Nico Japanese Restaurant Review: Dry Aged Sashimi and Full Blood Wagyu in East Perth

Nico Japanese Restaurant

Unit 25/60 Royal St,

East Perth WA 6004,

Australia

Dry Aging Fish Cabinet

Why We Came

Review of Nico Japanese Restaurant in East Perth: Nico Japanese Restaurant is the kind of place you hear about from someone who insists you need to go, rather than something you stumble across. Tucked away in East Perth, it is a very small eatery run by a compact Japanese team, with a clear focus on quality ingredients and straightforward cooking. What caught our attention was the produce. The use of Futari full blood wagyu from Western Australia and dry aged sashimi stood out immediately as a restaurant willing to invest in its ingredients. We visited initially for a birthday dinner, curious whether a small, relatively under the radar restaurant could deliver something memorable enough to justify the effort of booking ahead and making the trip out and ended up returning in the same week.

Our first visit was a weekday dinner, where we opted for the Nico Premium Teishoku Experience. It felt like the most complete way to understand what the restaurant does, bringing together rice, miso soup, salad, sashimi, tamagoyaki, and a main into a single set.

What made this visit interesting was how confident everything felt without being showy and we had an exceptionally steady, well paced meal.

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The sashimi was fresh and clean, the tamagoyaki had a gentle sweetness without being overly rich and the miso soup was simple and comforting. Nothing felt like a filler on the plate. The charred wagyu yakiniku was the centrepiece. Using Futari full blood wagyu gives the dish a strong foundation and the light char added a beautiful contrast to showcase the natural flavour of the beef. It is rich and controlled.

What shifted the experience from good to memorable was a small, unexpected gesture. For the birthday, instead of offering a standard dessert, the team served a yuzu grilled fish cheek. It felt personal and thoughtful, and more importantly, it fit seamlessly into the meal. It was also genuinely excellent, not just a token gesture. That moment said a lot about the restaurant and it's comfort in doing things its own way.

Our return visit for lunch confirmed that the first meal was not a one-off. The premium dry-aged sashimi don showed a slightly different side of the menu. The dry-aging added depth to the fish and plenty of umami without making it heavy, and the bowl as a whole felt balanced and satisfying.

The garlic soy marinated eggplant don was equally impressive in a different way. It would be easy for a dish like this to feel secondary next to premium seafood or wagyu, but it held its own. The eggplant was soft, deeply flavoured, and surprisingly substantial. Across both visits, the consistency stood out. Whether it was meat, fish, or vegetables, the approach stayed the same: keep it simple, but do it properly.

The small size of the restaurant shapes the entire experience. Seating is limited, and reservations are strongly recommended, especially for dinner. Service is warm and attentive without being overbearing. The team feels engaged and present, and there is a natural ease to how everything runs. Dishes arrive at a comfortable pace, and there is no sense of being rushed.

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The Trade-Off

You gain a focused menu, high-quality ingredients, and a level of consistency that makes the experience feel reliable. It is the kind of place where you can return and expect the same standard. What you give up is variety and scale. The menu is relatively tight, and the setting is intimate rather than impressive. This is not a destination for a long, elaborate meal or a wide range of options. It is also not designed for spontaneity. The limited seating means you need to plan ahead and we did see a few groups get turned away as the restaurant was full for dinner.

Is It Worth It?

In terms of quality, Nico delivers. Both visits were strong, and the consistency between dinner and lunch reinforces that this is not just a one-off experience. From a value perspective, it sits in a middle ground. It is not cheap, particularly with premium ingredients like full-blood wagyu and dry-aged sashimi, but it also does not feel inflated. Compared to more formal Japanese dining, it offers a more approachable way to enjoy high-quality produce.

Open Kitchen at Nico

Who Is This Restaurant For?

Nico is best suited for diners who appreciate well-executed, ingredient-driven Japanese food without needing a lot of extras. It is ideal for smaller groups, quiet dinners, or occasions where the focus is on the meal rather than the setting. If you are looking for a wide menu, a lively atmosphere, or something more theatrical, this may not be the right fit.

Would We Recommend?

Absolutely! We would absolutely return, and in fact, already did. Nico Japanese Restaurant is a small, focused restaurant that gets the fundamentals right and delivers consistently good food without unnecessary complication. If a friend asked whether they should go, the answer would be yes - just make sure to book ahead, and go in expecting a simple but very well-executed meal.