Nikushou Sakai 肉匠坂井

The restaurant was fairly empty over the weekend, so it was fairly quiet throughout our stay. The service was on the slower side, especially with the sashimi coming 20-30 minutes after the meat selections. We were surprised that they disabled ordering of additional food less than an hour in. The meat was fairly standard, but the chicken was remarkably poor as it melted into the grill Sashimi selections were quite limited with only salmon and yellow tail

I went out for dinner with my mother, my children, and the whole family. From the entrance, the restaurant was very busy with many guests waiting. There were chairs available near the entrance where people could sit while waiting, which showed great thoughtfulness and consideration. Thanks to that, the wait felt comfortable and pleasant. We ordered several dishes including different cuts of beef, squid, and clams. The meat was very tender and incredibly delicious. The portions were generous—the water and drinks came in very large sizes, and the amount of rice was surprisingly big as well. There were also salad, cabbage, asparagus, kimchi, and wraps, which made it especially enjoyable for women to eat together and balance the meal. It would be a perfect place for year-end gatherings with friends or for a Christmas dinner. At the end, we enjoyed vanilla ice cream and marshmallows. The green tea ice cream was already sold out around 9 p.m. For parking, it’s best to use the parking lot underneath the shopping plaza. The restrooms were clean and well maintained too. Overall, it was a very satisfying and enjoyable dining experience.

I tried Nikushou Sakai in the Tangram Mall in Flushing during Thanksgiving and was impressed by how much variety their Japanese BBQ buffet offers. The weekday price is $55 and weekends/holidays are $59, and the quality is excellent for an all-you-can-eat experience. The meal starts with a refreshing nine-item Japanese appetizer set, and the standout dishes for me were the signature clay-pot short rib, thick-cut wagyu chuck flap, wagyu tongue with yuzu salt, thin-sliced wagyu ribeye, and the seasonal thick-cut wagyu roll. The marinade options such as the sweet soy beef short rib and marinated brisket were also flavorful, while the seafood section included steamed clams with sake, grilled salmon, garlic squid, shrimp, and takoyaki. There are plenty of snacks like tempura shrimp, grilled rice cakes, Nagoya chicken wings, crispy smelt fish, and fried pork bites, plus vegetables and fruit including mushrooms, butter corn, lettuce, and pineapple. Even the staple dishes were surprisingly good, especially the unagi rice bowl, salted beef rice, and bibimbap. Drinks such as iced tea, Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta, and Sprite are included, and I added a yuzu soda for $4.99 which paired perfectly with the grilled meats. Located inside Tangram, this spot is an excellent choice if you want a wide selection of quality meats and sides at a reasonable buffet price.

Been multiple times now, and strongly feel Nikushou Sakai is one of the better barbecue spots around. It's around $70 per person for all you can eat for 70 minutes (be aware of the time). The cuts are exceptional (you cannot go wrong with any of the beef), and the shrimp is so surprisingly fresh. Service was also excellent and accommodating. Definitely a great spot if you're craving Japanese barbecue!

Decent price for good quality of AYCE meats (~$60 on a Saturday pre-tax + tip). Came as a group of 4 at 7pm and there was luckily a table available right away. They give you an iPad to order off of and start the table off with their banchan platter, which was very good! Good amount of meat and soft drink options to order from and the service is pretty attentive. You close your meal out with a nice mochi. Only downside was that I did have the runs and my stomach was churning after the meal, but that was bc late a ton and the discomfort only lasted that night (so no food poisoning!!) lol Despite that, l'd still return!

TLDR: Great. Very comfortable restaurant, AYCE yakiniku. Miso pork jowl, jo-tan yuzu shio beef tongue, wagyu chuck thick-cut. Lots of egg yolk sauce. Order sizes are small, so don't be shy. Tried this and to be candid, most AYCE places I'm skeptical of. I was surprised at how spacious it was. Design-wise, felt like something you'd see in Asia. You have 90 minutes to eat, 70 minutes to order. So be weary of the time limit, you will not get a final order warning. Keep an eye on ordering because once you're at 70, the menu will lock out and no more orders can be placed. It's a gas grill with a very thing wire grid. The heat is pretty intense so you can get these wonderful sears. I don't need to tell you but don't fill up on the rice and fried goodies. The thick cut pork jowl is marinated in miso and you get this smoky, salty, just umami-rich bite. Amazing stuff. The beef tongue is quite thin and if you sear it hard enough - it almost reminds you of fatty beef but not quite as fatty. If that makes sense. Of all the steak cuts, the wagyu thick-cut chuck is what we got the most of. All-in, comes to about $70 pp which is not terrible considering you can get as crazy as you'd like. I'll be back, I enjoyed it.

Excellent AYCE experience. I came with a party of 8 and we were pleasantly surprised by the different proteins available. The beef was very fresh and the Yakiniku was the star of the night. Pork belly comes in as a close second. The service was very attentive and we enjoyed the oversized fountain drinks!

The food here is amazing — so many delicious options to choose from! The service was excellent, and I especially want to thank the female manager on duty. She was so warm, attentive, and thoughtful, always checking in and taking care of my preferences. I was truly touched by her kindness. I’ll definitely be coming back next time! 💕