Cowa- Sake

Our second time at Cowa-sake in two weeks, great experience both times. Service has been great, food outstanding. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. Standouts have been the garlic tuna roll, burger slider, and sweet potato fries. Bag of donuts were tasty too!

I had a great time! Meet up with a friend at the bar for drinks and apps, stayed for dinner and wine. The cocktails were so much fun, I’m a sucker for flavor bubbles and smoke the drinks were delicious as well … style and substance. The food was great the Premium Bento Box was my favorite… a slider, roll and mix and match sides, fun fusion. Cheers to the bar staff they were amazing!

Had the absolute best time here! We sat at the sushi bar and received amazing service. We got to watch Chef Tikoh and John create the most beautiful and delicious creations while we joked with them. Even the music was great. Really looking forward to coming back and bringing my friends. Highly highly recommend!!

We visited this establishment for the first time on a busy Friday night without a reservation and were able to sit at the bar. The food portions were large, very tasty and the presentation was a wonderfully unexpected surprise! The atmosphere was friendly and inviting and the wait staff were pleasant and accommodating.

First time there to enjoy. Staff heard and recognized this fact and exceeded my expectations! They showed me what Hospitality is all about! Thanks for providing an experience that I will remember besides for the excellent food part. I will be recommending to my friends going forward and, bring them with me next time!

Wow! I am not sure how to express the sushi bar experience that was had. Tikoh is a master at his craft. The sushi at Cowa Sake was a delightful experience. Watching Tikoh create such exquisite presentations to his anticipated pause... waiting to see if his creation is being thoroughly enjoyed is pure happiness. Go. Go now for a delightful treat! Each dish that he creates is art. Not only the presentation, but also the taste. All fresh ingredients are used, providing a delicious melody to your palette.  Simone also made sure that the dining experience was of high quality. The two of them expect the diner to receive only the best! Please go to Cowa Sake and seek out Tikoh and Simone! You will not regret it nor be disappointed. Tikoh and Simone, THANK YOU! Ahh!! Let me add that the bartender made a FANTASTIC drink *Kuahana's Elixir)!! It was delicious!! Put this "experience" on your list!

The best place to get sushi in North Carolina not only did it taste amazing, and was so fresh The presentation was absolutely gorgeous, a piece of art! We sat at the sushi bar and the chef TK was down to earth and made us feel so special!

Ideally situated right downtown Hickory, Cowa- Saké offers sidewalk dining or comfortable inside dining. The atmosphere of Cowa-Saké is very intimate and is great for a part of 1 up to a very large party. It's a great open-air environment where people enjoy each others company. As for the food, you'll indulge in an exquisite culinary journey at this Japanese theme gem, where each menu item is a symphony of eclectic ingredients meticulously curated. From the first bite, you're enveloped in a tapestry of crafted flavors that transcend from ordinary. The dishes, a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, promise a sensory adventure, leaving you savoring the memory long after the last exquisite morsel. As important as the food exploration, the service was outstanding! The wait staff was highly attentive and customer-focused.

The portions really aren’t small like the other review says, and the price is on par with this type of food. My husband said it was the best sushi he has had. I wish there were more cooked sushi options since I’m pregnant, BUT overall, we loved it! Definitely the tastiest food in Hickory at the moment & we’ll be back 😀

Great lunch or dinner option if you are in the area! We stopped in for a late lunch ! Food was great and the staff were friendly

We got there late before closing time. Hostesses was available to get a table for us. Our server was wonderful. We end up ordering TNT and volcano sushi, Kimchi fries, and Hawaiian burgers. The food was great. Also, order some of their drinks, which tasted awesome. Will definitely come back and try other meals on the menu and drinks.

We love it. We go at least once a week. The atmosphere has the coolest vibe… fun when it’s just us and perfect for meeting our friends. Chef Tkoh and all the staff are top notch. Always a treat.

Chef Tiko showed out!!! What an amazing Chef! The food was to die for. We traveled from Wyoming and he made us feel so welcome. He went the extra mile and showed mad skills. What an artist! Truly a master of his craft.

