Castro Valley​のベストステーキハウス

We went for my wife’s birthday and had a very nice time. The food was exceptional and the wait staff was an orchestrated ballet of impeccable service. Everything from the appetizers, the main courses and the desserts were all rock solid. I expected at least one of these categories to be a little weak (as they are with most restaurants) and I was continually pleasantly surprised by the dynamic flavors and incredibly well-prepared, and well-seasoned food overall. My only critique would be that the broccolini was undercooked for my taste and a little too heavy on the garlic, and the porterhouse rolls were slightly disappointing — they were made of some kind of wheat dough with an added aromatic that wasn’t needed in my opinion. I was hoping for the classic buttery white bread porterhouse rolls! But if you are looking for exotic flavors, and open to things being a little different than expected, there’s no shortage of that at Niku. The ambience was modern, tasteful and chic. The music was a little loud, but that helped to provide a very immersive experience. After a few drinks you don’t notice as much lol. They have three different seating options: bar, tables, and chefs counter. This was not as clearly explained as it could’ve been on their website or on OpenTable. The pictures I found online didn’t give a clear enough idea of what the different seating options would look like, so that made planning a special occasion a little difficult. Otherwise, I couldn’t recommend this place enough.

It was nice to be back in the old Scott’s space. It’s a lovely spot. We were greeted warmly by the hostess, and shown to our table. Francisco, our waiter, was attentive, and helpful with the menu choices. Prime rib was cooked just as we asked. My husband’s piece was a bit sinewy; mine was a (mostly) lean, juicy cut. The presentation of the prawn cocktail was fabulous. It had 5 large prawns, and the sauce had a nice horseradish kick—we loved it! You can ask for bread, but it’s not on the menu, nor was it offered. Pear bread pudding and molten chocolate cake desserts were delicious. We’ll be back for a special occasion.

This time we tried the Kagoshima wagyu, made it our appetizer, and it was fantastic! The Australian wagyu was very good, as were the 2 boneless ribeyes. Sides were mashed potatoes, mushrooms and truffle fries. We ended up with a lava cake. Everything was delicious!

The restaurant is nice. Great low lighting and the white table cloth with the white paper is a nice touch. The food was great. We had appetizers, a main course and dessert. Everything was good and the wait time was not too long. The manger performed leader rounding and the waitress was attentive.

Wonderful service. Food was on point. Steak was good perfectly medium rare as asked. Loved my meal