. will be back for more-- they have hibachi as well. haven't tried that yet.

    (4)

  • Samuel G.

    Solid hibachi. The best I have had in the city!

    (4)

  • Caleb D.

    Service was bordering on nonexistent. Sushi was above average, enjoyed the Bloody Mary roll. May be better off at the bar.

    (3)

  • Julie D.

    50% off sushi and 1 dollar sake all day everyday. You really cannot beat that for some sushi that is A-OK.

    (3)

  • Linz L.

    I was not sure what to expect after seeing the reviews on here. The decor resembles a bachelor's pad, equipped with large flat screens and neon lights. The menu offers traditional Japanese hibachi and sushi, as well as Korean entrees. The Wasabi roll was delicious. The Titans roll is a sight to see, considering it comes out lit on fire. The sushi menu is a little pricey, but they offer 1/2 off prices everyday except Fridays. The also have some very good mixed drinks. I suggest the Moscow Mule or the Green Tini. Delicious. I will be back.

    (3)

  • Chef X.

    Where's my salad? Where's my soup? Where's my server? I know where the rest of the staff is-standing in front of the G-d Damned front door sucking down cigarettes. Classy. This place needs a GM that can run a restaurant instead of a flock of half-wits that can't. I've been to Japan, too dude and this ain't it.

    (2)

  • Zach G.

    Place was great when they still had $1 sake, but the prices were to draw in a crowd. I still really love their sushi even if it is a bit pricey. My guess is eventually the discounts on their pricing will disappear and so will the restaurant. No one wants to pay $12 a roll for sushi.

    (4)

  • Julie D.

    50% off sushi and 1 dollar sake all day everyday. You really cannot beat that for some sushi that is A-OK.

    (3)

  • Emma L.

    Only okay the night we went apparently. Soggy sushi with inedible fish has followed. Maybe worth it for cheap hibachi? Not sure since I've never personally had it.

    (3)

  • Hoa T.

    Went here because I had the LivingSocial coupon and I will say that I will be back. I did not even know that they have hibachi but I'm glad they did because a friend was not that into sushi (baffle my mind I know). Service was top notch. The Hibachi chef was very personable, nothing too flashy but with a drink in hand, the experience was great. I had the gyoza for appetizers, mahi mahi entree, and wasabi margarita to drink. The gyoza was good, typical but good. The mahi mahi was cooked well, I had it taken off the grill before it was overcooked, gotta be careful with fish. I also tried my friend's calamari steak. It was pretty awesome I may have to get that next time. The wasabi margarita was not overpowering with just a hint of wasabi at the end. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. The sushi menu was pretty extensive and not too pricey either. I ordered the Pretty Woman Roll (shrimp tempura on the inside with raw tuna on the outside). It was so tasty. My friend had the Volcano roll which came out on fire. A+++ for presentation. I will definitely come back especially on Feb 27, 2012 since it's their 1 yr anniversary so 50% off sushi roll baby. Can't wait!

    (4)

  • Craig W.

    This is as authentic as you can get in Nashville. The feel of the restuarant is like an establishment in Tokyo. The sushi and other dishes are fresh and delicious. Not to mention they have a half priced sushi menu everyday of the week. I recommend Ninki to anyone who enjoys fresh and delicious Japanese cuisine.

    (4)

  • Q Y.

    I would agree someone's post here regarding the general sushi situation in Nashville. Mostly mediocre, only if you know what to order. This place's special point is its lunch half price for rolls. Well that's the reason I went there last time after avoiding it for a while. All rolls on the menu were half price. But the halfed price was still higher then other places. Felt ripped off.

    (3)

  • David O.

    The better half and I stopped in at dinner for Teppanyaki. The location is very nice, but as other reviewers have said, it's quite large and feels a bit empty. For us, Service was prompt and friendly. We even had a table just to ourselves. Food was decent, but not great. I found the Sushi to be average (We ordered the "Sexy Girl"), but its possible I'm just a snob about such things. For dinner I had the Hibachi Salmon which was really good. I've never been to another Teppanyaki place that offered this so it was a pleasant surprise. The downside was the absence of Teriyaki Steak for the Hibachi. Overall I'd probably return, but only for the Salmon, which I did enjoy quite a bit, but it wouldn't be a strong recommendation to others if you are looking for something to just BLOW YOU AWAY.

    (3)

  • Dan R.

    I just moved to Nashville from SoCal and have been very disappointed in the sushi. Ninki did not disappoint! We didn't try the hibachi, but the sushi and drinks were very creative and delicious! I will definitely be coming back!

    (5)

  • Kelly V.

    I went to Ninki for the 2nd time last night, and again I loved it! The mixed reviews scared me at first, but I wanted to check it out for myslef. I was definitely pleasently suprised walking into this restaurant, it loks small from the outside, but its actually pretty big! We got excellent service, and the food was great both times!! My boyfriend and I got the teriyaki tofo, and its the best we've both had! We also got the happy sunday roll, which is to die for! Yuuuum! The only reason it does not get 5 stars is because my boyfriend and I do not like the fried rice, thats the only complaint we have with this place. As my boyfriend said last night its a fried rice away from being perfect!

    (4)

  • Jason P.

    Excellent sushi! Very fresh and well priced. Hibachi is great as well. However, we've been forced to wait for our hibachi table to be full before they would cook for us. With two small children that are hungry, that doesn't sit well. Food gets 5-stars and the occasional wait on the hibachi table brings the overall to 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Elated J.

    Sushi yes...HIBACHI NEVER! The chef (from Wyoming) was sarcastically arrogant and rude. He threw the food on the plate, was unengaged, unenthused...NOTHING like the great chefs at Tokyo! The vegetables were hard....the rice was in clumps (no flavor). It was so bad, I was mad lol. They have also changed their clear onion soup recently...it's like a store bought broth now:-/ I really can't find anything good to say about this eating experience! I had been there before for sushi...I should've never ever in life explored! I don't want my money back...I want my wasted calories back LOL

    (2)

  • E G.

    Great little place tucked away in a strip mall next to Bellmeade Kroger. I mostly have either had sushi or lunch specials but it is very reasonable for a Japanese Sushi and Steakhouse. I love the Bento box. Sushi, Tempura, Tofu/Beef/Chicken with miso, salad, gyzo all for $12 @ lunch. You can't beat this! Sushi specials are also excellent during the lunch hour and the they have some speciality items no one else in town has. ***'s due to the waitstaff. They are not very thrilled to be there. Maybe the management. Either way, its a good bargin for the money!

