Omg what a steal! If you have a car while in Vegas, love AYCE Japanese, love a value meal, then this is the place to go! Yes, those Vegas buffets are fantastic. I mean I love my share of prime rib, roasted bone marrow, king crab legs, and the whole lot, but really Hikari was fantastic. I've never been to an AYCE Japanese sushi bar that has this type of selection and quality. The only bad thing about this review is that it might actually convince more people to try it which means longer wait times for me. But I can't contain my excitement!
They have an entire menu a la carte, but you can order anything off that menu (not just the sushi and nigiri) for the price of $26.95pp! Considering the variety of items - not just the standard Japanese fare you see in other AYCE restaurants - that is a great, great deal. We ordered:
- Sashimi combo (had hamachi, tuna, salmon sashimi. The tuna looked like it had quite a few tendons but the rest looked rather fresh and fatty)
- Fresh oysters with Japanese mignette (the oysters, though small and perhaps a little shriveled, was surprisingly delicious and fresh! The sauce made it better and gave it a kick, a great accompaniment to the richness of the oyster meat)
- Hamachi Kama (you can also choose to have the salmon kama or collar, but the hamachi kama was really great. It was freshly roasted, the meat was succulent and juicy, great flavor - don't forget to ask for a lemon! It really helps bring out the best flavors)
- Rainbow roll (I know, what was I thinking with the rice? Yes, it had rice so I wouldn't recommend getting the rolls but the flavor was rather good for AYCE!)
- White Tuna sashimi (Tasted a bit frozen but still had that fatty flavor)
- Hamachi sashimi (Fresh and delicious)
- Sweet shrimp sashimi (This seems to be a rare find and is great! Just as good as the ones I ate in Japan. One plate of this sashimi was served with about 10-15 shrimp, has texture and yet somehow melts in your mouth fantastic)
- Baked green mussels (Surprisingly unique in texture and freshness)
- Dynamite (This was probably the more disappointing of all the dishes. Has mayo, some imitation seafood, and veggies baked in and it took a while to make)
- Uni sushi (Each order comes in 2 and this cannot be served as sashimi, but this was the BEST dish of the night by far considering it's AYCE. It was fresh, rich, luxurious, just perfect. The only thing that could have been improved upon would be the seaweed paper, it was chewy)
- Shrimp & Veggie Tempura (freshly fried to perfection)
- Fried Tofu (well fried, good sauce, though if you're not that big a fan, it's something you can skip unless you just want something hot)
- Seaweed Salad (pretty norm)
- Fried soft shell crab (Really well made - perfectly fried with all the great fried crunchy pieces and the soft melty innards and crab meat on the inside)
That's all I can remember before I jump into my car and start driving out to Vegas again for a second round.
Notes:
You can order off most items off the nigiri menu and ask for it to be served as sashimi - they'll add more to your order and take out the rice!
Take it slow. We made the mistake of being overly hungry and ordering a crapload of stuff up front, definitely enjoy the experience and take it slow. The chefs are fantastic and friendly and it's definitely worth the extra few moments you spend at the sushi bar.
Dessert is not included but isn't overpriced - a couple scoops of ice cream was $2.50.