NeNe Japanese Contemporary Bistro (Restaurant Review)
I can’t quite come up with the ideal way to describe NeNe, a Japanese restaurant on the west side of Las Vegas (in a strip mall at Grand Canyon Plaza near Flamingo and 215). The food was good, but something just seemed to be lacking. Cliffsnotes — satisfactory, but unspectacular.
We dined at NeNe for the first time yesterday (Tuesday afternoon). Sushi makes up about half of the house menu. However, we opted instead for Miso Soups ($3), two Onzen Beef Bowls ($17), Chashu Fried Rice ($13), and the house speciality–Rib Eye Steak With Japanese Style Sauce ($23).
Service and presentation were pleasant. Food quality was acceptable. Beef was tender. However, nothing we tried really wowed us. For the money ($75 plus tax/tip for a late afternoon lunch) we should have been more impressed with the overall meal. I’d also grade the entrees as relatively bland tasting, and borderline too salty. Your palate and reaction may differ.
All restaurants can be judged by one simple question–will be go back? We might return, but other than the lunch specials, a repeat experience (dinner) is far less certain. The lunch bowl options (we did two of the Onzen Beef Bowls) were tasty and a good value since they also come with a small salad and soup. More cliffsnotes — lunch recommended, dinner is a pass.
Trying out new places can be fun and interesting. Based on the positive reviews online, NeNe may be more popular with those who prefer sushi. We’ll grade this with a marginal thumbs up, and add to the possibility of returning for lunch sometime in the future.