    (3)

  • Rahel K.

    So I'm here right now at Ninki ..... ordering carryout; waiting at the sushi bar; drinking a glass of Chardonnay. To my left is a quiet large screen TV, a cozy couple, and a semi-stocked bar. Behind me is a chatty group of girlfriends. To my right a large room with multiple tables romantically lit for good ambiance but with outdated decor. In front of me attentive sushi chefs. Oh, what's this? They hand me a 20% off coupon next time and thank me profusely for coming in. Do I need a coupon for sushi? Then the waitress hands me the bill. Ouch; $70 for 5 rolls, edemame and a glass of wine....but I haven't tried the sushi yet. So now I'm at home and I've just finished the meal. The rolls were small but REALLY good. Unique combination of flavors like tuna and mango, and bonnito (smoked fish skin) toppings. Will I be back? Yes, but only with my coupon.

    (3)

  • Ian R.

    Ninki has renewed my faith in Japanese food in Nashville. I am a card carrying Japanese Food Snob. I lived in Japan for three years, my wife is Japanese, I cook and eat Japanese food all the time. Nashville has never had a Japanese restaurant that really stood up to my unreasonable expectations. Until now, until Ninki. I went to the Grand Opening event that was unfortunately scheduled on May 5th. If you speak Spanish or just like an excuse to drink and eat chips and salsa you understand why that might be a challenge for a Japanese restaurant. Nonetheless the meal and the evening were fantastic. Ninki is located in the shopping center next to the Belle Mead Kroger on West End. From the outside it is rather unassuming and will take a while for the locals to catch on to. Inside it is very sleek and elegant. There are two separate dining areas since they offer both Hibachi and a more traditional sushi and Japanese food menu. Overall I found the atmosphere to be very appealing place to spend time and enjoy a meal. The menu is broad and covers a lot of ground. I did not have the Hibachi so I cannot review that part of the restaurant. They have a full sushi menu and a great selection of unique Japanese specialties. I love a good hibachi, but with as good as the rest of the menu is I don't know if I will ever make it to the Ninki hibachi tables. If I had one recommendation for the menu at Ninki it would be to go exploring. They offer multiple dishes that are unique and definitely not offered anywhere else in Nashville or at almost any Japanese restaurant that I have been to in the US. Our group was fortunate enough to be seated with some friends of the chef so we got to sample most of the specialties on the menu. All of them were excellent and made me wish I had a bigger stomach. A quick recap of the meal is as follows: Salmon Ceviche Salad with shaved parmigiana and a wonderful dressing; Hon Maguro Tuna, the real deal and the best sushi I have had in Nashville; Duck Breast served Jibu-ni style which apparently means with a delicate mushroom sauce and grilled scallions, fantasic; Black Cod baked with vegetables in a paper wrapper which might have been the single best piece of fish I have ever had, moist and unbelievably full of flavor; Ribeye steak cooked on a ripping hot stone and flambed with cognac; Creme Brule; French Wine; Beer ; Lobster roll Sushi; Chocolate Cake. Honestly it is a miracle I was able to get up, but everything was perfectly sized and impossible to resist. Ninki left me completed satisfied and more than a little impressed. It is not a cheap place to eat, but it is worth every penny and then some. If you are a traditionalist the sushi is excellent and will definitely not disappoint. If you want to experiment then there is a wealth of great food waiting to be discovered. Explore the menu at Ninki. There are things there that cannot be had anywhere else in Nashville.

    (5)

  • Howard L.

    I was not impressed. Prices are high and why have a lobster tank if it's empty? Too many gimmick rolls on the menu. If there are no live lobsters in the lobster tank, where are they getting lobsters for their fancy raw lobster roll? I'm guessing way dead frozen ones in the back. And if that's true, I certainly wouldn't want to eat it. I ordered some fried oysters and received fried chicken instead. It was actually kind of funny because the waitress insisted that despite it not looking like the picture in the menu, they were indeed oysters. I had each of my friends sample it before deciding conclusively that it was instead chicken. I ordered the sweet shrimp and received the standard raw shrimp on rice and fried shrimp heads. I ate one piece and nearly threw up. It tasted like an old aquarium, which is not a good place for raw shrimp to be. When I asked the waitress about striking it from the bill, she did. However, if that was my sushi restaurant and I was confident in the freshness of the food, I would have explained all that before striking it from the bill. The fact that they did not come over to speak to me speaks volumes about the freshness of their food. That is to say, it probably isn't very fresh. The hot food was a joke. My friend ordered bul golgi (Korean dish). It was absolutely pathetic. And it was 16 bucks. Unforgivable. The uni was good. For 7 bucks, I should hope that it is. Otherwise, I do not plan on going back.

    (2)

  • Carla T.

    I cant believe I let you guys talk me into this! My daughter and I went in expecting the most awesomely inexpensive and delicious sushi on the market. Not so much. We were pretty well ignored after being seated, my sake took just as long as my food to get to my table (we sat 2 feet from the bar). I have had better sushi just bout anywhere ive eaten it. Needless to say the best thing bout this place is the space, and i will NOT be going back.... shoulda went to smoothie king

    (2)

  • Aria T.

    I stumbled upon this place on a Sunday evening, and let me just say: WOW! There were only a few good sushi joints in Nashville and I had grown way tired of them all. The outside is kind of strange--bordering on tacky-- but inside it's actually quite trendy and nice. I sat at the sushi bar. The server convinced me to buy a whole bottle of Kung Fu Girl, because on Sundays they do 20% off wine by the bottle. Plus, I would be able to take the remaining wine home with me. Yummy. I was unsure of what I wanted to eat, so the head sushi chef asked me what kind of fish I preferred and then got to work. You see, I like it when a man can make a selection for me and actually get it right... and he did! Instead of tossing my food over the bar like most sushi chefs, he took the time to walk around and place the most beautiful looking salmon tartare in front of me. Presentation gets an A+ for sure. The salmon was very fresh, as was the avocado and the ginger. This dish was so wonderfully delicate, yet perfectly filling. I really took my time with it and savored each bite. The chef then asked if I liked eel, and OF COURSE I do, so he then prepared a small dish featuring some very yummy unagi. The service was great. Very consistent and not too overbearing. The whole experience was very satisfying. I need to get back there ASAP, perhaps on another Sunday!

