Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse — Restaurant in Washington

I suppose the success of a primitive restaurant like this gives insight as to why there is no Metropolitan Grill, Dahlia Lounge, or even a Benihana in Kitsap County. I keep mulling over all the reasons the “experience” bothers me. Mostly I think it is because young locals who just don't know better might be misled to thinking it is “fancy” on the cheap. Las Vegas used to have class. Now LVNV is overrun the middle and lower class blue-collar types. Any class once there has been displaced by common and slovenly masses. Maybe our young locals DO understand that this is barely a teeny step up from Chuck-E-Cheese’s. Maybe this is perfect for the Chuck-E-Cheese mentality?

I wanted to ask: “Where are the hibachis?” because I saw none. Most of the menu items are called hibachi chicken, or hibachi steak, or hibachi shrimp. They do NOT have hibachis, or charcoal. They have teppanyaki tables, or what we know of as gas fired griddles. A hibachi is a small, open-top grill fueled by charcoal or charwood. One can put a teppan (hot plate) on a hibachi. Then you make teppanyaki food. YOU know that...Look it up. “Hibachi” Maybe that’s what bothered me. False advertising?

Maybe it’s the very noisy “family” atmosphere, with lots of loud children (and babies, too) who shriek with delight at the sight of some fire, and the not very bright other loud folks who are overly impressed with cheap juggling tricks, a little flambé, and chefs who flip oily food at diners challenging them to catch it with their mouths. Most of the patrons have little to worry about regarding oil stains on their clothes from a missed toss, since they mostly wear extremely casual attire, and oil stains don’t really matter to them. Can you throw up food and catch it in your mouth? What fun! How about I throw up some food for you? Catch the food! Catch! HAHahahahaaha.

Maybe it was watching the chef pick-up a dropped flame baton from the FLOOR and keep using it to tap out the show ON THE COOKING SURFACE...the GRIDDLE. Of course, the griddle is hot enough to smoke oil, er, kill anything picked up from the floor...still...I prefer to not go straight from the floor to the griddle/teppanyaki.

What IS it that bothers me, that gnaws at me? Maybe it’s what I know about how carcinogenic cooking oil is when heated (way) past its smoke point. The room is NOT a place one would take a canary because it’d probably die. Maybe it’s the smell of that overheated oil that permeated everything I was wearing and remained in my mouth and nose long after I’d left. I can still taste it now, a day later.

The food? Meh. The “yum yum sauce” was like a weak secret sauce one might find on a hamburger. You’d only know this taste if you are brainless enough to actually eat that kind of food - fast "phude." The “spicy yum yum sauce” had zero “heat” and is not “spicy.” May as well just call it “more yum yum sauce.” Oh yum. Not. The ginger sauce was pretty good. It was kind of fun eating iceberg lettuce. It’s been a very long time since I had that nutritionally empty, yet crunchy kind of lettuce. I wonder if they dipped it in sulfite water? Even without tasting them, it’s obvious that the vegetables are not organic, they were kind of faded and were almost tasteless. OK, I am spoiled. Real food actually as TASTE.

The prices are fairly good, (if you can tolerate the rest of it). I’d put Fujiyama in a class with a smoke-filled Olive garden or Red Lobster; two other “restaurants” where you will never see me.

I figured out what bothered me! My expectations! As usual, they were way too high. Fujiyama is to Benihana, like a $7 Supercuts barber is to a skilled $60 Hair Stylist. We do get what we pay for, eh? Looks to me like employees wrote the good reviews. You can venture a guess whether I work there or not. Same answer for if I will EVER go back, unless they pay me consulting fees. Now,...

This is my absolutely favourite place to eat. Whenever its a special day, like mother's day or my birthday, I always choose here. The "yum-yum" sauce is the greatest addition to your meal. Lunch prices are reasonable and the dinner servings are significantly larger than one thinks they will get. I ALWAYS save just a little bit of my dinner's serving for the best midnight munchie. Consistently the best leftovers I've ever had. With the talent of flair cooking, you sit around a massive "grill" as they entertain and prepare your food. Enjoy the company of strangers or bring the entire group from work. Talk with your chef. Laugh and catch the show while catching a piece of perfectly sauteed meat and more as it is tossed with clever panaché into your mouth. Each chef is unique in their interaction and Daniel has been my favorite. He really made the mothers day event a memorable one. Our table was of three parties and we traded stories and numbers as we, ourselves, enjoyed the finish of the meal. The owner is a lovely woman who obviously cares about her employees and her guests. The touch of personal responsibility for recognizing her clientele is not only with a friendly nod and a "welcome back." Genuinely said. But, she and her staff are simply happy in the fact you enjoy it as they do. Decor, as for the whole environment, it is subtle and intimate as it reaches for local comfort and Asian...

The food wasn’t bad at all, although I wish the portions were bigger. I came here with a large party, big enough to require two grills. My colleagues who sat other grill had a great time. Their chef was energetic, smiling, and was making sure his guests were having fun. The same could not be said about our chef. Our chef (somewhat young white male with full sleeve tattoos) absolutely did not care to be there. He had no smile at all the entire time and didn’t talk to us. The difference between the two chefs were night and day. It was so bad the other table jokingly made a comment “you guys look like you’re having fun” The chef just wasn’t a pleasant person and set a bad mood for the whole dinner. When he asked all of us how we would like our steak, I replied I would like mine rare. He mumbled something under his breath and told me to “just order medium rare dude” as he shook his head. I was taken back by this and our table quietly and awkwardly sat there as he cooked our food. In case you’re were wondering, he didn’t attempt to cook mine rare and just gave medium rare the same as everyone else. Why even bother asking everyone preferences if you’re not going to honor them?

Overall, I hope management can put more cheerful people in costumer facing positions as it seems to be a reoccurring theme in these other reviews. It feels bad to spend a large amount of money on a dinner only to be met with...