Jackson, WY — Nikai Asian Grill & Sushi Bar

Nikai Asian Grill & Sushi Bar 225 North Cache Jackson, WY

(307)734-6490 website map

I was working in Idaho and I had a day to kill so I decided to drive the two hours to Jackson Wyoming to photography the the sunrise in the Tetons. (Here are the three best images: image-1, image-2, image-3) Jackson sits at the South end of Grand Teton National Park. It is near Yellowstone and home base for Jackson Hole Ski Area.

I checked into my hotel about 8:30pm and went looking for someplace to eat. I did not expect to find a sushi bar but one block from the fleabag motel I was in I found Nikai. Jackson has become a resort playground for the rich like Park City, Aspen or Vail. The first thing I noticed about Nikai was the prices. Nikai was even more expensive than Katen in New York City.

Nikai is up a flight of stairs from street level. The atmosphere is trendy with the steady beat of piped in music. The decor is trendy with cu bamboo dividers hiding the central staircase. The sushi chef did not appear to be Asian but she did have dyed black hair.

I ordered a cucumber salad, a sashimi combo and a Philadelphia roll. I was not disappointed. The cucumber salad was probably too large but it was very good. The sashimi was a rather tame selection, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, halibut — but the quality was first rate. The roll was nicely done and drizzled with a sauce similar to the barbecue sauce served on unagi. All the pieces were evenly sized except the end pieces. The presentation was good but not on a par with Sushi House in my home town.

I would never have considered Wyoming a state for sushi, but in the fantasyland that is Jackson, anything it possible.

Nikai: 4  rice bowls