    (4)

  • Justin R.

    I was extremely disappointed in almost ever aspect of Ninki. I was really excited to try this place out since it's really close to my apartment, but I should have known better based on all the previous spotty reviews. My girlfriend and I decided to stop in for lunch this past Friday, and even though there was not wait, the place was busy. The first thing I noticed when I walked in, was how huge this place was. It's not at all what I expected from the outside. With all the space in the restaurant, they didn't do a good job at filling it. It feels very empty, and cold. Now for the service. I honestly think our waitress chugged two Five Hour Energy's, and four Red Bulls before she came to our table! She had a heavy Asian accent and was talking a mile a minute. She tried to go over the lunch specials with me, and by tried I mean she flipped through my menu quickly and banged on a few pages. There were some things that were two for one and some things that were half priced, but which was which was a total guess. Between the time she brought out our drinks and when we ordered was probably fifteen minutes. And in those fifteen minuted we determined that their sushi menu was extremely over priced when compared to other Sushi joints in the city. So for lunch we both stuck to the Hibachi menu. I ordered the steak and L ordered the shrimp. Both tasted alright, but it was nothing great. I ordered a side of fried rice that tasted like I was eating a stick of butter. I added some soy sauce to it, but then it just tasted like I was eating a stick of salted butter. I asked for the steak medium rare and it came out medium well, emphasis on the well. But, when the steak is cut into cubes the size of dice, it's hard to cook then to any other consistency other than well. Thankfully the Hibachi menu was 50% off, it was one of the specials that our hopped up waitress banged on when we first arrived, so lunch was only 12 bucks between the two of us. Not a horrible deal, but I left shaking my head, swearing to never go back again.

    (2)

  • Jennie F.

    Ninki is the best sushi in Nashville. I moved here recently from New York and had pretty much given up finding a great sushi place. I love sushi. I love interesting rolls, and I demand fresh. Ninki's rolls are unique, exquisitely fresh and well done. I also love the chirashi (sashimi plate.) Theirs is varied and invariably fresh and delicious. I'm not a big fan of the decor. It teeters between a disco and a sports bar. But with sushi this good, I shrug it off. I've never had a bad meal here. If you love sushi, you definitely should try it.

    (5)

  • Jennette F.

    Delicious fresh sushi and the rolls are 50% off.

    (4)

  • Melissa H.

    I was excited to try a sushi place near my house. I hate to say it, but my experience with Ninki was mediocre at best and above all disappointing: service and food. I placed a carry out order, to apparently the hostesses' chagrin, as the two of them seemed less than interested in taking my order or properly taking patrons to their tables. In addition to being treated like I broke up a private party, I was scoffed at when I asked for low sodium soy sauce. I wasn't aware that request warranted that response. To add insult to injury, the sushi wasn't even that good, and was sub par to some I have, in the past, had from the grocery store. Being a very recent transplant from NYC, It was my first time having sushi in Nashville, and last time having it at Ninki. I look forward to trying other places with better service and food.

    (2)

  • Nicole P.

    Had lunch with a group of coworkers at Ninki today and we were all quite impressed. The decor was great and not something you would expect to find in a restaurant located in a shopping center - it has a fantastic, modern vibe that was very welcoming, though I can't say that I found the new age music to be the best accompaniment to my Japanese dining experience. As for the food, we tried an assortment of things. I can't recall the names of all of the five different rolls we ordered, but I think I remember there being a Butterfly and a Yum Yum roll in the mix - both received great reviews. We also ordered chicken teriyaki (quite tasty) and an insanely large portion of chicken fried rice that was delicious. There were a lot of interesting options on the menu - bibimbap & other Korean offerings and fois gras, for example - and judging off of our first experience, I can't wait to go back and be more adventurous. Prices were very reasonable and they do have a lunch menu. Definitely adding this place to our regular rotation - but on that note, I must make my one slightly negative comment and say that the timeliness of the service could be tightened up a bit. Seeing as how it is in an area that attracts lots of business lunchers, being able to make it in and out the door pretty quickly is essential. But since the place is still green, I have faith that this matter will get better with time. Overall, a great experience and a restaurant that I will enthusiastically recommend to others.

    (4)

  • Lyndi S.

    Ninki has all the intentions of trying to serve Japanese food. However, it falls short of that, amongst other things. While its location is what brought me here, it is not AT ALL what you expect to see when you walk into a Japanese restaurant of any sort. It looks like a late 80's, early 90's bachelor pad. Kind of like black laquer threw up on Japan. No bueno. The service was less than decent, considering it was a fair 20 minutes between visits from our waitress, who was extremely hyper and difficult to understand because of it. Needless to say, we finally chose our Hibachi bowls (shrimp for me, steak for JTR), and then waited our "alotted" 20 minutes for the food. Did I mention we watched a table of four (who ordered before us) get their food 5-10 minutes before us? The food smelled great. I was extremely excited at the look of other people's plates, but when ours arrived, my hopes immediately dropped. The veggies were covered in butter and oil, and my shrimp was sitting very lonely on the other side of the plate by itself. A small heap of arugala made a nice wall between the veggies and the shrimp. The steak looked fairly appetizing, but the plate was also pretty sparse and lonely looking. At least serve this stuff in smaller plates so it doesn't look so pathetic! JTRs fried rice tasted like a stick of melted butter. Luckily, I found the silver lining on the menu: steamed rice. Recap? I won't be back. Proverb of the day: A Japanese restaurant's ability to not screw up a bowl of steamed rice is no reason to return.

    (2)

  • Marilee S.

    Ugh..., I really wanted to give this place five stars, but it's so damn big. Whoever designed the build-out, forgot to add some charm. It's big as in sterile in not a good way inside. However, the fish is good, rolls are creative and the service was exceptional. The prices are a tad high. Granted, this is the owners third restaurant with the other two in Kentucky. Surprised it looked the way it did inside. Guess it didn't help our last visual reminder of the place as we walked out was of a lobster tank in the hallway. One lone victim was lying at the bottom.

    (3)

  • Samuel L.

