Niko Niko food review: New Sheffield Plate addition offers unique Japanese-Korean experience

Nestled in the heart of Sheffield, Niko Niko is a new Japanese-Korean fusion kitchen that offers an amazing culinary journey to its customers. The new eatery, which replaced Wingin’ It at Sheffield Plate, Orchard Square, in May, appears to be gaining traction with a diverse menu that adds to the food court's variety.

And my recent visit to this restaurant was unique because I had to adhere to my religious dietary restrictions, which limited my options to vegetarian meals. While the vegetarian options were not as wide as I had hoped, my dining experience was nothing short of amazing.

I was greeted by a staff member who takes orders and prepares the food all by herself. I was initially sceptical about the service, but she was kind enough to guide me through the menu and recommend what I could eat and asked whether I could take spice, which I quickly said yes to.

Since I couldn’t try many things on the menu, I opted for the Veggie Katsu (Kakiage) Curry (£9.50), which was described as “mild yellow curry” on steamed rice. Instead of the usual deep-fried chicken, it was replaced with deep-fried panko-breaded sweet potatoes, which I thought was clever.

The other vegetarian item on the menu was Bao Bun, which is one of Niko Niko’s signature dishes. I went for Sweet Potato Croquette (£5.50 per piece) with Gochujang (red chilli paste) as its sauce, which has slightly more heat than Korean spicy BBQ sauce.

Of course, if you're in the mood for meat, there are plenty of alternatives for the bao, including teriyaki bulgogi (beef), sweet spicy pork (jeyuk), and chicken katsu. Sauces such as sriracha mayo, garlic mayo, and, if you feel like a challenge, wasabi mayo, are all available to pair your bao with.

Additionally, there are chicken wings available for £9 for seven pieces, served with rice or potato wedges and your choice of sauce from Korean Spicy, Korean BBQ, or Buffalo Hot. There is also the option to buy 15 pieces for £15 if you want to go large, which I thought was a great deal.

My food arrived approximately 15 minutes after I ordered it, which is fairly reasonable given that there was only one person working behind the counter. I was genuinely surprised with the presentation because the food was given in a ramen bowl rather than a paper bowl or plate, which is unusual for a food court.

The curry was mild in flavour, but the star of the dish was the deep-fried sweet potato, which went perfectly with the curry and rice. The sweet potato was soft and hot on the inside, and the panko coating was crispy, indicating that it was freshly made.

The sweet potato bao bun was amazing, as it was perfectly steamed and presented hot with the sweet potato croquette as its filling and jammed with some fresh vegetables such as cucumber. The gochujang wasn't as fiery as I expected, but it provided a great kick with a spicy and sweet undertone.

Overall, my dining experience at Niko Niko Kitchen was wonderful, but I wished it had more vegetarian options. Niko Niko Kitchen is open at 11am every day except Mondays.