Hibachi for diner, without the onion volcano and sake squirt gun.
Listen, when I was a kid, I loved the hibachi hijinks. All the little tricks and jokes the chef would play, they were great, but I'm old now and all I want is my food....
Read More
Hibachi for diner, without the onion volcano and sake squirt gun.
Listen, when I was a kid, I loved the hibachi hijinks. All the little tricks and jokes the chef would play, they were great, but I'm old now and all I want is my food. Sure I like to watch it being made by a seasoned professional, but don't try tossing shrimp into my mouth or tossing your spatulas around like a juggler. Just make the food.
So take out it is, because I don't want to harsh on anyones vibe, and if you're going to a hibachi then you're going for the fan fair. Ordered over the phone, going with the calamari hibachi diner with the fried rice for pickup an hour later. Total came to a little under $29, not bad, especially for the sheer amount of food they give you in a hibachi diner.
Pickup was easy, the staff was nice and attentive, so I tipped and was on my way home with my meal. Once home I opened everything up, and I was not wrong about how much food you get. There's of course the calamari, the fried rice, but also sautéed vegetables, clear soup, a ginger salad, and even some noodles. It was clear I was in for a full tummy.
Started with the salad and soup, which were both delicious and refreshing, the ginger dressing on the salad was a tad watery but the soup was perfect. Then I kind of picked at everything else till I ate it all. The fried rice and great, with little chunks of fried egg in it. The vegetables were cooked perfectly, with some great savory flavor. The noodles were surprisingly fantastic, a little dry at first but I mixed them in with leftover sauce from the calamari and they really came to life. Now the calamari, was overcooked. It was rubbery as heck, very chewy and squeaky, and there were no tentacles! It was all just the tubes, I think? They were this weird spiral looking calamari I have never seen before, but when I think of calamari I think tentacles and rings. So I was a bit disappointed about that. They also had almost no flavor, and I had to rely heavily upon the sauces they included.
Overall, I'd still come back, but maybe not for the calamari diner. Perhaps I should try the shrimp next time?