    So, Ninki was pretty good. The service was was adequate, the group I was with was quite a handful. I would not come to this place for the rolls, they are definitely designed for people that just like rolls, not fish. We ordered a whole bunch, and only 2 were standoutish. The wasabi roll was ok, and the sumokaro(or some shit like that). The other rolls were just ok(the rolls a koto are way better, and a much better value). The other stuff was standout though, the yellowtail collar special was delicious, so was the monkfish liver special. That's not something you can get very good versions of in many places in Nashville, so kudos. We also had salmon roe with raw quail egg on top and it was delicious, really good. They had good sea urchin also, really fresh. The sashimi was good, very fresh. The prices were pretty reasonable, and the wine prices were pretty reasonable also. They have hibachi also, don't know how good it is. The food took a bit to come out, but we ordered an enormous amount of food, and it was kind of expected. The stuff was fresh, and well prepared so it's ok that it took a little long. It wasn't anything crazy. The service staff was ok, they're kind of new at it(at least ours was). It is not as good as koto, but is definitely a good second choice. I will definitely go here over virago, samurai, pm, or any of the other places I've been to in Nashville so far. The rolls aren't my style, but the other shit was pretty good.

    (4)

  • Aubrey D.

    I tried this spot out on Friday night with mixed results. While the chef did some great tricks to entertain my toddler, the food was not as good as I've had at other, similar places. I ordered the chicken and shrimp with fried rice and veggies. I'd give it a "C-." The meat was bland and overcooked, and I had to drown it in "Yum Yum Sauce" to make it taste better. The rice was undercooked and almost crunchy! Hubs ordered steak and shrimp and also damned it with faint praise. We also got cheated on our shrimp appetizer--never received it! Other places usually throw in some ice cream at the end but not so here. The tahini dressing on the salad was fresh and flavorful but the onion soup was salty broth. In the end, we ended up forking over $60 on a not so great meal.

    (2)

  • Teresa B.

    Great selection of sushi at a good price. Definitely worth a try!

    (4)

  • Dana M.

    I liked it. The half-price menu is a great bargain. I liked everything I had, and the prices are very fair. I'll hit it again soon to check for consistency.

    (4)

  • Ted P.

    dined late night 2 nights in a row this week-- closes at 10 and rolled in at 9:30 very accommodating!! 1/2 price sushi menu avail all the time for dine in is a KILLER DEAL. and very tasty-- Wasabi Roll was great and the rainbow was good quality. Large TV to catch the NHL playoffs, nice lighting to chill and very quiet!! exactly as i wanted the setting. will be back for more-- they have hibachi as well. haven't tried that yet.

    (4)

  • Samuel G.

    Solid hibachi. The best I have had in the city!

    (4)

  • Caleb D.

    Service was bordering on nonexistent. Sushi was above average, enjoyed the Bloody Mary roll. May be better off at the bar.

    (3)

  • N. S.

    Let me tell you, I know good Japanese food. Being from Ventura California, one of the best places to find good sushi, I've been convinced that I'll never find a place here in Nashville that meets my standards. I was wrong. We've tried the so called "best sushi in Nash" and I wasn't impressed but you can find that review elsewhere. Ninki was kind of a last minute decision for us. We wanted to eat and hadn't been planning on anything more than fast food but I convinced my roomie to let me splurge. We sat at the hibachi because she's a fan of it and immediately I noticed that the prices were better than the other place we'd gone. The second thing I noticed was that they actually had Miso Soup, a staple at any japanese place in California. We ordered our food - along with a glass of plum wine for me and a mixed drink for her - and waited. The appetizers were brought quite quickly and our waitress was very friendly. They had a huge selection of sushi rolls including my all time favourite. When it came time for the hibachi we were a little less impressed. The chef was very friendly and sociable but he didn't put on much of a show. We've seen it all so it didn't matter much to us and the food was amazing. Ninki has the best Teriyaki I've had in a long while, it was so good that I convinced the manager to sell me a small bottle of it for 6$. Great service and amazing food at decent - for the type of food - prices. If you want good Japanese, ignore the fancier looking places altogether and come to Ninki, it's worth it in the taste.

    (4)

  • Linz L.

    I was not sure what to expect after seeing the reviews on here. The decor resembles a bachelor's pad, equipped with large flat screens and neon lights. The menu offers traditional Japanese hibachi and sushi, as well as Korean entrees. The Wasabi roll was delicious. The Titans roll is a sight to see, considering it comes out lit on fire. The sushi menu is a little pricey, but they offer 1/2 off prices everyday except Fridays. The also have some very good mixed drinks. I suggest the Moscow Mule or the Green Tini. Delicious. I will be back.

    (3)

  • Victoria L.

    Ninki is one of the few places in Nashville that doesn't make me grimace when it's picked for sushi night. The atmosphere is clean and relaxed and service is always friendly but leans towards the slower side. The menu has plenty of options at reasonable prices for the quality. They have a "half-off" sushi menu but it's always that price so it's really just the "value" menu. I find the rolls on that menu are a little more on the plain/smaller side than the regular menu but still pretty decent, especially for how inexpensive they are. I've always enjoyed everything I've ordered off of the regular menu and I've never left here disappointed. Most sushi places in Nashville are either low quality or overpriced for decent quality. Ninki strikes a good balance and it's a regular on my sushi rotation list.

    (4)

  • Abigail P.

    At Ninki the service is fast, the fish is fresh and the prices are amazing! I love their special rolls! My favorite is the Snow roll. I always order 2 every time! Ninki is always number one on my list when I think of sushi. I could not love this place more!

    (5)

  • Alex P.

    This used to be a regular stop for me. I've been coming here since Spring of 2012. Thats when they first introduced the half off lunch special and dine in special. And way before yelp offered the check in thing. Anyway, my favorites were Jack's roll (fried Halibut, avocado, cream cheese, and eel sauce), spicy salmon and an eel roll. Here is the menu if you're viewing with an iPad or tablet. issuu.com/tmc3p/docs/lun… I really liked the half off lunch special... I used to be a little piggie and eat 3 or 4 rolls at a time... So much sushi happiness... Anyway, i still go there once and a while but I had a bad experience with one of the waitresses named Ester back in October. My mom was visiting in from out of town and I told her that we had to come here since it was my favorite sushi spot. At the end of the night, Ester was yelling at my mom and I was just horrified that this could happen at a business. I was just so embarrassed and angry about it so I don't chance taking friends here but I come here occasionally when I want some quality and cheap sushi for myself. Also, I think they get their fish in the beginning of the week so coming from someone who used to eat here on a daily basis, the beginning of the week is a lot fresher. Definitely try this place out. The sushi is fresh and tasty and the half off special makes it super cheap.

