Niku Sushi is planning a November opening at The District at Tustin Legacy in Tustin, California, bringing all-you-can-eat sushi to the former RA Sushi space. The restaurant will add a second address to an operation already serving downtown Anaheim.
The shopping center’s official Niku listing confirms the coming-soon restaurant and describes AYCE sushi, fresh sashimi and chef-crafted rolls. October 16 Orange County Register coverage puts the target in November, with an exact opening day still to be announced.
That gives the old sushi dining room a new proposition for diners who prefer to order another round before choosing a favorite. Niku’s existing Anaheim restaurant offers both à la carte dining and AYCE, with hot kitchen dishes alongside the sushi.
The operator’s website identifies the current location at 30 South Anaheim Boulevard. Its menu ranges through nigiri and sashimi, fresh rolls, tempura rolls, baked rolls and no-rice rolls. Gyoza, takoyaki, baked green mussels and fish collars are among the kitchen offerings shown on its published menu.
There are a few useful clues to Niku’s style in the namesake roll: salmon, tuna, yellowtail and avocado wrapped in soy paper. The Anaheim roll goes further, adding eel and masago to a salmon-and-tuna combination. Those are examples from Anaheim’s menu, not a finalized list for the new restaurant.
The announcement does not include Tustin’s AYCE prices, dining tiers or a full menu. The center’s description confirms sashimi as part of the restaurant’s offering, but does not explain how it will be priced or included within the AYCE choices. That is a detail worth waiting for before planning the first order.
Niku is one of five incoming businesses in the center’s latest dining and entertainment announcement. Jabal Coffee House is also expected in November, followed by Pho n Mor, Array 36 and a karaoke lounge in December. Patrick Brady, vice president of leasing at Vestar, described the additions as part of the center’s effort to expand those offerings.
The District opened in 2007, and the new sushi operation will reuse an existing restaurant space. The center has already put Niku in its directory and links directly to the Anaheim operator. The next useful additions will be an opening day and a Tustin menu, preferably close enough together for the rest of us to make dinner plans.
