Why do people go out to restaurants?
Sometimes the answer is simply based on convenience. Sometimes it’s just the ability to eat food you can’t make at home. But for some, the reason is surely the experience. If the restaurant is able to give patrons something other than just food, that’s an attractive asset.
Perhaps the biggest example of a restaurant that isn’t just food on a plate is a hibachi restaurant. You aren’t just making a reservation, you are buying a ticket to a show. Hibana is one of only two kosher hibachi places in the tristate area, so your opportunities are few and far between to go see the action up close, but it’s certainly worth your time and money.
After six years of developing, building and decorating the location, Hibana Hibachi became a reality in May of this year. If that seems like a long time, it both is and isn’t. When accounting for COVID-19 delays, the necessary time to build the hibachi tables and obligatory fire suppression systems, the artwork, and various other custom elements … the restaurant is quite an achievement.
A hibachi restaurant is the perfect place to take a large group of friends. Hibana has tables that range from eight to 20 people, and they even have a room in the back that can hold more people for something like a sheva bracha or other type of event. Sure, you can go with a smaller party, but why not share the fun with friends you haven’t seen in a while? Or family who come in from out of town where they likely don’t have hibachi as an option?
When I was invited to Hibana, I tried out some of the appetizers that are kind of like opening acts for the main show. These come out to your table much like they would in any other restaurant. That said, all of my recommendations are easily shareable for a group if that’s the way you decide to dine.
First, try the Out of Control Roll. Filled with tuna, salmon, and kani, this roll of sushi is topped with white tuna and salmon, seared with a torch at your table (this is a good time to get used to a proximity to fire) and drizzled with a spicy garlic mayo and sweet sauce. As much as I favor having vegetable components in sushi, this works really well to go along with your meal at Hibana because you’ll be getting plenty of vegetables later and this will likely be your only fish element.
Moving on to meat appetizers, don’t skip the Yaki Chicken Gyoza. These delicious pan-fried dumplings are filled with a mixture of crispy chicken, onion and shiitake mushroom. I recommend cutting them in half and dipping them in the sauce so that it fills the inside. There’s nothing like a good dumpling, and these have a great texture on the outside from the pan-fry.
If you are looking for something a bit meatier, get the Beef Negimaki. Making negimaki is fairly difficult as it entails rolling scallions inside broiled strips of teriyaki beef. The result is a great savory bite as you get some crispiness from the broiling with the meaty inside of the roll. This dish isn’t often found in kosher restaurants, so make sure to try it here.
After the appetizers are gone, it’s time for the main show. Cooking at a hibachi grill (more accurately a teppan) is a real skill, so you will get a chef coming to your table to deal with the main courses. There will be fire. There will be fun. There will be flying objects.
You’ll be given a pretty deep list of choices for the protein of what will be your hibachi entree. This can be anything from tofu to chicken (dark or white), to different cuts of steak or even lamb. The chef will first make some noodles on the flat top and give some to everybody. That will be followed up by freshly made fried rice. While this might not usually get you excited, it should. Fresh fried rice that was made right in front of you is much better than what you might get in most restaurants. Veggies (onions, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms) will also grace your plate alongside your choice of meat.
What meat should you choose? Honestly, I would say to just go with your gut here. Everything is going to be good in this context so it’s really just about what you prefer. Dark meat chicken or hanger steak? Ribeye or lamb? Pick your preference and enjoy. Just note that if you are dining with a group you can ask your chef to split things so you get to try more than one.
Honestly, if it was just the food being cooked right in front of you, that would be great. But this isn’t just dinner. It’s dinner and a show. Your chef comes to the table with a kind of electric water gun that shoots sake into the mouths of guests (if you opt in, be prepared to get a bit sticky). He also does all the tricks with the instruments where spatulas are flipping and flying through the air. During the vegetable grilling, our chef built a volcano out of onion rings. And of course, he can catapult pieces of food through the air for you to catch in your mouth. It’s not really like anything else you can find at a kosher restaurant.
Speaking of the sake, the options from the bar also contribute to the fun atmosphere of the place. Hibana has a plethora of cocktails to go along with bottles of sake and Japanese beers.
So if you are looking for something different than your regular restaurant experience, head over to Hibana. The food is good, the atmosphere is fun, and even if you don’t have leftovers for the next day, you’ll have memories forever.
Nati Burnside is a freelance writer living in Fair Lawn and is a man of many interests. He can be reached at [email protected].