    (4)

  • Kaleena 'Kala' H.

    The deals that are offered at Ninki are great (who wouldn't want 50% off sushi rolls!), but the actual sushi isn't that great. My sushi was very bland and had no taste to it. I tried some of the fried rice from my husband's bento box and it was bland as well! The only thing I liked was their gyoza...now that was good! Probably won't be returning here anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Scott P.

    The lobster roll is crazy good! Often they have half price sushi! I had lobster roll,some sashimi and seaweed salad.

    (5)

  • Nicole P.

    I give this place 5 stars because my kids LOVE it! It's really conveniently located for our family of 5 to come here. We always sit at the Hibachi table and have the chef cook for us... yes, a little silly, but again our 13 and 11 year old twins just love it. We have often met families with kids there as well. The food is always fresh and we leave stuffed.

    (5)

  • Michelle S.

    First time eating here and I was very impressed. Got the Miami roll and the Lexington roll, both of which were fantastic. The fish was fresh, the service was friendly and attentive, the aesthetic was comfortable and stylish. Would definitely recommend.

    (5)

  • Piper P.

    Excellent sushi. Wait staff very attentive. Felt as though my mother was serving us dinner. Making sure everything was perfect and it was

    (4)

  • Erica F.

    Even half priced feels overpriced when the service is so poor you cant get water when you literally flag down a woman holding a full water pitcher to return to the kitchen and then you have to add a tip on top of it. mediocre sushi from the one I got and I didn't hear any raving down the table of choices. You will smell unpleasantly deep fried coming away from this place. Overall, way too many better options to want eat here again.

    (2)

  • Jim V.

    Cheep food and good prices. We sat in the hibachi section and loved the atmosphere. The restaurant is smaller in size so I'm guessing would be hard to get into on Friday and Saturday nights. The sushi was fresh and everything came out to our satisfaction. For sushi we usually venture to ru sans in the gultch, but they are so over priced. This establishment will now be our go to because it is close to home, cheap, and reasonable quality.

    (4)

  • Chloe H.

    Really love their sushi, but am I the only one that's really annoyed that they don't have a menu ANYWHERE online?!

    (3)

  • Dez S.

    Avocado crab salad is yummy. Sushi is more than decent and they have a special-priced menu (page 4) with deeply discounted rolls every day.

    (4)

  • Kimberly S.

    Ninki is one of my favorite lunch places. The sushi is great and inexpensive. My favorite roll is the Wasabi roll, which is always very fresh and filling. I also generally order the Philadelphia roll with fresh salmon instead of smoked and also add jalapeno. For both of these together (which is enough for two meals), my bill is around $12.00. It's a great deal. My other favorite is the Bibimbap on the lunch menu, which comes with soup and salad. This is $9.95 (I think?) and a ton of tasty, semi-healthy food. The hibachi is fine but not great. The one big issue with Ninki is the service. It is often terrible. To remedy this, I generally ask for my check as soon as my food is brought so that I don't have to wait to pay. Also, a lot of times you have to wait for the hostess to come to the front. Be patient-- it is worth it (although sometimes frustrating!).

    (5)

  • Tim G.

    This place is amazing. Get the Hibachi! Such a good price and huge portion. The staff here is always great and they have a decent wine selection. The chefs that cook in front of you are great at interacting and entertaining! Be sure to tip them!

    (5)

  • Andy B.

    Okay, so the food here isn't really worthy of 5 stars - more of a 4 star for just the food, but this really has become one of my go-to places in Nashville, for one, because I love sushi, and two because they have a really vast and interesting menu. I can always come here and get something new. Also, they always have toro and uni, which is very hit or miss at other places. Another one of my favorite things about this place is that when I order nigiri when they are busy, I usually have to wait a little longer to get it for the best of reasons - they only let their most experienced chef slice the nigiri, and I don't think it's because the others are not capable, they just want the master chef cutting it, and I appreciate that, especially when forking out money for toro, and it always comes the same way every time. I've always felt that nigiri needs to drape over the rice and be laying flat on the plate at both ends. That's just the size nigiri should be, and it always is like that here. Don't neglect their specials! I ordered the (cooked) yellowtail collar, and not only was it very good, but the portion was quite large. I've ordered the bibimbap, which was quite good as well, but really was slightly overcooked as the hot bowl crisped up the rice too much, and yes I stirred it right away. I had a couple issues with their bulgogi. Was it good? Yes. It wasn't even close to the best I've had (especially since Korea), but they don't serve it with lettuce to wrap it up!?! In any case, I really like this place now. I forgot to mention that you can also get in and out of here on the cheap if you're just have a craving. Cheap: I highly recommend a Jack's Roll if you want that fried fish, eel and cream cheese taste. I get it every time I go. Also, the lunch boxes are awesome, and come with their delicious salad and onion soup. Expensive: Toro, of course. Lots and lots of Toro. Their salmon is always very, very good as well. I tried the Kagero style steak for $26 one time, and it's very good, but it's no bargain, and I'd argue not worth it. Honestly, the Filet mignon lunch is better for half the price.

    (4)

  • Zeb M.

    I wish I had been coming to this place sooner! I used to work in Belle Meade and never considered trying Ninki until a friend had told me this was her go-to sushi restaurant. Unlike some of my other favorite sushi spots in town that are way crowded in terms of tiny space, Ninki provides plenty of free parking and the restaurant inside is big with plenty of tables. Every roll I've tried has been fantastic, including the adventurous Pizza Roll I recommend, and the staff has always been lovely. We seem to get the same server each time, who makes our dinner even more enjoyable with her jokes and attempt to remember our names. There's also a hibachi option, but I've only come for sushi, so I can't speak on it. Another thing I love about Ninki are their drinks. The lemon drop cocktail is freaking delicious and their dark and stormy drinks are pret-ty strong.

    (5)

  • Heather B.

    We haven't been here in a long time and decided to try it again. Service was good and attentive and the food was great for the price. I'm a very picky sushi eater (I have eaten sushi all over the country) and I was very pleased with their quality. I ordered the salmon nigiri, Philadelphia roll & Titan roll. I was impressed! My daughter ordered the kids chicken/rice and loved it! It also came with vegetables. My husband had the steak teriyaki and all I observed was an empty plate. My daughter even got an amazing orange slice dessert! We live in the neighborhood and were much happier with this visit so we will be back!

