Jon, a friend from high school who is now a businessman in Japan, treated us to a Robatayaki restaurant. Think Benihana, but way more authentic. Frommer's tells me these restaurants evoke nostalgia among Japanese, as they remind them of days of yore when the family gathered around the open fireplace in the home.
A chef kneels on a tatami mat next to a charcoal grill, surrounded by meats, fish, shellfish, and fresh veggies. The waiter asks you to select from what's on view, and then the cooking begins. We elected red snapper (one fish per person!), chicken, and wagyu beef and a variety of vegetables - onion, eggplant, green peppers, potatoes. What's available depends on what is fresh. As each order is placed, it's repeated loudly by the chef and waiters. It is boisterous. As I believe Jon said, it is "ganky." The restaurant, Inakaya in Roppongi, is meant for special occassions. The table behind us certainly was there for one, with multiple sake-infused toasts to something; we're not sure what. We also got to pound mochi the traditional way - turning rice into a dessert. Check out this
Youtube video for more details.
Our red snapper was threaded onto a skewer in an curve, as if swimming, and came to us perfectly cooked. Jon said we could eat all of it, including the eyeballs, if we desired. He asked the waiter in Japanese to debone it for us. I'm not a big fish fan, but it was delectable, not the least bit "fishy" tasting. Shellfish was available too, with the prawns still living before they met their end on the grill.
Before our meal we wandered around Roppongi, located southwest of the city center. This is a happening place with bars and clubs. It also contains Don Quixote, a discount store akin to Kmart, but done as only the Japanese can.
Our "Donki" store, as the Japanese term all Don Quixote stores, was multi-level (7 floors), emblazoned with the store logo, a fat penguin logo (why not a donkey? but nevermind)at each level and filled floor to ceiling with everything (including pet food). Here you see a wall of hair dye in a range of colors.
Meanwhile, the Donki "song" is played over the loud speaker everywhere. I told Jon I didn't know how anyone found anything in this store and he assured me the help is excellent (unlike, say in U.S. discount stores.) Many signs are in English, and reassure us such-as-such is a good gift. Prices, of course, are excellent. And the selection of Kit Kat flavors is outstanding. But get in and get out before a headache develops.
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