Happy Birthday Hibachi (The Flames Of Love)

Ichiro Hibachi and Sushi Bar
West Hartford
April 4, 2024

One of the more enjoyable aspects of going out to eat is getting to socialize between bites of food. Hibachi takes that experience to the next level by placing you at a table with complete strangers.

That’s how I met Erick and Christina at Ichiro Hibachi and Sushi Bar in West Hartford Center. They were out to celebrate Erick’s birthday, so they were looking for a good time and great food, as was I.

We chose well by going to Ichiro. Hibachi differs from other types of restaurant because the chef prepares the food right in front of you. That would be cool enough, but the chef adds in extra flair and style when preparing the food.

The coolness even extends to the drinks. I ordered a Scorpion Bowl, which consisted of gold and silver rum, vodka, gin, apricot brandy, triple sec, and fruit punch with 151 overproof. So much alcohol runs the risk of tasting like a dreadful sludge, but the mixture was balanced well. The fruit punch was the main flavor, with a tropical taste that melted away into a hint of alcohol aftertaste that lingered on the tongue. The best part of the drink were the blue flames that leapt from the center of the oversized glass.

As I mentioned, the chefs don’t just cook; they also entertain. One of their tricks is the food flip, where they take a slice of vegetable and flip it off the spatula to see if the patrons can catch it in their mouths. Erick clearly had the birthday magic working in his favor, as he was the only one to complete the food flip successfully.

As we watched our food be prepared, we chatted. Erick and Christina met in Boston during the pandemic. They knew that their connection was real because it survived the awkwardness of months of Zoom dates. Their perseverance is going to pay off big time this June, when they get married. A romantic at heart, I imagined that the tower of burning onions our chef dazzled us with represented the flames of their love.

I ordered the combination steak and chicken hibachi special. Our chef sauteed the vegetables first, then began to cook the rice. He slathered the rice in soy sauce, butter and garlic (extra garlic for me), mixing in a fried egg that was cooking off to the side. When the rice had fried to the right crispiness, he heaped a huge portion on my plate. I tried to wait for the rest of the food, but I couldn’t resist. The rice was still piping hot as I shoved it into my mouth. The garlic and soy sauce combination made the rice taste incredible. I disciplined myself though- no more bites until the plate was complete.

Next he prepared the noodles with the same mix of soy sauce, garlic and butter. The aroma was too much to bear, so I went back to sipping on my scorpion bowl to distract me. He piled the noodles next to the rice, and it took all my willpower not to just have a vegetarian meal right there.

Finally, he grilled the meat. The cooking surface sizzled as the chicken and steak hit the oil he’d covered it in. I didn’t believe that he was able to cook both meats so quickly, but the pleasant conversation I was having with Erick and Christina was cut short when the chef placed the steaming chicken and steak on my plate.

Enough talk. It was time to eat.

I dipped my fork in the ginger sauce and spicy mayo I had on the sides, mixing everything together in an aromatic mess of food. I carefully put each element on my fork — a couple of veggies, some rice, a few noodles, a piece of chicken and a piece of steak. The flavors were each distinct, a testament to the skill of the chef. Yet like the scorpion bowl, they melded together perfectly. The saltiness of the steak was a perfect compliment to the milder juiciness of the chicken. Everything tasted amazing.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a birthday dinner without a birthday celebration. Again Ichiro completed the task in style. The waitstaff brought out a drum and led the entire table in singing happy birthday, a fun end to a fun evening.