Niki's Tokyo Inn

here is the review you were looking for: coming from an Asian person. this is truly a no frills, no gimmick, LEGIT Japanese spot. I am truly floored (no pun intended) by the value and quality from Niki's. It's so unassuming on the outside but the food speaks for itself. Having to take off your shoes and sit on the floor may seem weird to some but it truly adds to the experience rather than it being just a gimmick. It felt as if I was being invited into their home. Service was very kind and you can tell that they put so much effort into everything they serve. I've had so many Japanese places that just scream (literally) gentrification, trying to sell you an aesthetic. Not here. We ordered the 10 course dinner -- and for $25 per person, that's almost unheard of. Everything from the simple egg drop soup to the karage was well balanced in seasoning and truly was a delight! Favorite bite had to be the fried oysters - crispy exterior, soft and juicy oyster that had not a single trace of dirt or sand to be sensed. Everything fried we had in our menu was so light airy and crispy as any good tempura SHOULD BE. And had no remnants of greasy or oily aftertaste. I left completely stuffed and satisfied! I am so used to Houston restaurants serving the same large quantity miso soup with corn kernel sized tofu and the same shrimp tempura you buy at wholesale stores. -- Niki's truly brought the home cooked aspect to their meals. Truly a hidden GEM in San Antonio, yall are so lucky to have such an amazing spot! I can't wait to make this spot a must visit every time I'm in town.

Ask for the Hari Mari Secret Menu Pro Tip: You must ask for it like this : yo yo yoko and yell "Sour Trout " three times out loud while sitting at the sushi bar to get a free meal. You must surprise the staff with this request to work TRUST ME Emphasize Sowerrrrrrrr for a bonus dish !!! The trout is amazing Complex japanese aromas beautiful historical setting Did you know Nikis Tokyo Inn was the first Japanese Restaurant in town? Everything is hand made or had a hand in it

This is a cool spot! Limited parking right outside of the restaurant. It is an unassuming building, but once you walk inside, it's like you are transported to Japan! I thought the fish was fresh and tasty! It was a good entree choice to get to try a variety of different seafood! I also tried some vegetable tempura. I love the pumpkin squash one. There is complimentary green tea. You can sit on the tatami floor, bar seating, or normal chairs. Make a reservation ahead of time.

Family owned since 1970. Wow!! Hole in the wall and a neighborhood gem in San Antonio. Really love the family vibe here. I overheard the nice gentleman sharing stories that dates back in the 70s and the famous people that have passed through here. What a great history. Their sashimi and sushi were excellent. Hamachi was amazing. They offer full service Japanese cuisine which also includes the Japanese style, Seiza (sit on the floor) with private rooms. Excellent customer service ran by the family. There is plenty of parking. Entrance is at the back. Open Tuesday - Saturday for dinner only from 5:30PM to 10:00PM. Closed Sunday and Monday. I highly recommend. We will return. Cheers!

