And now for the finale, the reason that I even conceived this blog in the first place. Last night we went out to dinner with another couple who are pretty good friends with us. Amanda and I were trying to figure out a good Christmas gift idea for them and dinner seemed to be the most logical. It's fun to dress up a bit and go out as couples, enjoying the fact that we're young and occasionally enthusiastic about life.
We tried out a new Japanese steakhouse last night called Ichiban Steakhouse. I couldn't really confirm that name for you, but I know it was just South of Worthington, set in a quieter part of town. It was really nice being able to go in there with people who also enjoyed the food and to sit down for a couple of hours, enjoying the show and glorying in the food. It's not something I want to do all the time like the addicting taste of Olive Garden, but it's a really fun sit-down date and the location was perfect. They also did gift certificates with a discounted price so that we were able to save a little that way as well.
We planned ahead for a reservation and it never hurts, but once we got there the place was nearly empty. That meant that the waiters and chefs were also much more casual and jovial, as well as the noise level being down and at a good conversational level. Top that off with a good glass of scotch, and I thought we found finally the steakhouse I want to return too. Of course, the company was pretty good too. ;) That's all for today, folks, I've gotta work on some finer details in my lit reviews.
Showing posts with label Japanese steakhouses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese steakhouses. Show all posts
21 December 2010
Steakhouses, Part II
It was 3 years before my next adventure into a Japanese steakhouse. Long cast from those high stress situations which used to literally ruin my days, and into a healthy relationship with the woman who became my wife, it might've been the concussion or the newfound social comfort that led me to be comfortable to once again set foot into a place that always swallows your cash no matter how much you bring. This became increasingly true after I turned 21 and could enjoy adult beverages as well.
Accompanying Michelle on her team formal was one of the most casual and easy-going stand-ins I ever did. Since she was single without a date, she was looking for a friend to go with that would get along easily with her and not be awkwardified by lack of previous interactions with anyone else at dinner. I can't remember what I did the night before, but I do remember her visiting that day to finalize details and freaking out because I was wearing marker all over. "Nothing a scratchpad couldn't remove", I assured her. Since I also hadn't recently shaved and she wanted it reduced to stubble, we can confidently say that between scraping off marking and clipping off 2 weeks of facial growth, I was sufficiently raw in the face by the end of it.
We carpooled to Ukai Japanese Steakhouse on the West side of Lansing and met up with a huge group. Alcohol always eases people into large groups and this was no exception. After a bottle of red wine, the food was on its way through the tradition of onion volcanoes and egg tricks that leave you convinced the chicken ate so much calcium it must've had kidney stones. And this is where I learned my second lesson. Red wine is not a Japanese steakhouse friendly drink. It's not that it makes you sick, but rather it masks some of the wonderful tastes present at the table. They serve their own cultural wines for a reason; take them up on it rather than imposing your own drink upon a foreign food.
All told, Ukai was a great, busy, happy and loud place where I had the opportunity to watch other people struggle through their utensils and food while enjoying every second of the evening. The noise and atmosphere really made the trip feel like a party and since we alone brought about 30 people there, that was exactly the atmosphere we wanted. Nothing I would consider date material, but it really set the tone for the night. What a great time.
Accompanying Michelle on her team formal was one of the most casual and easy-going stand-ins I ever did. Since she was single without a date, she was looking for a friend to go with that would get along easily with her and not be awkwardified by lack of previous interactions with anyone else at dinner. I can't remember what I did the night before, but I do remember her visiting that day to finalize details and freaking out because I was wearing marker all over. "Nothing a scratchpad couldn't remove", I assured her. Since I also hadn't recently shaved and she wanted it reduced to stubble, we can confidently say that between scraping off marking and clipping off 2 weeks of facial growth, I was sufficiently raw in the face by the end of it.
We carpooled to Ukai Japanese Steakhouse on the West side of Lansing and met up with a huge group. Alcohol always eases people into large groups and this was no exception. After a bottle of red wine, the food was on its way through the tradition of onion volcanoes and egg tricks that leave you convinced the chicken ate so much calcium it must've had kidney stones. And this is where I learned my second lesson. Red wine is not a Japanese steakhouse friendly drink. It's not that it makes you sick, but rather it masks some of the wonderful tastes present at the table. They serve their own cultural wines for a reason; take them up on it rather than imposing your own drink upon a foreign food.