My overall experience here was a fantastic one. I must say, the company was the best part of the evening, but having dinner here made it memorable. When we first arrived, the ladies at the counter were super helpful and informative about space and availability. Their service with a smile, spot on. Once we were seated, our waiter came over to introduce herself and find out about our guests and all. I cannot say enough good things about her: sweet, pleasing, attentive and caring, just to name a few. Service? A+ Also, the other servers that were around really did a great job in bringing out the food on time and making sure we all were enjoying our time. When the food came to the take, presentation was incredible, colors were bright and food looked and smelled amazing... and the food was, needless to say, amazing. Although, the sushi was not the best I ever tasted, it was, oh my dearest thing, sooo gooood! My favorite thing on the menu was the Steamed Buns filled with pork belly and micro greens. Just... perfect! Dessert was so tasty and enjoyable. The donuts, which disappeared before I could take a picture, left me begging for more. The banana foster with flames and ice cream was on point. Not overly sweet nor tasteless. The pièce de rèsistance was the Lychee Death Note, a semi-sweet martini that just by looks alone I'd give it a 10 / 10. It was mesmerizing looking at the bubble, popping it and seeing all the smoke spread and dissipate... uh, amazing. Can't wait to do it again. It can't all be good, right? LOL! Although I'm giving the overall experience a 5 star, I must say, there was only one thing I did not care for in the cocktail menu, the Yokohama Mama. I thought it'd be sort of like a Bahama-Mama.... no... not even close. Salt with something else on the rim, terrible. The waiter was super understanding and even asked if I'd like to change my drink to another cup or make me a new one. She was so helpful that by the time I left the table I'd already forgotten about that drink, so since it didn't ruin the moment, nor my taste buds, I consider it an amazing experience in which I will be returning and hoping that it's even better than the first time I came. Oh, and FINALLY, something NEW and good in Hickory!!!!! Yeeeesssss!

Hickory’s Cowa-Saké (pronounced Kawasaki) Restaurant is a fusion of cuisines. The “Cowa” part represents meat from sumptuous piled high burgers accompanied with a generous portion of seasoned fries to delicate thinly sliced wagyu beef.  The Saké part denotes a mélange of Asian flavors, particularly Japanese, Korean and Thai.  It is similar in concept, but not the same as Cowfish in Charlotte. Typical of Lackey restaurants (Café Rule, Mas Amor, Vintage House) the interior is tastefully designed with a functional layout.  Tableware, plates, bespoke branded items and serving dishes show extreme attention to detail.  Architecturally resplendent, it has the feel and lighting of an intimate bistro but unexpectedly seats an estimated 80 people: ~30 indoors, 30 outdoors, 18 at the sushi bar, and 12 at the conventional bar.  Food can be ordered from any location.  The bar is stocked with the expected top shelf liquors and an impressive array of hard-to-find Japanese whiskeys, including Makoto, a single grain 23-year-old bushido whisky that retails for $500 per bottle.  There is a full complement of signature cocktails, Japanese beers, and sakes. The food was artistically presented and delicious.  Pricing was premium, but a good value.  It is what you would spend at an upscale restaurant in Charlotte, but much less than in NYC.  We sampled a broad array of appetizers entrees and desserts, but honestly, this was probably less than 5% of an extensive menu.  I can comment only on what we ate.  Shown in the images: Cowa-Sake Roll. Shrimp tempura, cucumber torched wagyu, togarashi, spicy mayo, fish eggs, scallions, and ponzu. Wagyu beef. Seasoned with maldon salt, presented on a plate of ice, and self-cooked at the table on a hot tobanyaki rock. Tobanyaki is the Japanese term for “roast on a ceramic plate.”  At Cowa-Saké, rather than a plate there is a mini-grill heated with a hot rock allowing you to quickly cook to temperature a thinly sliced piece of richly marbled wagyu beef that literally melts in your mouth. Yellowtail Carpaccio. Thinly sliced Hamachi with jalapeño pepper slices.  This was our favorite.  Delicate and flavorful. Poke Tower.  A hearty appetizer. A mixture of ahi tuna, white fish, & salmon, tossed in sesame soy chili paste, and seaweed served with tempura crisps, resembling a nacho chip.  Yum. Bacon N’ Cheddar 1/3 lb. beef burger.  Sharp cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and spicy mayo.  This mega burger is a great alternative for non-sushi eaters who prefer meat. Dumplings. Hand rolled, (fried or steamed), served with spicy potsticker sauce.  We got steamed, which were outstanding, and according to our server was a client favorite. Halibut.  A generous portion of mild, sweet tasting, firm white flesh that paired well with the bolder seasonings in the dish.  This was served on an onion rich bed of vegetables. Bananas Foster Spring Roll.  Cut bananas wrapped in filo, flash fried and served with a hint of rum, and a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, flambéed tableside. Flourless Chocolate.  This cake had a creamy, silky texture.  It was served with a raspberry compote, garnished with a mint leaf and fresh raspberries. The service was excellent.  Our server (Britany) was knowledgeable, pleasant, and enthusiastic.

