Ever since Ikinari Steak came to NYC, I have been very curious… First of all, this restaurant came from Japan, and that alone gets me curious enough to make me go and try their food. Then, their unique idea of serving a steak faster and cheaper than other real-deal steak restaurants.

And with that new concept, the interior is designed with tall standing tables. But, at this location, they added bar stools so that the customer doesn’t have to stand while eating. I am not sure if they added chairs to all other NYC locations, but I think New Yorkers are not really used to eating while standing, therefore addition of chairs are probably a good idea. We got to this location shortly after they opened for the day, so we were one of the first customers to walk in.

They do have some alcohol beverages to go with the steak, like beer, wine, and of course, some sake too. But I assume the main idea is to have the steak and steak alone for a nice quick lunch during the work week. The word “Ikinari” means “sudden” or “strait into” something, so at this restaurant, you can go straight into steak, without having any appetizer, sides dishes or even drinks. Kind of fun name, really.

This location had more seating in the back. Here, they have regular tables and chairs, I assume for those people who are not in a hurry to get in and out. We took a seat back here since we wanted to really enjoy our steak.

Each table has a laminated number. And here is where it gets just a little tricky. After you decide what you want to order, you take that number (and a menu if you need) to the order station to order your steak. Side orders such as soup. salad, rice, etc. can be ordered with your server. But, the server can NOT take your steak order.

We walked over to the order station where they keep all the blocks of meat. You choose what kind of steak you want, and how much (oz.) you want. All of them had a minim order of 7.1 oz. and up. The steaks comes with two pre-selected sides, but you can add other sides here at the order station when you are ordering your steak.

The steak grill master came out and sliced our choice of meat right in front of us. Yes, their steaks are cut to order, and cooked on an open-fire. We both decided to get the minimum oz. required, and he cut them with pretty good precision. He was really nice and friendly too, he made sure we got what we wanted.

One came out to be 7.5 oz, and the other one 6.9 oz. Since the steak is not cut by some robot or machine, they can’t really get it to the exact weight, but I say that was good enough. I am certain he did it much better than I would have for sure!

While we waited for our steaks to be cooked, we had a nice fresh salad. I ordered Radish Salad ($3/small). It was really good, super fresh and just what I wanted. The radish and greens had awesome crunchy texture, love it when you can hear the freshness. They had two original salad dressing, Pepper and Onion, and they were both really tasty. Perfect with the salad. Nice size and a great pallet cleanser to prepare for the juicy meat!

The steaks are presented on a sizzling cast-iron platter. This means, there will be some spattering of the juicy oil. But not to worry, they have thought of that! Each seat comes with a bib to protect your clothes, and foldable storage bins to keep your bags from getting dirty on the floor. The staff even brought a red cloth on top to protect the bag from the spatter above as well. How considerate!

They have all the utensils, napkins, and condiments at each table. It also act as a privacy wall. If you are dining with someone, it will be better to seat side by side, so that you don’t have to talk over the privacy wall. Their special sauces are also for sale if you really liked them.

Now, it is time for the steak! I ordered a Sirloin ($2/oz), medium rare with the pre-selected sides which are corn and onions. 7.5 oz came out to be $15. You can swap or add other sides if you want to as well. They had several kinds of seasonings, but they recommended to use their special J-Sauce.

The J-Sauce is kept in a thermos to keep it hot, and it is a special blend of soy sauce based steak sauce. When I poured it, I was expecting some crazy sizzle, but there was no sizzle action… That is NOT their fault, but it was mine, since I was taking too long of a time taking photos… Lesson learned.

The steak was cooked just the way I like, as I like them a bit more rare than medium rare. The steak was pretty big, super juicy and tender, and yes, the J-Sauce was marriage made in steak heaven. The pre-selected sides of corn and onions were pretty good too. Nice amount of seasoning, with good, firm textures.

My husband went with Top Ribeye ($2.80/oz). 6.9 oz came out to be $19.32. He also added extra garnish, potato for $1. The potatoes came with a nice grill marks, soft and comforting. He also used their special J-Sauce for the steak as well.

Both steaks also came with some garlic slices and a special butter. They were really great. The Ribeye was cooked just the was we like, and the quality was high. You can only enjoy the steak that is cooked rare or medium rare if the steak is in good quality, in my opinion.

Before we got all these food, we also ordered a side of rice. Well, they had plain white rice for $3, but then I had to see something more enticing on their menu. Garlic Pepper Rice ($8). Now, I am thinking $8 is expensive for a side of rice… But, I figured why not try it? When it arrived to our table, I understood the reason behind the price tag… It is HUGE! It is as big as the steak! It is more than enough to be shared among two people.

It came sizzling on a cast iron platter, and it had pieces of steak meat around it! Score! The rice was garlic-y with great pepper flavor, I absolutely loved it!!! Don’t need to worry about getting attacked by a vampire after this meal. The rice was topped with corns and garlic slices, I mixed them all up, and it was a delight.

And if you don’t live in a world without vampire, and don’t want to have garlic breath, not to worry! Head over to their small but clean and nice bathroom. They have a huge bottle of Listerine in the bathroom with small paper cups! Make sure to use them, regardless of your vampire beliefs. Your date, family and friends will thank you…

There were two staffs there, Joshua and Oscar. Joshua took care of us mostly, but both of us came to check on us often, making sure we were well taken care of. The water cups are kind of small, we called them “Japanese size” LOL. And since we drink lots of water, they came to give us refill of water frequently. Very attentive, friendly and gave good explanation of their food, ordering system and anything else that we asked. Joshua was really great! I know that they try to provide “Japanese hospitality” at Ikinari Steak restaurants in NYC, I think they have done a nice job here at this location!

One fun fact at this place is that the staffs have to wear “SmileView masks” while working. It improve sanitation, without hiding their mouth. So, they can greet and serve us with smile and you get to see their beautiful smile. Kind of funny but creative and yes, sanitary. We had a really nice weekend brunch here, I am sure we will return again for more steak!!!

 

Ikinari Steak Times Square – 368 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036