Oooooh Ahhhhhh Asahi!

The words “Japanese Steak and Sushi” stuck out in large lettering near the top of the building as I made my way across the parking lot. As I approached, I made out the little circular emblem and the “Asahi” name that I had missed seeing the many times I shopped at the Kroger nearby. The first impression of the generic words “steak and sushi” might lead a diner to believe that the food might be just as simple. This idea is far from the truth.
Asahi offers a delightful combination of the expected hibachi menu for most Japanese steak houses in the U.S. with some not-so-regular Japanese dishes and very artful sushi. While many of the menu selections cater to the very specific hibachi-lover, there is a selection of Udon (various noodle soups), Tempura (fried meat and vegetables), and Katsu (fried steak, chicken or fish). On the other side of the restaurant is the sushi bar with a large selection of different sushi, sashimi and specialty rolls catering to many different palates. The kids have a very small selection of four dishes, but it is easy to see that the show at the hibachi is much more entertaining for them than the food.
As I opened the door to the foyer, I felt like I walked out of the Kroger parking lot and into a slice of Japan. The deep-green urn-shaped fountain that greeted me by the door trickled the peaceful welcome that echoed amid the décor. Light wood paneling with small shuttered windows lined the walkway to the last entrance to the restaurant. Yes, there is the door to the parking lot and a door from the foyer to the restaurant, almost like an airlock separating two incompatible environments. The walls throughout the restaurant were decorated with minimalist art and some cultural renderings, like one large painting of a sumo wrestler lining the back wall.
The host-stand stood next to a display case with some Japanese figurines and mock representations of some of the unknown Japanese dishes such as Udon (noodle based soup, very unlike Ramen). I was greeted quickly and took my place in one of the four sections of the “hibachi side” of the restaurant. Each section has two eight seat tables with the large flat top grill for which so many Japanese steak houses are known.
I began dinner with the house sake and an order of Gyoza, a steamed/fried/sautéed dumpling filled with a combination soy sauce, minced ginger, shredded cabbage and pork. The soup that came with dinner arrived before the appetizer and it was a tasty miso soup, a combination of seaweed, tofu, sliced mushroom, and green onion in a mild chicken based broth. The appetizer arrived as I made it through half of my soup; a very good reason I recommend the appetizer by itself on another occasion as dinner is plenty of food. The gyoza were delicious with a light savory blend of tangy, salty, and earthy flavors. They were served with a mild slightly-sweet ginger-soy sauce that complimented them well as a dip.
The house salad arrived next. It was a blend of chopped iceberg lettuce, shredded carrot, shredded purple cabbage, a slice of cucumber, and a few sliced mushrooms. It was topped with a creamy ginger dressing with a light tang that reminded me of rice wine vinegar blended with the tangy sweet taste of fresh ginger in mayonnaise. It was a little basic but I didn’t expect extravagant to arrive as a freebie with my meal.
My entrée was shrimp and sirloin steak as sizzled seared and sautéed on the big grill table before me. They were served with a combination of veggies: zucchini, carrot and bean sprouts, as well as fried short grain rice with some soy, egg, onion, and carrot. The combination of fresh ingredients with simple seasoning really was refreshing. The entrée was served with 3 sauces: a mustard sauce similar to a hot Chinese mustard, a ginger sauce with a pungent blend of soy and fresh ginger, and a white sauce with a mild composite of ginger, mustard and mayonnaise. Although the meal could easily stand alone without any of the dipping sauces, they were a nice compliment.
Although I did order and eat a delightful dinner in the hibachi end, I would like to stress that so many of these places offer a good quality meal at these tables that the show itself is truly the spectacle. James Robert, our tableside chef, produced a wondrous spectacle of flying knives, flipping spatulas and well-timed humor that kept us all laughing. I do recommend this restaurant as an experience.
· Food: Japanese-hibachi and sushi
· Service: Very good
· Location: Shallowford and Sandy Plains intersection in Marietta
· Phone: (678) 560-0015
· Hours: Mon-Thurs 4:30-10
Fri-Sat 4:30-11
Sun 4:30-9:30
· Kids: 10+under, limited menu
· Best Dishes: Extensive sushi list, Gyoza, Anything Hibachi is a safe bet
· Take-out: Yes
· Price range: Sushi $5-12/order, $20-42 for combo meals(some 2 or more)
Remaining menu $12-35 Early bird specials M-Th 4:30-5:30