Eat Hibachi!

Athens, Georgia
Phone Number Not Available
Price: $5-$10

By Anna Fry

Eat Hibachi! proclaims a new, bright yellow sign on Broad Street in downtown Athens, Ga. I would encourage University of Georgia students to obey. Judging by the relatively small number of patrons, it seems most have yet to discover this new Korean/Japanese treasure that is entering its third week of business.

Unlike more upscale Athens eateries like DePalma’s Italian Cafe and East-West Bistro, which are geared more toward visitors willing to shell out more money, Eat Hibachi has targeted a specific clientele with its cheap prices: students.

Speaking as a student who, while experiencing a budget crunch has eaten more Spaghetti-O’s and Ramen Noodles than most people eat in a lifetime, I can say that the low prices for such quality, fresh food are amazing; the most expensive menu item costs $6.49. Not to mention that the generous portion sizes are big enough to provide two meals.

Rather than attempting to create an elegant atmosphere, the tone of the restaurant is one of convenience and efficiency, two more attractive qualities to busy students. To speed up the ordering process, take-out and dine-in customers order at a single cash register from bright picture menus posted on the wall and then file down a counter line.

The menus are slightly frustrating because although they have appetizing pictures, no listed description of the dishes is included. My guess is the majority of the restaurant’s customers (me included) would not know what dishes such as Yakisoba and Job-chae contain.

In all fairness, I didn’t get a chance to see if the printed menu includes descriptions because the restaurant had run out. Fortunately, the employee at the register was friendly and enthusiastically helpful, patiently enduring my ignorant American interrogation about the Korean food.

From the line, the namesake hibachi grill is visible. Customers can watch their order being freshly prepared in front of them.
Most customers opted for take-out, which is unfortunate because sitting at the beautiful mahogany tables watching the passers-by on Broad Street was enjoyable. Side-walk seating is also available.

I am quite possibly the world’s most impatient person, but the ten-minute wait listening to a bizarre mix of incongruous music (Rascal Flatts to Jessica Simpson to K-Ci and Jojo) for my food honestly didn’t bother me because I could watch and smell the progress of my meal.

Once my heaping bowl of steaming food arrived, a friend suggested taking a picture because it was just so darn pretty. It was one of the most aesthetically pleasing meals I’ve ever had.

Upon the suggestion of the hostess, I chose Bi-bim-bob and a side of Miso soup from a limited menu of 13 entrees and three sides. Most entrees consist of a meat or fish, some sort of vegetable and rice.

Bi-bim-bob consists of separated portions of beef cooked in a spicy sauce, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, imitation crab, and a fried egg over a bed of white rice. The unique red bi-bim-bob sauce provided is created at the restaurant by mixing a traditional Korean hot chili sauce with vinegar and sugar. The result is tangy, sweet, and spicy and is supposed to be drizzled over the dish once the ingredients have all been mixed together.

The Miso soup was a letdown after the fantastic Bi-bim-bob. The broth was too salty and the tofu had an uncomfortably mushy texture.

The ever-popular menu choice of teriyaki chicken was notable only for its freshness. The fried rice served with that meal is sweet and the fact that it too is prepared on the hibachi grill gives it a nice, almost firm texture. This meal is available with your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon, or some combination of two.

One disappointment experienced by a friend is the lack of vegetarian-friendly options. All the entrees include either meat or fish and she had to order the regular entrée without the meat so she was charged full price but received less food.

However, the cheap prices, generous portions, and fresh, tasty food are more than enough to overshadow Eat Hibachi’s limited menu options. So, Eat Hibachi!