Hibachi Steak House in NH
I just wanted to share about this restaurant.
Here in Maine there is a dearth of Japanese restaurants.
One time my husband and I spent 5 days in NH to celebrate our anniversary, and although he was not particularly fond of Asian cuisine, he agreed (in order to please me) to eat dinner at the Hibachi Steak House (it was just opposite Walmart in that part of NH).
We did not expect the show that chefs here perform to amuse their clients. We were seated around a stainless steel grill stovetop, along with other diners, and were entertained by the skills of the chef. My favorite part was the volcano part as shown at around 2:30 mins into the video. I videotaped it then using my cellphone and showed it to my sons. Since then, my sons have been wanting to go there as well to see it live. This particular video was taken using my iPod touch's videocam.
Apparently, Hibachi is now taken to mean a Japanese style of cooking.
My husband was delightfully surprised at how good the teppanyaki (using filet mignon cut) was, and especially liked the ginger sauce that was served on the side. I have tried the chicken, as well as the shrimp.
If memory serves me right, the first chef we had was a Filipino, and I asked him what he was using
in cooking. They might be prohibited from sharing the ingredients. But I got the info as to the wine, and a ponzu sauce. I am guessing the other ingredient was Tamari soy sauce, and I guessed that the wine was probably mirin (a Japanese rice wine). In hopes of at least recreating the dishes at home (not the volcano show), I immediately ordered mirin and ponzu sauce from amazon.com, and got a bottle of Tamari. Then for ginger sauce, I first tried making my own, but it was nowhere near what we had in the restaurant. Then, I discovered recently the Mikee Ginger Teriyaki Sauce in Hannaford store, and it was as good, if not better, than the one we had in the restaurant.
I tried several times already to cook using the above ingredients. One thing I learned: the rice wine gives the meat a glaze, which can also make it appear burnt if cooked too long, just like how the soy sauce or ponzu sauce affects the cooking. So, cook the meat first, and add these toward the end of cooking.
My husband was satisfied with my attempts at copying these dishes at home.
But we will still go to this restaurant at least yearly after getting our fireworks, especially that they will be officially legal in our state by January of next year.
Here in Maine there is a dearth of Japanese restaurants.
One time my husband and I spent 5 days in NH to celebrate our anniversary, and although he was not particularly fond of Asian cuisine, he agreed (in order to please me) to eat dinner at the Hibachi Steak House (it was just opposite Walmart in that part of NH).
We did not expect the show that chefs here perform to amuse their clients. We were seated around a stainless steel grill stovetop, along with other diners, and were entertained by the skills of the chef. My favorite part was the volcano part as shown at around 2:30 mins into the video. I videotaped it then using my cellphone and showed it to my sons. Since then, my sons have been wanting to go there as well to see it live. This particular video was taken using my iPod touch's videocam.
Apparently, Hibachi is now taken to mean a Japanese style of cooking.
My husband was delightfully surprised at how good the teppanyaki (using filet mignon cut) was, and especially liked the ginger sauce that was served on the side. I have tried the chicken, as well as the shrimp.
in cooking. They might be prohibited from sharing the ingredients. But I got the info as to the wine, and a ponzu sauce. I am guessing the other ingredient was Tamari soy sauce, and I guessed that the wine was probably mirin (a Japanese rice wine). In hopes of at least recreating the dishes at home (not the volcano show), I immediately ordered mirin and ponzu sauce from amazon.com, and got a bottle of Tamari. Then for ginger sauce, I first tried making my own, but it was nowhere near what we had in the restaurant. Then, I discovered recently the Mikee Ginger Teriyaki Sauce in Hannaford store, and it was as good, if not better, than the one we had in the restaurant.
I tried several times already to cook using the above ingredients. One thing I learned: the rice wine gives the meat a glaze, which can also make it appear burnt if cooked too long, just like how the soy sauce or ponzu sauce affects the cooking. So, cook the meat first, and add these toward the end of cooking.
My husband was satisfied with my attempts at copying these dishes at home.
But we will still go to this restaurant at least yearly after getting our fireworks, especially that they will be officially legal in our state by January of next year.
I love hibachi too. It always feels like heaven each time I eat hibachi, and they sure do put on a good show( totally worth the price, hibachi is quite pricey in our area). I wonder if you tried their seafood menu ( shrimp, tuna and scallops are my fave ) I think any Filipino would enjoy it. I love their salad too. I'm glad you posted some of the ingredients to their food here, so far I only had success with the salad dressing.
ReplyDeleteWW, I haven't tried the seafood menu. Next year siguro. I will keep that in mind. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Manang, I am so thrilled to have stumbled into your blog while searching for some pinoy recipes. I love your blog because I could totally relate to you. It reminded me of the time my family and I were living overseas. Leaving So California, with all the pinoy resto and stores, for New Delhi, India, I had to learn all the Filipino food that my family craved for, pan de sal, siopao, bibingka, suman, puto, halaya, kutchinta, etc etc., everything from scratch. You name it, I've tried making it as you have been doing. Your blogs are very informative and entertaining. Recently, my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, and guess what? we also went to a teppan dinner. We love japanese food! Also, over the weekend, I tried making your choco flan cake, and it was a success! Everybody loved it, thank you very much for the wonderful recipes and tips you share with us. Keep up the good work and more power to you!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, Thanks for the heartfelt message. So how long have you been in India? I was glad to have started blogging about my experiences because then I got to meet a lot of Pinoy expats who would offer suggestions and tips, until I knew enough to actually be able to offer my own. But to this day I still am learning. Filipino cuisine/food is just too rich and diverse that learning seems to be a neverending task for me if I really want to recreate everything that I have tasted and liked while in the Philippines.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback on the choco flan cake. Indeed that one is a sure winner.
Hi Manang we were in India for 4 years, then moved to Jamaica for almost 3 and then last posting was Monterrey, Mexico for another 3. So when I got back to the US, it was time to re-create all the different cuisine that we have been so lucky to experience and enjoy. Whats great about that is that all the ingredients I need are almost always available. My next project will be your recipe for custard cake, yong walang short cut. Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete