It seems that whenever I need food that could inspire and motivate me, Japanese or Korean food are often what I turn to, yeah, just something about the presentation of these dishes.
So now I've included Tokyo Grill on my list of Japanese go-to places if I need food to soothe my ruffled soul :-)
The look of the interior doesn't do any justice for the atmosphere that the staff gave off. And oh my god! The place is operated by Japanese folks and you're getting the familiar "Irashaimase" type experience that you see on youtube clips; this was noticeable when I went in and the girl was going over the menu with a customer who was practicing his conversational-level Japanese.That factor alone was enough to convince me plant myself at a table have give the food a try. And no issues with the small space of the eatery, it's was just too quaint. Not the best for groups bigger than four people but good enough for a solo diner on-the-go or two people who want a more intimate, quiet dining experience.
I didn't want to splurge much so I just ordered the Chicken Tonkatsu dinner which comes with rice, miso soup and the typical simple salad. The chicken obviously flattened with a mallet, was tender and flavorful even when not dipped in the pool of tonkatsu sauce. And the panko coating was crispy. And the miso soup was just too soothing.
Definitely heightened up my gaming mood so I was ready to engage in a few rounds of boardgames afterwards.
Tokyo Grill, you've captured my the loyalty of my appetite and I hope to make over again soon.