Katana — Restaurant in Norfolk

Mid. My fiancée wanted Chinese and we decided on hibachi. I’ve lived in Norfolk for 6y now and haven’t been to one in this city so Ghent and Katana was the closest (and also still open at 7p on a Sunday). First, the place is filthy. The walls have never been washed. Worse the surrounds of the grill have food and are full of gummy dry sauces.

The waiter confirmed I wanted fried rice three times which, for the extra $2, we got to split an egg (more to follow). Soup was standard warm and tasty. The salad was iceberg and sauce, no other veg in there.

Chef comes out and is dressed nicely so that’s a plus. He confirmed everyone’s order and got to work. His flare wasn’t flaring. He went through the moves as a necessity instead of adding pizzaz or fun antics you usually see during hibachi. He cooked the mixed veg with 4 helpings of oil (minimum) and was quite unnecessary. The rice which we all wanted fried, got two eggs and some soy. I felt like so much more could have been done with the rice. Next he put the chicken on the grill. The following part is what makes me most nervous. He was finished cooking the veg, flipped the chicken after 3m on the grille and then immediately plates us our veg. Cross contamination comes to mind and let’s hope tonight isn’t praying to the porcelain deities. Drink went empty before I found the waiter doing side work to ask for a refill. As soon as the chef was done we were handed boxes. The other party made the comment, “guess it’s time to go?” I felt like we weren’t allowed any time to eat although it’s 8p on a Sunday and not anyone else but our four top here.

TLDR; dirty, staff tired and the food mid. Calling it...

Somebody call Gordon Ramsay because this place belongs on Kitchen Nightmares! The smell of oil/grease when I walked in along with the piles of miscellaneous stuff everywhere was a big turn off but we were already there so we gave it a try. The area around the grill was sticky, the floor was slick, the chairs were wobbly, chipped & broken, there was a layer of thick black gunk on the baseboard & the edge of the grill was rusty & falling apart. There was no one in there but us so that should have been a clue but we stayed anyway. The ginger sauce on the salad (which was nothing more than a bowl of iceberg lettuce) was basically just mayo. The chef who cooked our food seemed less than thrilled to be there. I did not have high hopes for this meal by that point & unfortunately, my instinct proved correct. The food was bland & the shrimp were overcooked. I vomited in the car 3 times on the way home. Stay far, far away from...

I love this place, and oddly enough not for the hibachi, even though they do have it, but rather the sushi. This place had a quaint little sushi bar with a few tables and every time I go the same woman always prepares are sushi/sashimi and does a wonderful job. She is super friendly and always attentive. I always get the same thing here, whether I'm with my girlfriend or brother, which is the couples plate which includes a large variety of different sashimi and a couple rolls; pair it with a couple cups of hot green tea and you really can't go wrong!

I really like this place and it has a nice relaxing atmosphere in the front. I can't speak much about the hibachi in the back so if you're interested in that you'll have to explore that for yourself. But I would definitely recommend that if you enjoy some sushi every now and again you give this place a try, I'm sure you won't be...