Chris E.
Yelp
Good food, great fun atmosphere and even better show!
I've been to a few hibachi restaurants in my lifetime and they all pretty much follow the same script and Arirang was no different.
We dropped in for a Friday evening dinner reservation at 6pm and, to my surprise, the restaurant was already pretty packed and loud - mostly with families and birthday celebrations.
The menu here is pretty standard hibachi fare - Japanese-inspired appetizers/soups/salads, sushi and, the highlight of the menu, hibachi dinner entrees, which are served with a house salad, soup and white/fried rice with Asian vegetables and protein(s) of your choice. Proteins being steak, pork, chicken, scallops, shrimp lobster or fish (salmon, sole, tuna).
The bottom line - you should be here to see a cooking lesson and hibachi show so skip most of the menu and go straight to the Hibachi dinners! Honestly, you won't go wrong with any of them, but, if you want to go all out, go with some steak or filet mignon & lobster. We ended up ordering a few Hibachi dinners with fried rice and a mix of steak, shrimp, chicken and scallops. All of it was super delicious - maybe a bit on the salty side for some because of the soy sauce that's squirted onto everything - but, ultimately, DELICIOUS still.
If you've never been to a Hibachi restaurant and watched the chefs cook up your meal in front of you, then you're in for a real treat with the theatrics and show that they put while cooking your meal. Be prepared to also get involved if you're picked to drink some liquor from their squeeze bottle or catch a vegetable in your mouth - it's all loads of fun that makes the dining experience unique and interesting. However, it DOES depend on your chef and how theatrical they are.
As for table arrangements, if your party cannot fill up the 8 seats at your hibachi grill/table, you WILL have to share the experience with strangers, which can sometimes make for an awkward situation - that's if you are not a people person. In addition, the chef for your table does not begin cooking your meal until all of the table has been seated, even if the tablemates are strangers, so, basically, everyone at the table experiences the chef's show at the same time.
And, YES, they DO birthday celebrations if you mention it to the staff. I'm not sure how they charge for it, but, if you plan on coming here to dine, be prepared to witness plenty of them during your time there because they make it known it's your birthday.
I can't endorse coming to Arirang all of the time, but it's a great place to celebrate special occasions - specifically birthdays, graduations, promotions, etc. The shared dining experience with others and the cooking show make it well worth the premium you pay for the food. Definitely an experience all serious diners should try once.