Niku Shiki – Glen Waverley – premium wagyu beef at The Glen

Niku Shiki probably means “meat ceremony” in Japanese which is an interesting name for a Japanese restaurant found within The Glen Shopping Centre. The restaurant is an open plan space with a butcher on one side, high table for guests in the middle, and the kitchen on the other side. You can order your cut of meat at the butcher for a hefty price or try either their pre-made sushi rolls with wagyu or their cook to order hot meals such as wagyu with donburi (rice) or udon.

The restaurant is located next to JB Hi Fi on the lower ground floor of the shopping complex. The restaurant is one of those restaurants that doesn’t register immediately unless something catches your eye.

On venturing into the restaurant, I was intrigued with the selection of sushi rolls on display at the wagyu sushi station, but there were only a few rolls on offer. I turned towards the pre-made sushi packs along the fridge to find some interesting selections of wagyu sushi, each with a high price tag, and further along the kitchen was a pre-made hot section with wagyu curry on rice and a selection of other hot foods.

As it was more first foray, I decided to order their Wagyu Nikomi with Onsen Egg Udon for $19.50. While the idea of ordering a donburi for $88 was interesting, it was off the table given I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into.

The seating was rather limited and the only option was to sit on the high table in between the butcher and the restaurant. The table has some self serve options including a refreshing, chilled water canister with mint and strawberries that you could help yourself to.

My order came to my table and I proceeded to enjoy the udon noodles with wagyu. The sliced wagyu was really tender and tasty. The serve of sliced wagyu was rather reasonable. The addition of the pickled cabbage and radish were nice extras, but I thought the onsen egg was a real winner. Overall, it was a satisfying bowl of noodles.

As I was eating, I noticed the expensive meat being sold at the butcher. I heard some pretty high sales around $50 to $100. It’s not a cheap butcher to visit given it is selling mostly wagyu products. In addition I noticed the steady stream of customers coming in and out of the restaurant with some sitting beside me on this small high table.

After finishing my meal, I decided to pick up a pre-made sushi pack to take home for the family. It was a good idea and I scored some brownie points.