All told, Ukai was a great, busy, happy and loud place where I had the opportunity to watch other people struggle through their utensils and food while enjoying every second of the evening. The noise and atmosphere really made the trip feel like a party and since we alone brought about 30 people there, that was exactly the atmosphere we wanted. Nothing I would consider date material, but it really set the tone for the night. What a great time.
Steakhouses, Part I
More an art form and source of dinner entertainment than the old tradition of the man/grill team, Japanese steakhouses have become an elite in the casual foodservice industry. In light of my third visit to one of these, I just wanted to elaborate on things that I have learned and experienced in each of these tastey visits.
My first visit to a Japanese steakhouse was pretty nerve-racking. I'll grant this might also be because I had already had a hectic weekend, with an all-nighter at a conference in a Holiday Inn, a heart-to-heart with Ohio's head clover at the time, and a Spring OSU football game spiced with a traffic rush to change into my tux for a prom with someone who planned on breaking up with me every other week. Needless to say that as I almost totaled my car on the way there from not seeing a pick-up truck in my blind-spot, fighting all the way there and then going through the frustration of finding a down-town parking spot, I was a bit off my game when we got into Japanese Steakhouse in Columbus.
The place was hopping and I imagine that downtown, it almost always is. With a crowded lobby and flames shooting off randomly across the restaurant, I was overwhelmed from the start. Compounding this with my limited ingestion of Asian food at the time, I conceded that the best plan would be letting my date pick the food and save me the confusion of staring at a menu which might as well have been in Japanese. Beef is good, and so it began. I think once you have steak in a steakhouse (which you should, since it obviously makes or breaks the place by title), you will never go back. The combination of spices, tender beef and soy on a ginormous hotplate is a winning combination that I have never regretted.
I stumbled through not knocking over every single bowl whenever I reached for something because there was so much stuff on our table and it was so crowded and loud that my hands struggled to focus on what they needed to grasp. I literally felt like a bull in a China shop and didn't truly enjoy anything just in an effort to eat and get it out of the way before I was bombarded with the next item I didn't realize I'd ordered.
Leaving the place stuffed and contented, I got to the parking lot to have my brakes broken, but that is another story. It would take me a few years to realize that high-stress situations can scar your enjoyment of good food. Thus, never go to a great place to eat when you're not going to enjoy. A mistake I wouldn't make twice with steakhouse food. Keep posted for Part II.
My first visit to a Japanese steakhouse was pretty nerve-racking. I'll grant this might also be because I had already had a hectic weekend, with an all-nighter at a conference in a Holiday Inn, a heart-to-heart with Ohio's head clover at the time, and a Spring OSU football game spiced with a traffic rush to change into my tux for a prom with someone who planned on breaking up with me every other week. Needless to say that as I almost totaled my car on the way there from not seeing a pick-up truck in my blind-spot, fighting all the way there and then going through the frustration of finding a down-town parking spot, I was a bit off my game when we got into Japanese Steakhouse in Columbus.
The place was hopping and I imagine that downtown, it almost always is. With a crowded lobby and flames shooting off randomly across the restaurant, I was overwhelmed from the start. Compounding this with my limited ingestion of Asian food at the time, I conceded that the best plan would be letting my date pick the food and save me the confusion of staring at a menu which might as well have been in Japanese. Beef is good, and so it began. I think once you have steak in a steakhouse (which you should, since it obviously makes or breaks the place by title), you will never go back. The combination of spices, tender beef and soy on a ginormous hotplate is a winning combination that I have never regretted.
I stumbled through not knocking over every single bowl whenever I reached for something because there was so much stuff on our table and it was so crowded and loud that my hands struggled to focus on what they needed to grasp. I literally felt like a bull in a China shop and didn't truly enjoy anything just in an effort to eat and get it out of the way before I was bombarded with the next item I didn't realize I'd ordered.
Leaving the place stuffed and contented, I got to the parking lot to have my brakes broken, but that is another story. It would take me a few years to realize that high-stress situations can scar your enjoyment of good food. Thus, never go to a great place to eat when you're not going to enjoy. A mistake I wouldn't make twice with steakhouse food. Keep posted for Part II.
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