Such a great atmosphere and vibe! We absolutely loved our sushi rolls that Chef Tikoh made us. The rolls had such flavor and detail. We sat at the sushi bar and Chef Tikoh was entertaining and answered all our questions. We will definitely be back!!

As a new mover to the area, my daughter and I wanted to try a top sushi joint. There was no disappointment in selecting this restaurant. We came for the sushi but stayed for the service 😁

Wonderful restaurant with yummy and beautiful food. Have been twice now and everything we have ordered has been amazing. From. Burgers to sushi to Korean BBQ the menu has many choices and every choice is a good one. Make reservations so you don’t have to wait in a long line for a table.

Great experience. Food was delicious: smoked old fashioned, kimchi fries with pork belly and fried egg, yakitori, burger on lettuce wrap, California roll and bananas foster! All delicious and Kristopher was the best server! Signed up for the waitlist, sat within the time noted, ate in under an hour.

What a lovely addition to Hickory. My husband and I visited on Saturday night. There was no wait, but we chose to sit at the sushi bar. Daniel, our server was prompt and informative and gave great service. TK was meticulous creating our rolls! The food was amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed the Poke Tower, Cowa-Sake roll, Volcano Roll and the Salmon BLT sandwich. Then, we enjoyed the Wagyu Tobanyaki for dessert. Every bite of every plate was perfect. The wagyu was the most delicious meat I've ever tasted. I will say the Salmon BLT was my husband's choice and I really dont care for fish sandwiches, but almost a week later, that sandwich is all I can think about... Mehgan stopped by to ensure our visit was great. The bartender, John, made my husband a Japanese 75 which was a delicious concoction while I enjoyed a lovely glass of red! Chef Fred and his team have really curated an fantastic menu with lots of surprising plates which are full of flavor. On top of that, the atmosphere was lovely and made a little more special by the great updated playlist you don't typically find for dinner in Hickory. We can't wait to return. Thank you for a perfect dinner.

It was our first time visiting and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The sushi was amazing! Some of the best I’ve ever had! Chef Tikoh is top notch! He made our first time experience the best it could be. We will definitely be back again.

Went opening week, online waitlist worked for us, service was great, food and drinks were top notch. Will definitely be one of our regular go to spots. Our party of 4 had several rolls, calamari, dumplings, a burger, and desert. Everything was great.

If I could give a 10 star I would. I tried the steam bun and the Bento box for lunch. To start the bun was amazing. The fat on the pork belly was seared to perfection. It was crispy and the pickled veg had amazing flavor. Now on to my main course, the bento box was perfect size. The noodles had amazing flavor and they give a pickled salad with cucumbers and tomatoes. The Mongolia Beef was flavorful and crisp. Definitely will return.

Me and my wife came here and got some sushi and drinks. The shogun roll was awesome. The server was nice and informative but my wife had to wait a decent amount to order additional drinks. This was our 3rd visit and the most expensive so far with a bill just under $200 before tip. We had 5 drinks total and 4 sushi rolls. The chefs roll was a slight miss. It was good but being almost the price of 3 shogun rolls i would of 100% of gotten more choices.

Absolutely fantastic spot with an amazing staff, truly remarkable dishes and a fun atmosphere! The drinks are top notch with really unique options. The Bananas Foster is delicious with a cool presentation! I will eat here as much as I possibly can! Ignore the entitled people who left negative reviews!

This is a nice restaurant. It's open concept design, comfortable tables. We went for lunch. The food was great. They only do steamed dumplings at lunch (not pan fried), but they were still very good. We also tried the steamed buns, which I hadn't eaten before. The bun was different than I expected, but still tasty. The meat was delicious, as was the hoosen sauce. One of us had their 2 roll comb, and really enjoyed it. Another had a poke bowl, which they had eaten before, and felt it was fantastic. I had a Mongolian Beef Bento Box, with Tempura shrimp roll and added a spring roll. Really enjoyed my meal, but didn't eat the Thai Cucumber salad, as I saw it had jalapeños and I knew that wouldn't sit well for me. Overall, we really enjoyed our food. Our service was only ok. It took quite a while for refills, the food took quite a while to make it to our table. And it was a wait for our check. We didn't feel.it was busy, and realize good food takes time, but saw similar sized tables who came after us receive food before us. Not a huge deal, but noticeable. Overall, I would dine again.

