Day Twenty-One: Apparently Not Hibachi, After All!

I've learned an important lesson tonight, dear readers, that I would like to share with you.  Sometimes, doing the research about a novel experience AFTER you've already experienced it can create some surprises!  So tonight, as I was sitting down at my computer preparing to write about the novel experience of eating at a Japanese Hibachi Restaurant I discovered that I had actually dined at a Japanese TEPPANYAKI restaurant!  Go figure!  Clearly, I had NO IDEA what it was I was actually doing!  (Though I am a little bit pleased with myself for, at the very least, knowing the country of origin of the food!)

So, on that note, today's novel experience was eating at a TEPPANYAKI restaurant!  Teppanyaki, (which should not be confused with its close cousin, Hibachi), is a Japanese method of grilling food on an open, flat iron griddle.  My family and I arrived at the restaurant ready to be entertained.  You see, while the food is actually quite amazing, it is the act and performance of cooking said food that is the true draw of the restaurant.  While people, often times strangers from multiple parties, share a U-Shaped table that surrounds a grill, the chef puts on a performance complete with fire and flying knives.  At least, that's what I hear from my childless friends...  

That is correct, dear readers...  This is the VERY FIRST TIME a hostess has looked at my family, with the rambunctious, squirming toddler, multiple bags, and the newborn in the carrier and has decided that it is preferable to sit us in the BAR, rather than the dining room.  So, there you have the true novelty of the evening!  I suppose there's probably some liability in sitting two children who lack the decision making ability to keep themselves safe within proximity of a hot grill, leaping flames, and knives.  But despite this set back, I remained undeterred in my quest to experience true teppanyaki...

After drinks were ordered...

And umbrellas were destroyed...

I used the excuse of washing my son's hands to meander stealth-like into the dining room to catch the show!  From a very safe distance, my son and I watched with glee as the chef poured sake on the grill, causing flames to leap several feet into the air.  Knives were flipped, utensils were banged...  Really, it was a toddler's dream meal!  We lingered for much longer than was necessary before we skulked back to our boring, toddler-safe seating area.

The rest of our meal was fabulous, if uneventful.  Liam insisted on eating with his chopsticks, like his Mama and, with the exception of one bite of rice that he mashed into the wood, was thoroughly unsuccessful.

And, to absolutely ensure a novel experience due to the seating disappointment, we ordered red bean ice cream tempura for a shared family dessert.  If you've never tired Japanese pastries or other desserts made from red bean, DO!  These little red beans are mashed into a paste that is fabulously sweet and delicious, and I found that they translate into a very tasty ice cream flavor.  (Did you hear that, Ben and Jerry?!)

So while one of my biggest concerns about taking on this experiment was that it might somehow negatively impact my time with my children, I've found instead that it has been to their benefit in many unexpected ways.  Not only is Mama happier and more excited about life than she was at the beginning of this project, (and I'm a big believer that if Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy!), but my children are sharing in many of the experiences with me.  Knives and fire aside, my son got to see and take apart an umbrella, had Miso Soup with the big spoon, witnessed the use of and tried to eat with chop sticks, experienced food and traditions from a different culture, and has experienced red bean yumminess prior to the age of two!  It blows my mind to think of all the neural connections he just created in his rapidly developing little brain!

So, while I will admit that there is a part of me that regrets trying to do this novel experience with children in tow, overall the benefits of their inclusion outweigh the negatives.  But know that I will certainly be back to experience teppanyaki sans children so that we can have a front row seat to the show!