Tokyo Hibachi Asian Cuisine — Restaurant in Secaucus

I had one of those sad experiences tonight. Only read further if you want to, I can't remember a sadder restaurant: I'd been here once before (5 yrs ago/ pre-Covid). This time, nothing tasted good, the waitress almost never approached me, my seat was badly and sadly worn, and there were signs not to touch the fish or throw coins in the water, yet there were coins in the water and no fish. The people: The waitress came to my table 3x while i was there: 1x to remove a plate while she didn't look at nor talk to me, 1x to put the bill on the table & give a quick, "thank you", before hurrying away, and 1x to take my credit card (then she was at my table before I had even let go of my card.) The people restocking the food and moving around similarly failed to acknowledge me, even when I gave a quick "hi". I'm not asking enyone to kow-tow to me, but the workers acted like they didn't want to be there and we the customers were an inconvenience. There were 2 other tables in my section, I didn't see any real service there either.

Food: I found the sushi lacking and bland, and the available sashimi was a bit slimy. The fish didn't taste rotten, but it was a big turn-off. I couldn't even bring myself to try most of the dishes they looked so unappetizing. I didn't even finish my ice cream. I always finish my ice cream and then have seconds (& thirds). The mint-choc tasted alright, but I couldn't finish what I assume was the green tea (which I've enjoyed before) nor the unidentifiable tasting purple one. I think the Hibachi grill is supposed to be available during diner, but I didn't see anyone behind that area at any time. The shrimp shumi and dumplings tasted heavy, tasteless and uninspired.

?: They sat me at a table next to a bucket and a dish basin.(There were additional ones by the door. Yes, it was a heavy rain day) At the beginning of the meal I was disturbed by them, by the end I was eyeing them wondering if I was going to need them. I do wonder what the disco ball is used for(?) I can still remember what the place looked like before it fell into sadness (sorry, I can't think of a better description for tonight) and the architecture is pretty overall. To be fair: the sushi's ginger was very fresh, the wasabi was strong, the broccoli from the chicken broccoli was edible and the chocolate cake dessert was tasty. The Lychees were a nice option. One benefit of all the bad food is I didn't overeat at a buffet for once. I'm currently sitting in my car wondering if I'm going to be sick tonight. (Edit: I wasn't) I do not plan on returning....

I'll break this review into 3 parts, the Food, the service, and the atmosphere. Dinner Buffet Price: 21.99 USD +tax

The Food While it is a smaller selection, some of the items feel more "premium". The most notable part is the squid and the sashimi. (P.S. the wasabi is pretty good). Everything looked fresh, and the hot stuff was kept hot. My main issue is with the cold items. Many of the cold items like fruit, cold seafood, and sushi were room temperature. I am not sure how long they keep them out, but some people might feel uncomfortable eating warm sashimi. Overall, the food seemed fresh, was tasty, and seemed safe enough. I’ll update if I feel unwell later.

The Service The service is fine. They were quick to refill my water and take empty plates. That’s expected when there are only a handful of customers. However, that is all they did. Nobody asked how my meal was going. Now for clarity, I don’t really tip for buffet style restaurants. I know it may be a bit controversial, but they don’t really have to do much. I might tip a hibachi cook, or for exceptional service, but I received neither. At the end of the meal after signing the receipt, the server pointed to the receipt and told me tip was not included and told me to write a tip down. Just that one thing turned my evening. If that had not happened, the service would have 5 stars, and the review would probably have 4 or 5 stars.

The Atmosphere Its pretty in its own way. It looked fairly clean. I did not use the restroom. Would be nice if they had more customers, but I guess they cannot truly control that. The tables are a nightmare for people with long legs (such as myself). I couldn’t sit comfortably because the center of the table is in the way. The energy was just not there. Some places have it, some places don’t. This is one of the places that does not have a great atmosphere.

TL;DR The food is okay, but check to make sure it is not spoiled. Don’t expect much from...

Arrived at 8.30, took a look around, the restaurant is stylish and seems to be popular. Was seated quickly and asked for my type of drink, once the server left, another came and gave us silverware and asked what drinks we would like, demonstrating lack of communication between staff. After receiving my drink, i made way to the plates to start preparing my plate. The food seemed to be cooked well and was vibrant in color, there was a good amount of options but most of the trays were fairly empty. (Imagine leftovers) Once i took my first bite, I realized its all just visuals, the food was all cold and i was quite surprised being i grabbed all my food from the back of the trays. Once finished, i got up for my second round of food and figured it was just the trays i picked, I chose at random the second time and ended with the same results and to my surprise also, while i was away from my table, my server took my plates but didn’t feel the need to get me a refill. At this point i wanted to see if i could get the attention of the servers by placing a spoon on the floor in which many of the servers walked over or stepped on. Once I decided enough was enough, the moment i got up, the server came to check on me and grabbed the spoon off the floor but it was only to make sure that I don’t bail on my bill. Once my bill was paid, she stood next to me to see what i would tip her and when she noticed it was zero, she started mumbling in disapproval even though she did not once give me a refill or check on me nor my guest. Absolutely the worst experience I’ve had and would not wish this experience on anyone else. Please save your time and money. P.s my...