    (5)

  • Jared K.

    My wife had to spend Valentine's weekend on call, so we didn't want to do anything super fancy just in case she had to run to work unexpectedly. Ninki sounded great, and it's also pretty close to her job (just in case). I wish Ninki had taken the time to renew their GoDaddy subscription so I could check out the website. It took me about 20 minutes of Googling to track down a menu. I think the menu I did find was out of date though, judging by some of the more recent Yelp reviews. When we walked in, the hostess told us it was only about a 15-20 minute wait without a reservation, which I thought wasn't bad at all for a Saturday night Valentine's Day. The poor little hostess girls were kind of unorganized and seemed completely overwhelmed by the task set before them. I'm assuming they don't often deal with an extremely busy dinner service. After waiting 20 minutes, we asked how much longer it would be, but they said they really didn't know. That's strange because I had just heard one of the hostesses tell someone it would be a 45-minute wait for a table. There are also apparently different wait times depending on whether you want to sit at a table, the sushi bar, or the hibachi grill. Trouble is, they don't always ask which seating type you want. Do they just guess and make up times as they go? We didn't want to press our luck any further, so we ended up just sitting at the sushi bar. From what I'm told, Ninki used to have a huge selection of cheap half-price sushi, but sadly no more. Although there are still a few $3-$4 rolls on the menu, the majority of their rolls are somewhere in the $6-$10 range, with a few closer to $15. Price wasn't really an obstacle since it was Valentine's Day, but still. There were too many delicious things to choose from. We each picked two. My wife selected the Jack's Roll (fried halibut with avocado and cream cheese) and the TN Roll (deep fried roll with shrimp, avocado, crab, and roe). I decided to be a little adventurous and try the Texas Roll (spicy crab, deep fried Japanese pepper, and avocado topped with seared NY steak and eel sauce) and the Hawaiian Roll (tempura shrimp, asparagus, and cream cheese topped with avocado, mango, and nuts. Everything we had was delicious! I thoroughly enjoyed the fried halibut in the Jack's Roll, and the cream cheese complimented it quite nicely. My wife has a fondness for fried sushi, hence the TN Roll. It was crunchy and packed with flavor. The Hawaiian roll was very good, although the mango didn't stand out as much as I expected. The highlight of our dinner was the Texas Roll, which comes out flaming like the sushi version of Crepes Suzette. The seared beef added an interesting savoriness to the sushi, and dipping it in spicy mayo made things even better. Despite the trouble at the hostess stand, we had a really friendly waiter who was quick and gave us great service. He and the food made up for whatever was going on up front. I'm sure we'll be back to Ninki, though probably on a weekday instead.

    (4)

  • Chris M.

    The sushi is fresh and the price is perfect. I love stopping in here for lunch or dinner any night of the week. The miso soup is very good, and the portion size of their rolls and sashimi is spot on. It's a little jaunt out to Belle Meade for me, but well worth it as long as I don't go between 4:30-6:30pm and have to deal with the height of rush hour.

    (4)

  • Heidi V.

    I love this place! The Tofu Teriyaki is the best I have ever had! It is delicious, crispy and caramelized on the outside and soft tofu inside. Get it with the Yum Yum Sauce. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Calvin G.

    As a Ninki lunch regular who has been coming to this establishment weekly, I feel it is time to inform the masses of what I've learned. Please note, I am not a huge fan of dinner here; the 4 stars I am awarding for *Lunch* only and here is why... 1. $7-8 for Hibachi during lunch served with a meat, vegetables, fried rice, a salad, and soup. That is ridiculously cheap. I seriously think they are losing money on this transaction. (Just don't tell them that). 2. Half price eat-in sushi. While the original price is moderately inflated, the half off discount makes the a price of a role very reasonable/economical. If you can't fill up on hibachi alone, throw a roll or two on as well. 3. Refillable soda. This is one of the few Asian restaurants were you aren't served a stupid can of soda that you have to pay individually for. You can have all the diet Coke you want here. Thank god. 4. There is always a ton of convenient parking. (No making loops around midtown looking for that one space on a side street that everyone else also glanced over.) Please note the cons of Ninki: 1. Service is generally slow. If you're in a rush, don't chance it and come here. I think this is especially true at the hibachi tables. While there yesterday, I am pretty sure there was a 15 minute period where they forgot I was there. No harm because I wasn't in a hurry to get my bill. 2. Windowless dining room. I'm a fan of restaurants with windows (personal preference) so coming here on a nice weekend afternoon hurts my soul a little bit. Hate sunshine and good views? Then this should always be your go-to spot. 3. Dinner prices are fine. Not cheap, not overly expensive. Meh.

    (4)

  • Janet Y.

    Before heading to Ninki, I read all the mixed reviews- so I was a little nervous. However, I was craving sushi and the 50% off of selected sushi rolls seemed too good to turn down, especially on this part of town where the pickins for good Asian cuisine are slim. When we walked inside, a friendly host greeted us. The restaurant was more spacious than I expected. Our server was also very attentive and enthusiastic about the restaurant. She talked it up so much I thought maybe she was the owner! I really appreciated her recommendations too. I think she was spot on for what I was looking for. When the food came out, it was displayed well. The sushi rolls were the perfect combination of fresh fish and rice! It was obvious the sushi was fresh- it melted in your mouth! I still can't get over the 50% off sushi menu that is offered all day everyday. Plus, the lunch menu looked like it had some great prices-- from bento boxes and hibachi. Those lunch prices are surprisingly also offered everyday of the week-- which is rare to find. Other restaurants typically only offer their lunch specials Monday through Friday. With excellent prices, service, and food-- I can't see why Ninki shouldn't get 5 stars! Can't wait to return!

    (5)

  • Corey G.

    Not a bad option for Sushi in the West Nashville area, I prefer Asahi over Ninki but Ninki does have its perks. They are much faster than the prior mentioned establishment and offer a wider variety of cuisine. They have select roll for 50% off! I've tried the sushi bar and hibachi and both were pretty good. The rolls aren't the biggest or best I've had for at 50% off they're not too bad on your pocket book. The fried rice and veggies on the hibachi are very favorable as well as the steak I ordered. It may have been because we were there later in the evening and there was only 2 people at the hibachi but the presentation by the chef was somewhat lacking compared to other hibachi experiences I've had. I'd recommend this place to people in the Belle Meade area looking for a fast bite to eat at lunch or a nice evening dining spot.

