It's hard to find a restaurant where the chef will throw shrimp in your mouth, but at Goten of Japan, it's just part of the ritual. Teppanyaki-style cooking ("teppan" meaning steel-grill and "yaki" meaning broiled) began in America with a four-table restaurant in New York City, run by the Japanese immigrant Rocky Aoki. In the early '60s Japanese food hadn't yet permeated American culture, and Aoki, a former Japanese Olympic wrestler, had to struggle to get his tiny restaurant full. But after an enthusiastic review by Clementine Paddleford, the legendary New York Herald-Tribune restaurant critic, the four tables at the now famous Benihana of Tokyo couldn't hold the crowds.

In 1972, Sunderland and the Pioneer Valley got their own hibachi (another term for teppan-yaki) restaurant: Goten of Japan. Goten is tucked away on Old Amherst Road. A long lit driveway leads you to the restaurant, a Japanese cabin-like building that has a nice feel. To enter the restaurant you have to walk around to the back, crossing a tiny snow-covered bridge.

The inside of the restaurant provides an entirely different ambiance. An entry room with a bar serving house-special drinks leads to two rooms filled with hibachi grills. Seating is communal, and chances are good that you will find yourself parked next to either a local patron or a UMass or Deerfield student. Fourteen of us squeezed in around our table. The atmosphere is casual, but not particularly conducive to conversation. To call a hibachi restaurant a "restaurant" is to use a misnomer: hibachi isn't purely about food. In fact, it's more about entertainment.

The chef literally puts on a show at your table. Chefs are trained to slice both quickly and accurately, but they also incorporate many original tricks into their routine. Our chef, Jae, was both friendly and entertaining. Tricks like forming a volcano out of onion slices and setting it on fire are all part of the act, and fun to watch. And, of course, Jae spanned the table, tossing a small piece of the shrimp appetizer into each of our mouths-his accuracy appearing to be a bit better at cutting than at throwing. Finally, he managed to throw everything but the kitchen sink into his hat.

Meals come in standardized form at Goten, and include a shrimp appetizer, soup, salad, Goten's special noodles, an entree of choice, rice, vegetables and ice cream for dessert. Entrée choices include Hibachi Shrimp ($18.50), Japanese Style Scallops ($18.50), Sukiyaki Steak ($14.95), Hibachi Chicken ($13.50), Hibachi Steak ($16.50) and Filet Mignon ($19.95). On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, Teriyaki versions of the dishes are available for a little more cost. They add a nice flavor to the meal. There are also a few combo meals and larger size meals for the particularly hungry. A vegetarian option exists too ($11.50), but it isn't really in the spirit of hibachi.

We began with a Japanese onion soup, a light dish a bit lacking in flavor, but not displeasing in taste. Then we were served a rather simple salad, covered in a creamy and overly sweet ginger dressing. The beginning of our meal was salvaged by the appetizer, though: two tasty grilled shrimp off the grill, which were served with two sauces, one with a wasabi base, the other with a ginger base. It's possible to avoid having part of one thrown in your mouth, but only with some contestation-sit back and relax, it's all part of the meal. If you're looking for a quiet romantic dinner, you've come to the wrong place.

After the shrimp, we were served masses of Goten's noodles mixed with grilled onion and zucchini. The thin, spaghetti-like noodles are cooked on the grill and flavored, though they lack a sufficient sauce and come off a bit dry. Of course, all this is merely preparation for the main course.

Since Goten of Japan advertises itself as a Japanese steakhouse, I found it difficult to turn down the Hibachi Steak. Both the scallops and shrimp are large and come in sizable portions, but the steak was where I found my home. The natural juices of the steak pour out on the grill, and while having it cooked with a slab of butter may hurt your arteries, it will make your mouth quite content.

Dessert is a rather basic choice of ice creams and rainbow sorbet, but you will find it a nice, cool conclusion to the meal after the grill has been on in front of you for nearly an hour. Service is both polite and helpful. When Chef Jae bowed to his audience at the end of the meal, I realized this was much more than just a dinner-it was a full-fledged performance. While the food is quite enjoyable, and the atmosphere not unpleasant, you come to Goten of Japan for the show. Bring a group of friends, order some drinks and watch incredibly fast hands slice, dice, and of course, toss shrimp into your mouth.

39 out of 50 points

Goten of Japan is located at 104 Old Amherst Road, off Route 116, in Sunderland, MA, open Tuesday through Sunday.