Hotel Nikkoh Niigata Chugokuryori Tori

We went here for a late dinner, expecting basic food, because this Hotel Nikko restaurant was labeled a pub and looked like one. But the hostess led us into an inner dining room with huge windows overlooking the Shinano River and the city of Niigata. The menu delivered to our table was decidedly Chi...nese. Most of the offerings came in two sizes -- small (2 to 3 people) and large (4 people or more). We chose small orders of stirfried mixed vegetables and sweet and sour pork plus a dim sum portion of shrimp dumplings. The fresh veggies had been perfectly prepared and were bursting with flavor. The delicious pork dish leaned more toward sour than sickeningly sweet. And the dumplings held whole shrimp instead of an unidentifiable mixture. We left nothing on our plates. Our delightful waitress proved to be prompt and attentive. She ensured that our water glasses remained full, which is a service we have rarely received in Japan. At the end of our meal, she presented us with a complimentary pot of jasmine tea. Throughout dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed the incredible view, which included the lights of vessels on the Sea of Japan. Niigata, a rather unattractve city by day, becomes a beauty at night. When we got up to leave, I noticed that two other tables in the room were occupied. We never heard a word. Throughout dinner, it seemed as if we had the restaurant -- and the city -- to ourselves.

Visited June 2016