Cool vibe at this place which is actually two places. Two restaurants in one which is a cool idea. We got the Asian food but you could get brunch food as well from the "chicken" restaurant (forgot the name). I got the Bento box and my kids shared the sushi. Everything tasted good but smaller portions for priced paid causes me to give a 4 stars. Also we got over charged for an item which isn't kosher for anyone. All in it was $45 before tip for a 2 roll sushi plate, bento box and dumplings appetizer. Staff were friendly as well.

Update: We went again and sat at the sushi bar. The sushi chefs were phenomenal, the food was fantastic. We had a really great time! Our server Tatum was great! The food was good. I will say the tiny table they sat us at in-between two other tables wasn't ideal. Bang bang shrimp was only 4 pieces of shrimp for example. But overall we had a good time and aesthetically it's cool in there. Again our waiter was awesome, very friendly and knowledgeable

My wife and I came ate here for an early dinner during the week and enjoyed ourselves overall. They were having a ribbon cutting so everyone that showed up to eat had to wait until that was finished. I would recommend going here for a special occasion because it is pretty upscale and more on the expensive side. All the food we got was delicious though and worth the price. We split some steamed dumplings which were really good, followed by Yakitori which we got a chicken, pork belly, beef and shrimp and then we split 2 sushi rolls. My favorite thing by was the pork belly Yakitori and when I go back I will just get 4 of those. It was one of the best bites of food I’ve had in awhile. Our waiter was nice and attentive. Always kept our water glasses full but not overbearing. All in all we had a good experience which probably would’ve been better if we had better expectation management on our end. Not really the kind of place to just drop in for a quick casual bite. We will definitely be back for a date night or special occasion.

We used the waitlist with no problem. We even received a text giving us the option to sit at the sushi bar, which we accepted, and that bumped us up four spots. We started with the Tokyo Mule. Strong and bold taste. Followed by the fried dumplings. We went with the dumpling of the week, Chicken and lemon grass. They were good, but a little too charred. Next the yakitori. We had two each: pineapple, Korean bbq beef, pork belly, and Thai curry chicken. The pineapple had a bit of an odd taste. The rest of the meats were delicious. I didn’t expect much from the chicken, but it was really good. My favorite was the Korean bbq and my wife loved the pork belly. We ordered the Wicked tuna roll, big bang roll and goku roll. They were amazing. So fresh and full of flavor. Each roll was beautiful. There’s so much to say about each one, but amazing covers them all. We finished with a bag of doughnuts. This was a let down. The doughnuts were flat, and hard. The dips were nice, but couldn’t cover the whole donut in those. Great sushi that this town has needed for a long time.

We love the food & menu at Cowa-Saké! We ordered takeout (delivery), and the food we received was fresh and delicious. I wanted to mention a couple things though: they left out our soup and combined seafood rolls in the same container as veggie rolls, which could have been dangerous had one of us had a seafood allergy. The comments section is turned off so there is no way to let the restaurant know of an allergy (which I do have). A couple suggestions that would help customers ordering takeout: there is no wasabi provided with the sushi so noting that would be helpful, and adding the weekly dumpling flavor on the order site or website would help because the phone was not answered when we called to ask. Again we love the food and also appreciate the holiday giveaway promo!

I love sushi, so that’s what I went for. The rise of the sushi was so Hard that I can only eat a couple of pieces. The only reason I give two stars on the food is because the chicken from the bento plate was great

So this restaurant is good on its face, the atmosphere is aesthetic and photographs well, but sadly more than that there are some glaring issues. This restaurant is connected to another place for breakfast and for some reason the exact way to get in is not set, the few times I have gone the doors switch and the sign in area is never organized, the servers seem to not know where they should be. The servers in cowasake seem skittish and confused, which I chalk up to them all being younger and inexperienced. My last server legitimately did not know how to set down my martini and I had to help her get it on the table. And at the beginning when we were being seated we were told it would be 45 minutes when there was a table open that we could see in front of us; after deliberating about sitting outside the girl ended up seating us right away at that same empty table. At the breakfast place they just straight up have a bad attitude all the time. The food also looks very nice on camera, but the burger pictured was overdone, and the underside of the bun was crunchy and had a black ring around the edges where it had burnt. The drinks are good, the only issue we had was my husband's mojito seemed quite weak. Overall I would say that this is a good influencer restaurant, good for posting, rest of it is quite weak.

