Miyabi Japanese Steakhouse — Restaurant in Columbia

I would've given this 5 stars had it not been for our server, Shelia, and the seemingly lack of communication between the staff to serve the ice cream cake my girlfriend's husband brought with candles for her birthday. The hosts, manager, bartender, chefs and performers were amazing! The food was great! Sheila was our server for drinks and presented the Miyabi birthday celebration. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to happily be of service as she delivered our drinks. When it was time for the birthday celebration, my gf's husband tried to discreetly ask the guy who was bagging up our leftovers to tell the kitchen we were ready for them to bring out the cake he had brought in. Instead, he told someone in the front, and we watched Shelia, minutes later parade around the restaurant with the birthday flowers indiscreetly and at one point even spoke to the other chef directly in front of us with the flowers before retreating to the back of the restaurant with the chef who would be performing. It was very distasteful and it seemed that she lacked any self awareness that this was supposed to be a surprise. To make matters even more awkward, they presented my gf with their cupcake and indiscreetly gave the $6.50 bill for the "birthday" to me as I was sitting beside her. Afterwards, Shelia and another server walk out from the kitchen with the cake we were asking for initially without the "3 & 5" candles lit and blatantly asked, "do you want to eat the cake here or take it with you?" We were so shocked because her impersonal delivery seemed so disrespectful. Why would we bring a cake, with candles that we didn't want to actually use to sing HBD with to present to my gf and actually eat?! It was very disappointing and at that point, we just told them we'd rather go and take it with us. If there is a policy against celebrating with an outside cake and our own candles bc they'd rather charge you an extra $6.5 for a performance and cupcake, that should've been communicated. I want to make sure I reiterate that everyone else was absolutely amazing. My gf specifically chose this place, but Shelia left a lasting negative impression among our...

Started 1 star - ended 5 star. We made reservations for Sunday at 5:15. Arrived promptly, but waited for 45 minutes. Look, I won't lie, the wait was tough, we had six 10-12 year old girls for a birthday party, and the lobby was packed, and we were starving after a lengthy birthday party setup and takedown at home. I kept telling everyone: 'Any minute now, I promise it will be worth it!...It's busy because it is so good (smile, wink)...etc etc'. Well, we were seated at 6:00. The manager, a smaller built asian man, apologized for the wait as we were seated. I lied saying 'No worries.' The atmosphere is great, the waitress was on point, the dining room smelled great, dishes and cutlery clean, everything you could want. The food and service was stellar once we were seated. Any special requests are honored, you want teriyaki shrimp and half your chicken plain, done. The food really is the best hibachi around. Their white sauce is the best, their ginger sauce is the best, their teriyaki sauce is the best, their ginger dressing is the best, etc. The portions are huge. I ordered extra rice and will be enjoying it 4 days later. Yes, the price was pretty high, but getting to see all the girls dancing to the 'happy birthday drum song', fight over the complementary sherbert, see who could eat a lemon slice without changing their facial expression and brag about how much food they had left over for their dads, will be one unified enduring memory. So, bring a few games on your phone, and saddle up, Miyabi's is worth the wait, you can quote...

First of all, Hibachi is my young boys' favorite restaurant. They love the food and entertainment. My wife and I love that they eat without prompting and have built in entertainment. So we eat in these places several times a year and usually in a different one each time. This is, by far, the worst I have encountered.

1. we ordered sushi to start. They never brought it.

2. they charge extra to let your children eat off your plate. Aka they charge you to allow your kids to eat the expensive food you already paid for. Granted, they brought my kids salads and soups they would never eat.

3. our chef kept inappropriately flirting with the chef behind him despite the other chef asking him not to. It wasn't just banter. It was suggestive and unprofessional.

4. I ordered steak. I ordered it medium. It was rare in sections, med rare in others. It was totally over salted. Even by hibachi and Asian standards. Nearly inedible. Chef was good with the showmanship (sans his unprofessional flirting), but horrible in culinary skills.

5. fried rice was just rice with soy sauce. Also over salted and without any veggies or eggs. They called it "traditional" fried rice. It felt like they were just skimping to save money.

6. Finally, my entire family was sick within 15 minutes of leaving the restaurant. Not food poisoning sick. Just likely MSG sick. We eat Hibachi all the time and I've never felt like that after other Hibachi meals. It was more like the feeling you get after leaving a cheap...