What does an old run down building that looks completely abandoned? A Japanese small market that is hard to find and a Mexican bakery have in common?All of them are on the same block next to each other and one of them is actually amazing!My wife and I were on the search for Japanese pickles and she suggested Tokyo Mart. Well, it was hard to find!!!! I did find the Mexican bakery that I wanted to check out, but I was distracted by an old dilapidated building that looked abandoned. I immediately assumed that old building was the Tokyo mart and that it was closed. OH WELL!But I just happened to walk around the building and there it was.... Tokyo mart. A nice little Japanese store. What does that have to do with Niki Tokyo Inn?Well, we were missing rice and Japanese food so we looked up Yelp and there it was.... Niki Tokyo Inn. Yes! Food looked good, but you know how that can be?I looked it up on the map and was completely confused! You know where this is going... It was somehow sandwiched between the Mexican Bakery and Tokyo Mart. NO WAY???? I was just there walking around. It can't be that dilapidated old closed down building?????YES IT IS! What????? I mean, you go inside and the floor is crooked, the bathroom looks old school. I immediately went for the string hanging from the lightbulb. Ahhh no, they have a switch, but the string wouldn't be out of place.Inside, it looked like someone's living room - a crooked living room. I wondered if the building could survive an earthquake!Everyone inside was HAPPY. The workers were happy, the patrons happy, well, great! Everyone's happy! I saw a big rice pot and was instantly happy! We took a look at the menu and I was instantly taken back to 1980 prices. How about entire dinners for $20? They had most everything you want. Tsukemono, Sushi, hand rolls, Sapporo Black, sake etc...etc... I got the ribeye teriyaki dinner and my wife got tempura. They give you pickles to start they were delicious. We also got a weird fried wonky ton wrapper to dip in mustard shoyu. That was a little strange. The dinners and sushi were great! Everything was on point and not overly sweet. It really recalled the early days of Hilo and fine Japanese restaurants. I heard they've been open since 1970. There was a memorial about Niki - who started the place. The entire meal threw me back to the good days when you could get an entire dinner, drinks and good food for a reasonable price! YES! If they can do it, maybe Hawaii can????Or maybe "no can"?In any case, a fantastic hole in the wall place with delicious food!

Super unassuming place with delicious sushi! We almost went right past it. I love that there is eastern and western seating. Very old-school atmosphere and a unique experience for someone who has never had eastern dining experience (sitting on the floor). Service is great, food is great. Prices are good!

Niki's Tokyo Inn was a great experience for dinner. It's a Japanese restaurant that opens at 5:30pm. Their specialty is sushi and they have been established since 1970. It's beautifully decorated and dim lit for dinner, upon entering you are greeted. I was asked if I had a reservation and I said no but the lovely lady still accommodated us. We were grateful for that kindness. The lady host asked us if we wanted tables or to sit on the floor, we chose to sit on cushions on the floor. In the back there are tables low to the ground and you can sit on the cushions. This was our first time there, we felt really welcomed. The service is phenomenal, I believe I may have been speaking with the owner but I wasn't sure. I didn't want him to get the suspicion I was making a review. My sister and I both had Kai Miso which was really good. We ordered the Tokyo Inn Dinner which came with Vegetable Tempura. There was a variety of different sushi (shashimi) that tasted straight from the harbors of Japan. I could just imagine it since we never been to Japan. We were delighted with the experience of trying something authentic to Japanese food. It's a really nice place to dine for a date. Oh and by the way, right next door is Tokyo Mart grocery which sells all Japanese imported items. It's really neat. I loved the cold strawberry milk. Take your friends! Take your family! Take Your Beloved, you will be pleasantly surprised. P.S. When you choose to sit on the floor you are instructed to remove shoes before entering. Socks is a good idea :)

Really authentic and cozy sushi place in the center of town! This place is calm, relaxing, and reminds me of a little quaint home. The lighting is dim, and it's a great place for a romantic dinner. The sashimi was incredibly fresh, and the presentation was lovely. also ordered green tea and house white wine, which were great. Our waitress was super sweet!! Will be back to try more items off of their menu

Wonderful, authentic Japanese sushi experience! We tried the sashimi platter, which came with many different sushi cuts, miso soup, cabbage, and tempura. Service and food were phenomenal.

Niki's Tokyo Inn will subvert all your expectations. It's located in an old, rundown looking building that I truthfully thought was closed when we arrived, but the full parking lot and small sign let me know we had the right place. Once you step inside, you're greeted by friendly staff, a sushi bar, warm lighting, and Japanese tatami mats. The ambiance is great; the restaurant is calming and relaxing. This would be a great place to chat as you dine. The restaurant has been family owned in San Antonio for more than 50 years, which just adds to an already fun and hidden gem of a restaurant. We were provided warm towels as we were seated, which immediately reminded me of the dining experience in Japan itself. We ordered hot tea, the sushi mix, and some uni sushi. The sushi was tasty, with a focus on more traditional flavors rather than some more over the top modern rolls.