Hibachi Omakase — Restaurant in New York

I should first mention that we have used this company twice, two years back to back. I WILL NOT book them again.

Great parts first- -Showed up on time -Cooked tasty food -Brought sake in a water gun to pump up the crowd -Chef was polite -We didn’t have to cook ourselves a meal for 12, nor did we have to corral our children to a restaurant -Awesome concept!

Negative parts are necessary- (1)BOTH years this company tried to call and move our time the day before dinner after being scheduled a month in advance (mind you, we’re hosting 12 guests). I should also mention that we like this service because every couple that comes to our lake weekend has small children so going out for a meal is a punishment after a day on the lake. We love having someone come after the kids go down at 7:30 to cook for us and mostly take the responsibility of meal plan and prep off our plates. So when you try to move our meal from 8 to 7:30 or 8 to 8:30 it throws a wrench in things a bit. Not to mention, if we had a reservation at a restaurant we’d be expected to be there on time or be held accountable financially for missing our table time.

(2) our chef showed up at 7:42 (early for an 8:00 dinner), awesome, but he literally broke the grill down and was packed up and out of there by 8:20 for a meal service that should have lasted an hour and a half. I’m all for timeliness, but I honestly feel ripped off because he sped through the entire meal so fast that we were confused when it was over so quickly. No fire breathing, no egg tricks, nada. We did get the onion volcano and sake part but other than that- minimal. I’d call it mediocre at best.

(3) He asked to wash his dishes in our kitchen where he dumped his grease and drippings down our disposal, then left the garbage bag there as well. We handed it to him with payment and he requested to please leave it, where I politely explained why he couldn’t. If we had garbage pickup service maybe it wouldn’t have been a big deal but we have to haul it off too, so I politely asked him to take it with him.

Mind you, this service cost us $750- not exactly cheap dining. If we’re expected to tip 20% and pay a travel + meal costs then your company is supposed to deliver aforementioned expectations.

Next year we will likely book their competitor because the idea in itself is just fabulous, but sadly it didn’t meet our expectations. Hoping it was just a one off, but definitely as a company would better vet and schedule accordingly when preparing for events. I would have mentioned this to the organizers but never received a follow up for after the experience to share and they only accept cash so that in itself lets you know it’s all under the table and they probably don’t...

Unfortunately, our experience with Hibachi Omakase fell short of expectations. Two days before our scheduled reservation, we were informed that our original chef was sick, which we completely understood. However, the time of our reservation was pushed an hour later to accommodate a new chef. While the time change was manageable, the chef ended up arriving an additional 25 minutes late — without any communication from the company.

I had to reach out to customer service myself when it became clear the chef wasn’t arriving on time. They then told me his previous party had run over, which was understandable, but we were never notified until after I reached out. That lack of proactive communication was frustrating given we had a party of 18 just standing around waiting.

Once the chef arrived, he did not introduce himself, so we never even caught his name. There was none of the entertainment we expected based on photos and previous reviews — no props, no tricks, no real show. He simply cooked the food, offered sake a few times, and that was it. He didn’t ask how we preferred our meats cooked, and we had to ask halfway through the meal for basic sauces like yum yum and soy sauce.

The entire experience lasted about 45 minutes from the time he arrived to when he drove off — far from the advertised hour and a half. The second the last piece of meat was cooked, he packed up and was gone within two minutes.

While the food itself wasn’t bad, the overall experience felt rushed, unengaging, and far below what we expected for the price point and what was advertised. I’ve had much better experiences with other companies, and unfortunately, I wouldn’t choose Hibachi Omakase again...

After having this party booked for over a month in Colorado, the day before my party I was told the chef couldn’t make it. I was given the choice to move my 7:00 party to 1:00 or 9:00.. I chose 9:00 as there was no way I could ask my guests to come that early.

The day of my party I was called again about an hour or so ahead. I was then being told the chef grabbed the wrong order and had less than half of my food and no noodles. I ordered the 3 entrees and the noodles. After some back and forth they gave me a discount and showed up late. The lady on the phone told me, ‘if the chef turns around the grab the meal, your party won’t be till 10:00.’ I signed up for a 7:00 party and now it’s turning into a 10:00 party? The chef was fun and that’s probably the only reason my guests perked up after waiting till nearly 10/10:30 to eat dinner.

Food was good but he only had yum yum sauce for the salads. Seafood was under cooked and the steak was overcooked.

After the chef cleaned up and left, he came to my door AND ASKED FOR MORE MONEY FOR THE TIP. Absolutely not. I would highly recommend not using this unprofessional company. They do $500 giveaways on Instagram every week yet they hardly wanted to give me a discount for ruining my dinner party and turning it into a late night party.

Great idea, terrible company....