Out to Eat: Sakura

Habachi chef Kheo Nguyen entertains Evan Adamson and Erin Woods as he cooks at Sakura Steakhouse in Green Township. (Credit: David Sorcher | Metromix)

Atop a hill just off I-74 sits Sakura, a Japanese hibachi-style restaurant in the former Dante's Tavern location. From its perch, the 1-year-old West Side restaurant offers 16 hibachi grills each seating up to eight or nine people as well as a full sushi bar and access to the neighboring bar, Poppy's Tavern.

DINNER COMPANY

Many of the grills were already full of people on a Friday night, but we were seated right away at a table that filled up quickly. Some of our fellow diners told us they love the restaurant and have made it a repeat dining stop.

To drink I had the fruity Sakura punch ($6.50), with rum, peach and strawberry liqueurs, grenadine, orange and pineapple juice; my date had a Manhattan ($7.50). We glanced at the sushi menu but decided to try the potstickers ($6), which I had never had before. They were OK, but I had nothing to compare them to since it was my first time eating them.

NEW TRICKS

Now, I have been to many a hibachi grill in the last few years and, while I always have fun, some of the tricks are becoming old hat. Our Sakura chef threw out some new ones, though. He took our rice bowls and flipped them one at a time onto the top of his chef's hat. Pretty impressive. He also had more of a personality than some chefs I've seen and was interactive with the diners.

I ordered the chateaubriand with garlic butter ($22.75) and my date had the Poppy's Choice, which is chicken and steak ($22.50). We both had the chicken fried rice ($2.75 per meal). The usual hibachi onion soup and salad were served prior to the meal, but the salad dressing was bitter so I didn't eat much of it.

Like at most hibachi grills, the exorbitant amount of food was too much for me. Once the pieces of complimentary shrimp and veggies were added to my rice- and steak-filled plate, I was already bordering on full, but I kept shoveling the food down because it was just so darn good!

Shortly after our dishes were cleared away we paid the bill, said good-bye to our dining companions and headed home to digest our hibachi night out.

MENU SAMPLER

SUSHI
Sakura roll with avocado, crab, cucumber, scallops, shrimp, spicy mayo sauce ($13.95)

HIBACHI
(All hibachi meals come with homemade onion soup, salad with house dressing, shrimp appetizer, vegetables and rice)

Poppy's choice: chicken and steak ($22.50)

Seafood Diablo: Udon noodles with shrimp, scallops and vegetables topped with a homemade spicy sauce ($17.75)

Shogun: dinner for two that includes filet mignon, scallops and twin cold-water lobster tails with ice cream or sherbet for dessert ($75)

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