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Shiki Japanese Steakhouse
14041 N. May Ave.Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 751-8912
In my review of some other teppan grill Japanese steakhouses I have said that they were good steak
houses but I would not classify them as great Japanese restaurants. This is partly because I do not
believe the Japanese grill where the food is cooked on the table in front of customers to be
authentic Japanese style food, and partly because I usually find these restaurants to be lacking in
flavor. All of these statements are true for Shiki, although I found it to be better than average in terms
of flavor. I was actually pretty impressed with the seasonings used on the meat, although less so
with the ginger and mustard sauces set in front of each plate for dipping.
The menu at Shiki is limited, and mostly consists of different types of meat cooked on the grill
in front of customers. Sushi rolls are served, and a few plates are cooked in the kitchen (mostly the
teriyaki and tempura dishes).
With teppan grill steakhouses it is easy for me to find a lot of negatives, since I do not believe
that this is real Japanese food. With Shiki, though, there were some things I liked. One was the cook
that was not only skilled in preparing the food, but also made an attempt to make sure each
person at the table had food that was to their liking.
Miso Soup was brought from the kitchen, and had an almost clear broth. I think the
best type of miso soup is with a brown color such as is served at Tokyo Restaurant, but the
clear soup at Shiki was good.
The vegetables are put on the grill first so that they can be cooked a longer time than the meat.
Shrimp is also cooked before the main course so that it can be served as an appetizer (if you do not
eat shrimp it is too bad, because it is included in every meal cooked on the teppan grill). Fried rice
is also prepared, and the chef makes a "volcano" out of the onions in which the inside is set on fire
for part of the "show."
Because of different orders by people at my table I got to see three different kinds of steaks
being cooked. The sukiyaki steak was the most highly seasoned, while the filet and New York
steaks were cooked with the "secret" blend of spices that came from the chef's shaker. Of the
three I was only able to sample the New York steak, and I found it to be of good quality. I thought
it was of comparable quality to the steak served in other area steakhouses.
My dinner, the Chicken and Shrimp Hibachi Dinner was good quality, and had a
good flavor. Many Japanese steak houses rely on the quality of the meat being good, but I
also found the vegetables to be enjoyable and better than average.
It is a good thing the dinner had a good flavor because the ginger and mustard dipping
sauces, on which I usually rely for added flavor, were really lacking in the type of flavor I like.
I would take this over the chicken dinner at Yamato, though, where the dipping sauce was
really the best feature of the dish.
The Fried Rice was really not my favorite, and with the extra price they charge
for it I really have to question whether it is worthwhile. At least, though, our cook made sure
the rice was not too crispy or unevenly cooked.
Unlike some Japanese steakhouses in the city, Shiki serves hot green tea (at an extra
charge). The tea was good, and refills are given.
I thought the dinners served at Shiki were oversized and overpriced (I do not subscribe
to the theory that it is good to have leftovers to take home). In anticipation of this I had planned
to sit next to one of my family members to share a meal, but the waitress moved me to a
different seat that was empty so she could fit in more people at the table (it turned out that
the additional people never came). Because of this my general dislike of the teppan grill
style Japanese restaurant turned into a situation that I would be very reluctant to go to Shiki
again, even though I liked the food. To me there are many better meals I could get in
Oklahoma City for the same money.
Miso soup is included in the dinner
Vegetables cooking on the grill
Meats cooking on the grill (from lower left to upper right): chicken, New York steak, filet, and sukiyaki
Chicken and shrimp hibachi dinner
RESTAURANT DETAILS
RATING: 19
Cuisine: Japanese
Cost: $$$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Additional Location: 4406 W. Reno
Tea: Green (brewed)
MSG: No
Smoking: No Smoking
Alcohol: Beer, Sake
Special Feature: Teppan Grill
Most Recent Visit
Jun. 20, 2010
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item
New York Steak
Special Ratings
New York Steak: 
Chicken and Shrimp Dinner: 
Fried Rice:
Miso Soup:
Salad: