A candy store for carnivores. Hikari is a Godiva-store of cook-your-own meats minus the pretentiousness and overpricing.
Nothing soothes your soul like watching tender cuts crackle on the grill, and this sizzling skillet of Sauteed Beef Intestine & Cabbage is just a warm-up. Watch the savory steam dance around so many tender squares. The texture of beef intestine is so difficult to describe; it's thick but sliced so thin, firm but juicier with every chew, almost rubbery but more supple since Hikari knows how to make it right. The cabbage is a crisp contrast, and it’s pliable leaves soak up the collecting soup as the intestine releases its juices.
The menu is a long list of every cut of every common animal, an overwhelming Cheesecake-Factory book of meats. Fortunately, Hikari also has the best service, and our table comes with a knowledgeable guy who can describe literally everything on the menu in vivid detail.
Droppin' knowledge bombs, he is. Start with the Beef Tongue in mentai cream, the first of his many right-on recs. This one comes in thin slabs with an emollient fish-cream to soften the already-tender tongue.
The Thick Cut Beef Tongue comes plain, scored for easy cooking and melt-in-your-mouth chewing. It slips in smooth and silky; the thicker cut just adds to the luxury.
Slip me some more Beef Tongue, this one with a flash of wasabi cream. The marinade cuts through with a sharp horseradish, a dash of something different to add a little zing.
The Hanging Tender is one of their best cuts, says the server...and every single person who's ever written a review on Yelp. It is. The tongue is still tops, but this juicy steak at least ties for first.
The portions look small, but they're proteinaceous-ly filling. The Stone Roasted Tomato Risotto is our "let's get one last thing", a carb break from the meatmeatmeat. Get it with beef tongue - it changes everything.
It sizzles and bubbles until you spoon it into your plate. It finishes sweet and simultaneously savory, unexpected and absolutely delicious.
There is something incredibly homey and intimate about Hikari. There's something primal about seeing these red cuts in the raw and something simultaneously civilizing about seeing them sizzle as they cook. Droplets of juice and fat dance to the beat of the flames in the glow of a tiny grill.
With great service, and fun and casual atmosphere, and lots of fantastic food best washed down with pitchers of beer, Hikari is awesome for any occasion. Bring a date to cook together and connect, bring friends or family to reconnect, or drag whoever you want to spend time with, and take the opportunity to bond over platters of meat and pitchers of beer. You really can't have a bad time at Hikari.
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