Nakashima of Japan

Service is slow, unfortunately some miscommunication between wait staff and kitchen too? Just be prepared for a 3 hour adventure if you come on a Saturday night a little past 5.

Great place (for couples or groups)
Sushi is very fresh — nice selection of «house» rolls.
Can get busy on weekend nights

This is place the best! Only sushi place that has fresh fish and good flavor!

Always a great experience. Friendly staff. They have really good sushi too. Dinner for two is a great option because then you get some of everything!

We went to have dinner at 7:30 — and was told 20 – 25 minute wait… an hour later… we checked in and were told «the table» just ordered another bottle of wine … «The table»??? Surely there was more than one table? Next available maybe??? We ended up leaving — no sushi for for us — poorly organized — didn’t see a manager or anyone making sure thing were flowing (which they weren’t) just several you girls standing around the front desk —

This is my absolute FAVORITE restaurant. Great food, they can accommodate my gluten free diet restrictions due to having Celiac Disease and the chefs are so much fun! This is our go to spot for special occasions. Wonderful food, great drink selections, and fantastic atmosphere!

The sushi here is top notch! We love the atmosphere and the variety of the menu. We could eat here over and over and not have to get the same thing! It is great for celebrating a special occasion, happy hour or family dinner. They have something for everyone at the highest quality!

Luv this place born and raised in Appleton. Was always my birthday spot to go. Love hibachi lots of
Food for the price compared to many other hibachi places I have been in much bigger cities. Everyone is very attentive. Sometimes it can be a little tight when it is busy and they fill the tables fully but such a great meal!‘n

Met a friend here for Hibachi dinner. We arrived a little early so we sat in the bar and enjoyed a cocktail and shared a Sushi roll. The Sushi was excellent.
We moved into the dining/​hibachi room and share a grill with 7 unacquainted others. The Hibachi chef was talented, humorous, and noisy. I guess what you’d expect from a Hibachi grill.
We both had the Scallop/​Filet combination and it was excellent. The scallops were succulent and very flavorful. The filet was as we had ordered (med Rare).
Overall, I would say that we got our monies worth, and for everything we did get, I don’t consider it to be overpriced in the least.

I grew up in the Appleton area and never ate here until I moved away. I guess when I was young I didn’t have a taste for sushi. I’ve had sushi in Minneapolis, Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee. This is one of the better places in the Midwest and probably the best place in WI.
I know the owner’s son through some friends and the place is legitimate. His dad is Japanese. I had a few rolls and ordered some tuna sashimi. The sashimi was the best I’ve had anywhere. I haven’t been many places, but I haven’t had any like that. You can tell it was cut from a fish that day. The texture was firm and the color was a deep red. You can see the fat lines running through the pieces. The fish had a metallic and mineral flavor and it just melted in your mouth. It had no smell at all. I have never experienced tuna like that before. Probably because I never had good tuna. Or at least nothing quite like that.
Didn’t get a chance to try anything else on the menu. When I visit family I will go back and try more. This place is a little gem, especially for Appleton. You know the owner is doing well for himself when he can open up more restaurants and keep the same quality at each one. Bravo, continue doing what you’re doing.

It was okay… Nothing too special. Cooking it at the table was kind of cool but $ 50 per person was a little expensive for what you received in portion size.

Fresh sushi in a great, fun-​filled atmosphere. The hibachi is fun as well. Great for birthdays, fun date nights, family get-​togethers.

Just ok. I saw the Unilocal reviews and decided to try. I had the shrimp sobs, and was not impressed at all. Soso… nothing special. I’ve had much better noodles and sushi

I have been here twice and honestly I was not blown away. I think it is one of the original sushi restaurants in this area, so loyal and hype go a long way.
When we have come here, it is packed to the gills and we sit in the tea garden area. Once we sat at the sushi bar in that room and it was miserably small. If you do get a table in that room, it is meant to be like traditional Japanese floor seating, but you slide your legs under a full-​sized table and it gives that appearance. A cool touch.
Although the sushi was good, the rolls are tiny and the prices exorbitant for what you get! Again, not mind blowing

Devils roll is incredible, grilled calamari is possible the best I have ever had. Deep fried shrimp heads are sweet and delicious. Sake bombs started the night off. Wait staff incredible.