    (4)

  • Kathryn E.

    What has happened to this place? I ordered my usual, the Kiss of Eel and Spicy Crazy rolls. They were both warm. Eww. It gets worse. The fish was anything but fresh. I think they tried to cover that with about a cup of oyster sauce on each roll! And the roe was bleeding pink. Service was great! Two stars for my server. That is all.

    (2)

  • Kristina L.

    The office peeps decided to go out for hibachi today and Ninki's is where we wound up. I was thrilled that the sushi rolls were 50% off during the lunch hour. There were some decent choices as well. Three of us decided to split a couple of rolls and also order the hibachi meals as well. The wasabi roll was my favorite. It was just zingy enough without being overwhelming. The crazy, spicy roll was not overly spicy and had a nice crunch with the addition of a fried pepper in it. Both were good - not over the top good, but for the price, it hit the spot nicely. The hibachi was your standard fare. It was less than $7 for the chicken lunch portion. And boy did I get my $7 worth! There was a ton of food and I also was served a bowl of miso soup as well as a small salad. For it being a hibachi grill, we got out of there relatively quickly as well. Overall, service was good. Our glasses never went empty and everything moved along at a decent pace. The hibachi "show" was not as dazzling as it is at places like Kobe or Goten, but it was fun nonetheless. Yes, this little hole in the wall in the Belle Meade shopping center is certainly easy to drive past; however, for the price point it is worth making the trek if you are in the neighborhood. Personally, I would not make the drive all the way from Hermitage, but since it is relatively close to my office it is good on the occasion that we want to venture out.

    (3)

  • Brandon P.

    MY NEW REVIEW 1/29/15: GREAT FOOD, GOOD SERVICE. The owners have done what few places can do - turn around a critically bad service situation. I'm a regular, so it's good to see the service dramatically improve. Long live Ninki! OLD REVIEW:::: TERRIBLE SERVICE!!!!!! TERRIBLE SERVICE!!!!! Lunchtime or Dinner, service is HORRIBLE. However, the food is good. But why bother, it's cold be the time you get it and they never bring you a check or refill your drink.

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    Ninki was exactly what a three-start review entails - A-OK. If you are reading this review prior to November 15th, 2011, you should run not walk to Ninki because ALL sushi rolls are 50% off until then!! And the sake tonight was $1... that's right, $1. Um, it tasted a few steps up from isopropyl alcohol, but it was $1. (And you don't have to order the cheap hot sake like I did. ALL sake tonight was $1.) The rolls and nigiri I had were good. Thankfully they were 50% off, because I agree with other reviews that the menu does seem expensive. They were "specialty" rolls I ordered, I realize, but still - $14 and $9 for a roll. Seems like a lot. The variety is interesting. There are many rolls, but commonly found things like spicy tuna or just salmon are missing. However, cream cheese and/or avocado are very prevalent on the menu. I asked if the "Fire" rolls were spicy. They are entitled "Fire" rolls because they actually come ON FIRE. Yes, lit on fire. This is a cool presentation, with the only downside being that it halfway cooks some of the raw fish! I'd go to Ninki if you're in the area.

    (3)

  • Chrissy S.

    Great local place with good sushi. Great environment for small families or large ones! Business traveler? No problem, they have a nice bar area as well. Staff is good and gets whatever you need with no problem. Definitely one of my favorite places to go for sushi in Nashville!

    (4)

  • Marcia M.

    I give it to Ninki for being wise about their marketing strategy. Our recent Yelp's Cravin' For Asian Weekly Yelp ( yelp.com/weekly?edition_… ) informed me that Ninki offers 50% off an alluring assortment of sushi at all times. No kidding! Sounds too good to be true, right? This is precisely why I had to venture out to Belle Meade for my veg sushi fix... well that is until I saw the fantastic lunch bento box deal at $6.95. Everything from the 4 pieces of sushi to the salad, miso soup, tempura, and rice were excellent. The portions were just right but the standout was the miso soup! You may not think that miso is very exciting but I appreciated the big chunks of shitake mushrooms and robust flavor. Yum in the tum. Don't judge this book by it's cover either. From the exterior, Ninki is nestled inside a dated strip mall but when you walk through the doors, it is a spacious and dark place to relax and enjoy tasty but affordable Asian cuisine. If you're planning a dinner for a large group or a dinner party, the space has a couple of private areas that accommodate and there appears to be some flexibility in the layout of the space. I will definitely come back to Ninki but on my next trip, I will try the deeply discounted rolls instead. Definitely consider this spot for lunch or even a date too!

    (4)

  • Chris H.

    One of our families favorites. Great selection and very affordable for the quality. Wonderful sake selection.

    (5)

  • Kathy V.

    Don't be turned off by the strip mall location and impression that it's tiny. I was surprised to walk in and go down a hallway to be greeting by a great looking, HUGE space with ample seating and hibachi tables! My friends took me here for dinner when I was in town for a visit. We had no problems getting seated right away on a friday night (though most people were probably still at the Preds game or watching on TV). Our waiter was very pleasant and on top of our order and refills. And how awesome is the half price sushi!?! And on a Friday night?! It wasn't as good as my favorite place in my hometown, but it was delicious and CRAZY affordable (I paid for myself and my friend who was letting me stay with her, and my bill was about as much as just my meal at my usual place at home!). Based on my experience, I highly recommend this place!

    (4)

  • Jacob T.

    Love this place. Can't beat the price and some of the best Japanese style Sushi in Nashville. Portions are also very generous! However, their wait staff is stretched very thin so don't be surprised when it takes you a good ten minutes to flag down a Waitress. Over all for me it's a solid 4 but have to hold off that final star for the slow wait staff. Try it out, you won't regret it! (Unless you're in a hurry)

    (4)

  • Matt L.

    I've tried a lot of sushi in Nashville, and have always felt it was a little lacking. Until now. I found Ninki. It's wonderful that the best sushi in Nashville also happens to be the best prices. I just had a $6 rainbow roll piled high with tuna and salmon on top, while drinking a manhattan. That's right...they also have a bar. Best deal in town. Definitely give this place a try.