My wife and I enjoyed our dinner at Cowa-Sake. The sushi and food were very good. The service was very slow. It was my impression there were personnel issues. Yet, everyone was upbeat, cheerful, and positive. When I got my bill, I was stunned to be charged $15 for a gin martini poured with their bar's well gin, Gordon's. Be aware! This is a really neat, trendy place. It's also pricey!

We ate here for the first time. I’m not a big fan of sushi, but my husband is so the ranking comes from him. Sushi/sashimi/nigiri was average with a well above average price. It was pretty and fancy seeming, but at the end of the day just not worth it. Our waiter was very good, though. I didn’t like the tiny tables and sitting so close to strangers either. Uncomfortable.

Arrived and was sat. We waited forever before someone came to get greet us at the table. By the time he came we knew what we wanted to eat & to drink. We ordered sushi rolls & a bento box. The Mongolian beef was extremely good. The Szechuan chicken was Ok, the sushi not good. We order two different rolls and neither were good. We aren't very picky eaters, these were just very bland. 4 of us at a table & none of us cared for it. Very disappointed. The atmosphere is nice. The bathrooms were clean. We did try to eat here another time on a Sunday evening and that side of the restaurant was closed but the otherside which is a breakfast time food was open.

My husband and I joined some friends for lunch today. They hadn’t ever eaten here before so they were excited to give it a try and went on the website to get an idea of what might interest them before arriving. Two of the items they were looking forward to ordering were no longer on the menu. We were ready to order only to be told that it was just our server and one other for the entire restaurant. It was a steady flow of patrons so there wasn’t any promptness in bringing our refills. My friend wanted to order the mandarin salad only to be told that they were out of salad mix! That should have been mentioned from the get go. I had ordered the Power Bowl from my previous visit and was told that the menu had changed. I had to decide how I would cross order from the poke bowl and bento box as the power bowl offered items from the two new selections. My husband ordered the chicken avocado sandwich only to have no avocado, cheese, and bacon as requested. Again, because our server was only one of two servers it took a while for him to get it corrected. By that time, his sandwich was cold. I would suggest that the online menu be updated and that the server should inform patrons if any items are unavailable before ordering. For lunch totaling $42 Plus tip, the chances of us returning are very slim to none.

We have been coming here for years and it's always been a great little spot. Portions and selection have never been that big, but the prices and taste have always been reasonable for what you received. It's been a few months since we've been and today we were sorely disappointed. We were greeted warmly and sat quickly so that hasn't changed. However, we waited for almost 10 minutes before our server acknowledged us and brought us water. Waited another 10 minutes before he came back for our order. We ordered an appetizer and waited another 12 minutes before he came to take our meal order. His version of checking in was everything good over his shoulder as he was walking by without actually slowing down to hear the answer. On to the food. As it seems to happen with most everything, the prices have increased with the popularity while the quality has decreased. The portions are smaller but cost more, I understand "inflation" and everything is more expensive. But, if you raise the prices to counter, it means you should be able to keep the portions the same size. Also, I'm not sure how, but some of our dishes had no flavor, despite looking like it would. The fried rice and a sushi roll with tuna being the biggest culprits.

Has gone down hill. I’ve only experienced eating at one of the bar areas so I give service 5 stars. Ordered Wok Charred Edamame as an appetizer, kitchen didn’t even produce it until after my food came out, and it was soggy. Looked like someone steamed the edamame and then poured what was sitting in the wok all night onto them. I ordered a bento box which comes with a slider that I only ate due to being hungry. It was dry, charred, and no toppings hardly. Too expensive for what is being put out. Didn’t even picture the bento.

If you want to spend a lot of money for no reason go and(try to) eat there, food quality is CERO, none, there is no such term in that place. just adding pictures, will describe my experience better than my words. Sushi is a joke. the less funny part is to request a drink to try to get something right but the drink came with no alcohol. after 3 days the taste to burned food was still in my mouth.