A group of friends and I had reservations at the hibachi grill, upon recommendation of an Amherst senior. After we were led into the backroom, the hibachi chef started launching broccoli florets into our mouths, or eyes … depending on one's coordination.
To start, my friends Nina and Liz each ordered a glass of the very sweet plum wine ($5 a glass). Next came the round of soups, salads and appetizers. Grayson and I ordered hibachi meals which come with a bowl of mushroom soup and a house salad. The mushroom soup came out piping hot, consisting mainly of broth with a few thin slices of delicious mushrooms.
The house salad fits in the palm of your hand, simply lettuce with a slice or two of cucumber and tomato. The ginger dressing that accompanies the salad is delicious, and you may find yourself incorporating it into your other dishes. Nina and Liz's Avocado Salads were "very good," with lots of avocado over lettuce and the ginger dressing ($4.50). Allie's Green Seaweed Salad was light and delicious, combining seaweed with noodles ($4.95).
Even though the table was covered with plates at the time, more plates of food were upon us. Lindsay ordered the Beef Asparagus-sliced beef rolled around asparagus with a sweet teriyaki sauce ($6.95). However, the beef was fatty and unevenly cooked, leaving large parts of it entirely rare, or "half breathing" as Lindsay put it. Liz's Oyako Don, or cooked chicken and vegetable with egg over rice, was "really good" ($8.95). The chicken was laid on top of mushrooms, sprouts, carrots and a sweet, soft white rice.
On to the sushi. Allie ordered the Volcano Roll, consisting of king crabmeat, salmon, yellowtail and tuna with fried asparagus ($12.95). The seafood component was good. However, the asparagus altered the flavor of the seafood, and the dijon mustard-like sauce accompanying the pyramid-shaped roll wasn't great either.
Nina had the Dynamite Roll of salmon, asparagus and deep fried crabmeat topped with a spicy sauce ($8.95). Nina and I shared the Kamikaze Roll, three spicy tuna rolls and 3 yellowtail rolls each with avocado inside ($6.95). I preferred the spicy yellowtail while Nina preferred the spicy tuna.
Next thing we knew, a man rolled his cart around the corner, introducing himself as our hibachi chef. He began to heat the grill while presenting to us the ginger sauce and white sauce that accompany the hibachi platters. Our chef was charming as he tossed his knives around, frequently missing and dropping them onto the grill and once onto the floor, smiling all the while. We loved it.
After the juggling act, we knew it was time to get the show started when he took one of his knives and went to smack my face with it. Startled? You could say so. Hungry? Without question. And thankfully so.
First, the chef fried up white rice with onions, eggs, and soy sauce, serving each diner the rice. The veggies, which consisted of carrots, broccoli, onions, mushrooms and zucchini, are then fried and served. The meats are cooked next. I ordered the chicken, which was a bit tough and served with an overly sweet sauce. I still enjoyed it. Grayson had the chicken and steak, both of which he thought were "really good." We were also each served two very delicious pieces of shrimp thrown onto the grill as "appetizers", but which made me wish I had ordered hibachi shrimp instead. The hibachi meals give you more than enough food. My chicken meal was $13.95 while Grayson's chicken and steak was $17.95.
Our server rushed our meal and crowded our table with plates, but we overlooked that. We were pleased with the fact that we could have a fun hibachi grill meal with broccoli flying everywhere while also being able to order off the entire menu. However, it was difficult to overlook the inconsistency of the kitchen. We were disappointed with several dishes, but delighted by several others. Will we return? Probably. But we now know which dishes to avoid. We will stick to most of the sushi, the hibachi Shrimp or Steak and the other seafood dishes, as should you. I recommend the restaurant, but keep in mind that sushi and seafood are the real draws.