Aya Japanese Steakhouse — Restaurant in Carlisle

Come for the noodles. Stay because your kid stole a ceremonial mask and now you’re part of the staff photo wall.

Aya is our new go-to hibachi spot and not just because they let one of my kids wear a giant ceremonial mask like a royal from a very spicy cartoon kingdom.

Yes, they do the hibachi show- there’s still fire, flying spatulas, and egg acrobatics, but it’s not quite as over-the-top as some of the flashier places in the area. Which, can be just right when you’re trying to enjoy dinner without explaining to a 3-year-old why the flaming onion volcano isn’t an actual emergency.

And the food is Top-tier. Better than the big chains, and more budget-friendly too. The scallops were perfection, the noodles disappeared faster than logic at bedtime, and the veggies were so good, even my picky eaters forgot they were gasp vegetables.

What really sets Aya apart, though, is the staff. They’re friendly. They’re flexible. And they don’t blink when you whisper, “Please don’t let any onions touch that side of the grill or my toddler will act like she’s being personally attacked by produce.” They made it happen, no judgment, no side-eye. Just pure hibachi hospitality.

Only mild complaint: drink refills are on island time. But when the rest of the experience is this good? Hydration can wait.

Final verdict: Aya is the sweet spot between big hibachi flair and laid-back family vibes. Great food, great service, and just enough theatrical fire to wow the kids without triggering your fight-or-flight. Bonus points for not minding when my 6-year-old declared himself “The Baby King” in that giant mask.

Would return weekly. Possibly with...

Today I had received one of the most dissatisfying customer service in my life at AYA. I had waited a hour for my first plate of all you can eat sushi special. My friends had received their hibachi dinners and were half way finished with it before I received my shaggy dog sushi tray. Also we never received one refill on our drinks and we were at the restaurant for a hour and a half. Furthermore, whenever I had paid my bill the waitress made a comment to me to not to forget to leave a really good tip for her. The tip that I left for the waitress I believe was well deserved because a waitress that barely served the customer and made me wait for a hour for sushi shouldn't receive a good tip; however me waiting for the sushi wasn't all her fault that is put on AYAs sushi bar crew. Also the waitress who waited on us would then complain to me about the tip she had received and then told me that I'm obligated to tip her twenty five percent which is very disrespectful to your customers very poor customer service. I would understand if there was a busy crowd but there was only two other groups of people in the restaurant. Today will be the last time i will be attending AYA restaurant. Also I will be letting my friends, family and fellow co workers at giant food store know about your poor customer service. Not only did I receive the most dissatisfying service; but today was my friends second experience with your poor customer service....

This was an amazing place. I had been searching for a hibachi restaurant for some time and i finally came across Aya Japanese Steakhouse. Came here on a Saturday afternoon at around 3:15pm and it was pretty empty. There was 1 other couple in the entire restaurant. As soon as you walk on, you see what looks to be an authentic Japanese restaurant. The restaurant itself is split up into 2 sides. One of the sides is regular food and the other is where they make hibachi.

We were lucky and we were the only ones that were there to eat hibachi and honestly i felt bad asking but that was the reason why were were there was for the hibachi experience. What can I say, we got our own private hibachi show and the chef was very skilled and talented. He told us he had been doing this for over 10 years. Food was a bit on the pricey side but honestly what you get is way more than what you pay for. The portions are big and you definitely get your money's worth. The taste was amazing and honestly I am looking forward to being able to bring my family and friends back because definitely deserves a multiple repeat visits. Well worth the experience and price and the food was amazing. Go...