When I first walked into Hirosaki Prime on Grafton Street, I knew I would be treated to something very special. The restaurant’s decor is stunning, from the soft red lights engulfing the expansive bar to the big, colorful paintings and studded wall art (one diner suggested the walls had been “bedazzled”), the design and attention to detail is outstanding.
The menu offers lots of variety including hot and cold appetizers, sushi, sashimi, soups and of course, the hibachi dinner menu. I started my meal with an appetizer of himachi (yellow tail) and tako (octopus) sashimi, both of which were flavorful and fresh. For my main course I chose the sirloin hibachi dinner looking forward to not only the food, but also the show that comes along with the whole hibachi dining experience. The first course served was a dark, rich and delicious Japanese onion soup followed quickly with a house salad complete with a tangy and flavorful ginger dressing. Our chef arrived at the hibachi table and began his preparation. He introduced himself, got the hibachi orders set and proceeded to grill some shrimp flambé appetizers for the table. He then diced and cooked some veggies and proceeded with the customary show…flipping veggies with his spatula for us to catch in our mouths, the flaming onion volcano, the egg cracking and the skillful cooking utensil juggling.
The real star of the show was the food as the sirloin steak was cooked to perfection, tender and full of flavorful seasoning, served with spicy rice, onions, egg and fresh veggies.
-JG