NIKKAI

Review

The fusion kitchen index

It is somehow obvious that a casino should be housed in a stock exchange building, as was the case in the new Vienna Stock Exchange building in 1877. However, there was also an Oriental and a Folklore Museum in the same building, which is somewhat more unusual. In any case, the stock exchange only made its first gastronomic appearance in 1998, when the Hansen restaurant moved into the basement. In 2003, there was even an Italian café on the ground floor, but it was closed more often than it was open - karma that apparently did not deter Elisabeth Wu. The restaurateur from Graz first tried her hand at Vienna ten years ago with Iko. It serves spectacularly filled rolls and a colourful mix of Asian cuisine, which is, however, a decisive shade better than the other panasiats. Since then, a few more restaurants have been added; in January, her Nikkai was finally launched in the Börse. Why Nikkai and not Nikkei? Because this restaurant is certainly supposed to be a fusion of Asian and European flavors, but explicitly not Japanese-Latin American Nikkei cuisine. And: "We wanted to use the name to create a link to the stock market." To explain: Nikkei 225 is the Japanese stock market index. Nikkai may be difficult to spot from the outside, but inside, architect Helmut Friedrich - a big name in Graz's trendy gastro design - really stepped on the gas: stock market historicism paired with generous designer furniture and lamps that reminded Beislkritiker intern Frieda of Pringles. Nikkai doesn't exactly keep the ball rolling in terms of cuisine either: The gyoza filled with chicken and cabbage, for example, are impeccable (€ 6.50), karaage, the Japanese deep-fried snacks, are available from the softshell crab with wasabi mayo and daikon pickles - very good, you don't get them every day either (€ 13.-). The nigiri set contains two sushi each with raw and flamed salmon and with branzino, all nicely done (€ 18.-). Elisabeth Wu's personal fusion concept comes into its own with the Indonesian rendang-style braised shortrib with a saffron, coconut milk, lemongrass and lime risotto, and to be honest: it was really good (€ 29).
Grilled wild-caught prawns (€ 6) or scallops (€ 7) are available per piece, which makes for a nice little seafood snack for little money. The homemade mochi with red bean paste scored highly with mochi connoisseur Frieda. Even the espresso is good - so my recommendation is to go to the stock exchange! What at first sounds like another panasiate with a strange name is actually really good food in an impressive setting.

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