    (5)

  • Charli J.

    Friendly service, beautiful presentations, fresh fish, you can't go wrong. This is the first time I have ever been presented with sushi rolls sitting on a plate above blue flames. How exciting! And on Wednesdays when it's 20% off all sushi? I'm there. UPDATE: I am taking away two stars from my original review. A dining experience for a friend's birthday left me never wanting to go to Ninki again, as the service was terrible. Bringing out dinner plates at various times and forgetting to submit an order for a guest at the table until AFTER all checks had been delivered to the table is by far, the worst thing a server can do. This is exactly what our server at Ninki did. my friend had to ask if she was ever going to get the food she ordered when all the individual checks were already delivered to the other guests at the table.

    (2)

  • Janet S.

    Coming in from a Bellvue roadtrip we stopped in here at around 3.00 pm on a Tuesday. There were still a few stragglers from lunch - the vibe is dark and soothing, gentle Moby tracks were wafting and the lighting low. Service prompt and attentive, panko fried avocado appy was delicious with hot mayo. The Wasabi roll was beautifully presented and tasty but devoid of wasabi, no matter plenty to dip into on the other plates. The Maguro and Saba were both delicious and generously cut. A ginger Martini thingy was quite lovely. We split all this for $55, it seemed a little pricey and it is far from home but definitely A-OK. Private rooms and hibachi tables available.

    (3)

  • Ray L.

    With the amount of Japanese restaurants that are in Nashville, most are mediocre to... bleh with a few hidden gems. This place is unfortunately not one of the latter. There kitchen serves not only sushi, but also serves bento boxes and teppanyaki. I came here three times and based on those experiences, I would probably say that if you want food to arrive on a timely fashion, make sure you order their "hibachi" and that the rest of your table does so too. Let's start with the best thing that they do well: The NINKI bento boxes during the lunch special is extremely well priced for what they give you and the kitchen actually cooks up a pretty delicious (albeit thin) tonkatsu and tempura. My only complaint is that you have to get fried rice with the dish. The onion soup is actually not bad. The next best thing? The teppanyaki that they call "hibachi". It's nothing like a Benihana since they aren't as fun to watch. With the hibachi, you get the meat of your choice (beef, chicken, salmon, and shrimp and you can choose how well done you want the beef). I ordered the beef and even though they cooked it to medium rare as I had ordered, the beef they serve though is unfortunately not of great quality. On my first visit with my group, we ordered different items and for those of us that didn't order the teppanyaki, we waited so long that our friends who did had already finished eating. Our waitress though was quite helpful and did the best she could to keep us complacent. On our second visit, we all ordered hibachi and this worked out much better. I haven't had their sushi so that judgement is reserved for another visit. Price: 4 Food: 3 Service: 4

    (3)

  • Vicki S.

    I'm sorry to do this to you, Ninki, as we've had a pretty good run during your 50% promotion (which seems to have gone on forever), but you're losing a star. The service on a recent night for a friend's birthday was confusing and infuriating. I've dealt with the slow service in the past, figuring it was worth it for such a great deal. On this particular night though, my entire table of 7 people were served their food long before I was. I waited patiently for a while - until the server started handing out individual checks and I STILL hadn't recieved my meal. I'm talking a good 20 minutes between my friends' food arriving and me sitting there hungry and angry. Turns out she never put my order in. How does that happen? I have not been back since, and it will take a good deal of convincing to get me back again. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

    (2)

  • Amanda F.

    Cute, dark restaurant. My boyfriend and I have been here a few times and we love it! There are tvs with sports playing too, so the guys don't get bored. Definitely recommend.

    (4)

  • Kitty K.

    Ninki has beautiful food. I love going for lunch or getting take out whenever I'm in Nashville. The only reason I'm giving 4 instead of 5 stars is that their fried rice used to be AMAZING, just the best, but last time it was more greasy than usual, couple of my Nashville friends said the same thing. But regardless of the rice, it is nice, stylish, pretty, and tasty.

    (4)

  • Ben F.

    Here's my quick and dry review of this place, which I USED to frequent about once per week. I rated 4 out of 5, based on my experiences with other sushi restaurants in Nashville, because it is unfair to compare to some of the other sushi restaurants I've been to while living in Manhanttan, NY. I usually rate sushi based on three criteria. Rice, Fish, and Presentation. Here, the sushi rice is of good consistency and taste. Not too dry, not too mushy. Good overall texture. Not too sweet or too much vinegar, but seasoned right for my palate. Here, the fish is always consistent. Fresh and vibrant in color. The raw scallop is so-so. Sea urchin is good. Occasionally, they have specialty fish like Toro. The nigiri fish is sliced appropriately, in terms of size and thickness. Acceptable fish to rice ratio, but could be more delicate. Here, the presentation is average. I'm not expecting much, particularly since the prices are average. Again, not delicate but acceptable. As others mentioned, the location (in a strip mall) is quite deceiving. I would have skipped this place had I not stumbled upon it by accident. The interior is ok decorated with appropriate lighting. If it's busy, it can get a bit noisy inside due to the high ceilings and large interior space. Service is average, friendly. Sometimes a bit slow when busy, but expected. Sometimes when it's busy, they look clueless. They have sake, wine and specialty drinks, but I cannot comment on this since I get water. I love raw fish and shellfish. I love toro, hamchi and mirugai. Sadly for me, people in Nashville tend to favor the more common fish so this place doesn't carry the more selective fishes/shellfish on a regular basis. Ninki sometimes sells the fatty salmon skin, which I HIGHLY recommend. I typically order the nigiri or the chirashi here because ANY specialty rolls tend to mask the flavor of the rice and fish. I realize this may be desirable for some, but I prefer the raw taste. I eat all my raw seafood without any garnish - no cocktail sauce, lemon, nothing. Only wasabi and soy sauce. Sometimes, without it too. If I'm on a budget that day, I'll stick to ordering their maki rolls since it's always 50% off for dine-in customers. The hibachi is so-so. Not my favorite, but I come here for the sushi. Ok, so maybe this wasn't a quick review. Too bad we can't do a powerpoint presentation, complete with animation. I'll end by saying this...the place is Japanese owned and operated. Why is this important? Because it is.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 10
  • Mon : 11:00 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Classy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Ninki

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