Monique M.
Yelp
Mito Hibachi is A-OK! I stopped into this establishment on a Sunday afternoon in June with a friend for a pre-movie dinner. I had never been there before however, I had always been curious to check it out being that it is at the Cross County mall. Upon arrival, it was pretty empty. First impressions are everything though. We came in from the backend of the restaurant and walked to the front by the hostess' podium. It was obvious, in my opinion, that we were waiting to be seated. It took awhile for the hostess and servers to acknowledge us. They walked by, tended to the area, and had conversation but nothing. Eventually they asked us if we needed help or if we were looking to be seated. I'm not sure why else would people be standing in the waiting area but it was a weird start. Nonetheless, we managed to get a seat by the grill. The restaurant is pretty spacious with modern decor but It looks typical for any hibachi. There is also a bar as well as a dining area in an adjoining room for customers who do not want to have the hibachi experience.
Our server greeted us within 10 minutes and took our order. Their menu offers a variety of hibachi favorites along with some familiar Asian dishes and sushi. I opted for the chicken hibachi entree. My friend had the "Hibachi combo A" which includes filet mignon, chicken, and shrimp. The entrees come with an appetizer (soup, salad, spring roll, or california roll), hibachi veggies, and rice. I went for the spring roll. Within a few minutes, our starters and drinks were up. The spring rolls were ok and a little cold, nothing spectacular. While we enjoyed our starters, one of the chefs came out and began to prepare our entrees. In true Hibachi fashion, he did some tricks including the onion volcano and throwing of the veggies for folks to try and catch with their mouths. He also did some fun squirting of sake. For my meal, I had the fried rice ($3 upcharge). It was alright, nothing different from your average fried rice at a local chinese store. I disliked that he started the meal with the rice because the meat took awhile to cook. Therefore, you fill up on rice then when it's time for the meat, you barely have rice to enjoy it with. But then the veggies are on the way however, they are just ok. I hated that there was so much zucchini prepared. My chicken was good and moist but the portion seemed small. I had an opportunity to taste my friend's steak which was decent. The shrimp looked good however, they only devein the topside. Not sure why they do that, but I passed.
Altogether, my meal was adequate. I would've liked a bit more flavor from my food. In terms of overall service, we did not have any issues. Our chef was friendly, fun, and attentive. Our server was pretty reserved. She didn't say much to us. She seemed to rush to get our orders addressed and she refilled our drinks as needed, but there wasn't much interaction. In terms of the menu, the pricing was great. Everything seemed like a great value for us. Overall it was an average experience. Aside from the wonderful chef, the food was ok. I just think the flavors could've been better as well as the sequence in which they served the food. I would return in the future however, I wouldn't run or make it my go-to for Hibachi. I'd recommend it for families seeking a group meal at a reasonable cost.
