| rev:text
| - I spent my whole life certain I would hate Hibachi. I grew up in CF, & I was a very, very picky eater during my high school days, when my peers would come here before prom & homecoming. I never joined them because what would I have eaten? No chicken fingers or mozzarella sticks on this menu.
Alas, it's been more than a decade since those days, & a decent amount of travel & culture has convinced me of the glory of Asian food (among other cuisines). I recently tried Hibachi for the first time - FINALLY - & was thrilled to finally silence my skeptical inner 17-year-old.
Hibachi has a weird atmosphere, sort of a used-to-be-fancy feel. It's based in a weird office building on Front Street, somewhere no restaurant ought to be, but it's a massive space with plenty of seating. The decor feels dated & - I hate to say this - almost a little bit grungy, so I wasn't sure I was getting into something legit - but don't be fooled by the slightly '90s feel. THIS FOOD IS BOMB.
I ordered the shrimp entree, which was made in the standard teppanyaki fashion - on a large, open-fire grill with everyone else's food. My aunt & I are both allergic to mushrooms, & the chef was kind enough to make our meals separate from the rest of the group, which meant we were already done with our food by the time they got theirs, but hey, that's worth not having an allergic reaction. I appreciate their willingness to accommodate dietary issues even at a family-style restaurant.
The chefs here are mostly white, which makes for the standard "Will this be authentic enough?" concern, but they're skilled at what they do & good at what they male. They're show-offs by trade, creating onion volcanos & large fires & flipping tiny pieces of shrimp into your mouth as you watch; it's a show, & it's a fun one. I was impressed to discover, though, that it's not all showboating - they also make legitimately delicious food, with fresh ingredients & simple but strong flavors. The fried rice might've been the best I've ever had; they give you a ton, but I could've eaten double that amount.
I also love that they serve four-course meals - a salty scallion soup, a ginger-dressed salad, whichever entree you choose, & a dessert of green tea & pineapple sorbet - plus, of course, a fortune cookie. Folks used to standard CF pricing will find Hibachi expensive or "fancy," but for the quality & amount of food you get, paired with the novelty of a true four-course meal - it's beyond worth it.
Hibachi, I'm sorry I doubted you for so long. I can't wait to come back.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)