First look: Arirang

Alyson Meadows (left) and Jonathan Huffman enjoy the show that chef Alex Sanjaya was putting on at the new Arirang Japanese Bistro in Kenwood. (Credit: Tony Jones | Metromix)

I wouldn’t say Japanese hibachi restaurants are a dime a dozen, but I went to Arirang Japanese Bistro wondering how this new Kenwood restaurant would be different than the rest. Turns out, this is one Japanese hibachi grill I’d like to recommend.

The mood: The restaurant is split into two sections: one area for the regular dining room and bar and the other for the hibachi grills. The inside was dimly lit with modern Asian décor.

The hibachi area where we sat was large and spacious, and even the four squirming toddlers at a table over were far enough away to not bother us at all.

The drinks: The drink menu looked fun, with items like the pomegranate margarita, peartini and chocolatini. Signature cocktails included Mai Tais and Plumm Yumm (plum wine and cold sake).

The food: My husband, a big sushi lover, checked out all the rolls: House rolls included the Angry Dragon (shrimp tempura, cucumber, eel, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce) and the Tiger Eye (smoked salmon, cream cheese and jalapenos rolled in seaweed).

He ordered the Coral Eel roll as an appetizer ($13), a colorful and beautifully presented eel roll with cucumber, tempura flakes and tuna, salmon and shrimp on top. It was finished off with eel sauce and spicy mayo drizzled on top.

If you’re not feeling sushi rolls to start, other apps include beef negimaku, seared pepper tuna and yellowtail sashimi.

Shortly after ordering the NY strip steak and chicken combo ($23) for me and the chicken and salmon combo platter ($20) for him, our hibachi chef wheeled his cart over, honking a bicycle horn hooked to the side of his cart and flashing us a mischievous grin.

He proceeded with some new theatrics I hadn’t seen before; including running his fingertips through the blue flames and lighting them on fire (don’t try that at home!).

We cheered as he flipped bits of scrambled eggs into our mouths and watched him sculpt SpongeBob SquarePants out of fried rice while singing “Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa. No, it didn’t make a lick of sense but it was definitely entertaining.

After pouring me “just one more” cup of that sweet, creamy, mayo-based Yum Yum sauce for dipping, our chef rolled his car away (honking as he went) and we busted out the chopsticks.

We both got ample servings of fried rice and my plentiful portion of steak was juicy and cooked exactly as I requested. My husband usually has quite the appetite and his salmon more than filled him up. I love having tons of leftovers for lunch the next day; it definitely makes the large bill not seem so bad!

The verdict: The portions were large, the hibachi experience kept me entertained and there was something just…better about that Yum Yum sauce.

Everyone from the hostess to the chef was friendly, and our server was very attentive, filling up our glasses to the brim and clearing dishes away in a flash.

If you frequent hibachi grills, consider Arirang.