Email this page  Print this page

Japanese Joy

Photo Kevin O'Riley

Japanese hibachis were once my go-to spots for a first date. It’s easy to double-date, it’s a safe order, and if the date completely sucks, you at least have a little free entertainment. These days, it’s a harder sell come date night. The missus and I would rather order sushi at a table and not feel obligated to applaud the server (though we often do anyway, just to be nice). And, frankly, that hilarious Christmas episode of The Office, where Dwight gets marooned at the end of the table between two people he doesn’t know, didn’t do a lot for hibachis’ reputations.

But when I heard that the well-respected sushi joint Little Tokyo (still in operation at 1645 N. Glenstone Ave.) had opened a higher-end Japanese steakhouse, I went back to the future. For support, I took GO editorial intern Jason Loeffler.

Little Tokyo Steakhouse and Sushi Bar has been open near the intersection of I-44 and Glenstone Avenue for several months, but only recently started serving weekday lunch. The first thing I noticed was how little the interior resembles the Denny’s restaurant it used to be; the renovation was pretty nifty indeed. The décor is not Nakato-fancy, but authentically Japanese nonetheless. The cutest touches are the mini-umbrellas that serve as chandeliers.

We were asked if we wanted to sit at a U-shaped hibachi table or at the sushi bar. We opted for the table. We sat with five other people; a woman with two small children and a couple of ladies. I enjoyed sitting near the kids; their eyes still get big at the requisite onion volcano. I’d seen the whole shtick before, with the exception of the way our chef (I think his name was Hong) flipped a raw egg around for a minute and a half with his spatula. I seriously almost clapped.

He made up all the hibachi hors d’oeuvres—noodles, veggies and fried rice. “He’s liberal with the pyrotechnics,” Jason remarked after two face-heating bursts of flame. The noodles were tasty, if a bit too short to eat with chopsticks, the veggies crisp. I liked the chunky ginger dressing on my salad. The fried rice was excellent, but there was far too much to finish. Our California roll appetizer was extremely fresh and tasty, though a little small even for the low price ($4.50). And Little Tokyo’s wasabi is the hottest I’ve had in Springfield. Exhibit A: My semi-embarrassing run to the bathroom to stopper my running sinuses.

For the main course, everyone at the table ordered something different. I had the hibachi salmon, while Jason ordered the shrimp, which were huge. My salmon was so tender it was almost impossible to eat with chopsticks. The soy glaze covering it was to die for. The portions—save for the too-small roll and too-big bowl of rice—were just right for lunch, as were the prices ($8.75 for Jason’s shrimp, with add-ons; $8.50 for my salmon). Dinner prices are more expensive, so be prepared. A final touch: Little Tokyo hasn’t forgotten the lost art of the free fortune cookie.

If I go back, I’ll go at happy hour and explore the deep sushi menu further. I’ll probably sit at the bar and order one of the numerous exotic-sounding drinks, and a tempura fried banana from the dessert menu.