Not that impressed with the food. It was flavorful and the scallops were big but they really don’t have a fantastic unique flavor that I feel puts them above others for the price you pay. Everyone around here thinks they’re expensive and for Appleton… yes it is. Atmosphere is great and the shows they do whole cooking is fun (which I think is what you pay for). Moved away and it’s been many years since I went back there. Still the same… I guess once you see them cook, you’ve seen it before. Sushi was completely uneventful! Not impressed at all with the huge amount of rice and small amount of fish. Way over priced! I’d go back for the atmosphere to meet people but not the food.

This is an update to my previous review. We wanted sushi but didn’t want to go out; Nakashima is the closest to our house. So I ordered some specialty rolls for takeout and we were pleasantly surprised at how much better they were than on our last visit.
So good in fact that we ordered some more the next day.
Our favorites are the Torched Salmon w/​miso and the Green Turtle roll.

I normally don’t try any sushi restaurant that is not directly on the coast. I am glad that I made the exception in this case. Nakashima has a very unassuming exterior however when you get inside you will be pleasantly surprised at the décor.
All of the nigiri and rolls were exceptional and very fresh. The staff were very friendly and as I was sitting by the kitchen I could her them be double checking to make sure that everything was perfect for their customers.

This place is a staple in the Appleton Community. You want asian food, you come here. The prices are reasonable and you can make it as authentic as you want. The food is excellent and I’ve never had issues with the service (which is impressive, I’ve probably been here 20+ times).
I recently came back to Appleton (now live in Chicago) and wanted to buy a round for a group of friends from highschool. I handed the bartender a 20 for 5 beers and… he gave me significant change. No specials. Just very reasonable prices. For anyone planning on driving home, don’t be involved in one of their fish bowls at all. If you are involved with a fishbowl, there is a lot a block an a half for your car and you can leave it overnight.
This is more of a place for adults or older children. They have the grill service and I see plenty of families come in with children. I’d recommend waiting until they are mature enough to not touch the grill. It usually is quite loud and (typical grill setting) you often will sit next to other people at your grill.

We stopped at Nakashima for dinner during an overnight to Oshkosh. The Unilocal reviews were pretty positive but I mean, it’s Appleton sushi… could it be great? Actually — yes. It was as good as anything I’ve had elsewhere and the atmosphere was great.
Décor: A+
Fun & creative — there are ninja mannequins scattered around, a huge dragon mural in the bar & a samurai in the sushi room. The sushi room booths are kind of traditional, with tatami cushions — be warned, there’s no graceful way to get in/​out! Traditional Japanese music makes for a much more Zen experience than the usual J/​K pop.
Menu: A
In addition to your standard sushi, nigiri, maki and kitchen stuff the «special“rolls here are super creative. I had a hard time picking because everything looked so tasty! They have some crazy apps too, like tuna guacamole.
Food: A+
I had a Red Dragon which included shrimp and fresh tuna and was served with generous amounts of Sriracha. If you’re worried, they pipe it on the side so you can decide how much to napalm your food. I used a lot. My other choice was the Godzilla which included a shrimp jalapeño popper inside, spicy tuna on top and a spicy curry sauce. Totally different flavors & absolutely delicious! The Mister had nigiri and the cuts of fish were fresh & generous.
Service: A
Great service from a friendly, efficient server
Also, be aware that most folks are coming for hibachi — they have like 10 hibachi tables and every single one was packed at 5 pm and there was an hour wait! So get there early if you want to watch a dude flip shrimp tails into his hat, or (better yet) go for sushi instead.