Tokyo's Express — Restaurant in Whiteville

I was treated like crap when I walked in, I was in yoga pants and a Tshrit, yea, but I worked that day and was tired and I didn't think I had to dress up for a simple meal. I decided to place meal to go, as my friend was ordering her food with her child, she was ignored 3 times while placing order. No "excuse me" or "can you wait plz" just straight dropped her. I got the same thing twice, and I'm spending 49.00 here!!?? It wasn't packed or full of people, some one else should have been doing something, not running their mouth. I was a waitress For 3 years during college, it was poor service, and I tip really well cause I know the struggle. There was hair in her food, and she couldn't get no-one to come to her, I, repeat I, had to raise my voice to get someone's help, there where only 2 seated tables in the whole place and 3 or more servers????!! I know I got take-out, but I also got an order to eat while I waited, nothing, no server, no sway or sales pitch, no asking if I wanted a drink while I waited, or if I'd like to get one. Nothing. No sorry for the long wait, no excuses, no anything, I was ignored. I spent right at 50 bucks, ignored, yet a family with two teen sons walks in, nice dressed, "hello, welcome!" And two of them are setting them up!? The hell, it's a piss poor place, food was understated, price was to high for the poor quality, sushi I got was alright, everything else sucked. I've eaten at 5 star places like the apple barn in Va, or the angus barn In Raleigh, and dives and bars, hell places overseas. This by far was the worst, and I'm not even critiquing the food, have some pride as a chief. Rendered duck fat as a soup?? The duck wasn't cooked right, over cooked, dry, tough like leather and you tell the fat wasn't cooked out or dried out, noodles where over cooked, off putting sour (not good) sweet taste, left bad after taste. Vegetables where bland, sushi Was alright, rice for sushi wasn't light enough, but fine. Price two much for regular tuna 5.00 bucks and change for only two pieces? No. Yellow tail, yes, plain tuna=no, not at that quality. I'd rather drive back to DC and eat at this run down looking shop, 70 something sushi chef from Japan, showed his license When I sat down, best by far ever, wasn't 5 star place, food was, spoke broken English, loved to feed me, and the price was right. Happily paid 60, left 20 tip. It's a poor representation of Japanese restaurant and food, if you ate here you might not ever try Japanese food again, and it's sad because they are right up there with France in terms...

When my party of three walked in, we were instructed to seat ourselves. We chose a table that was away from the more boisterous customers seated in the restaurant.

When our waitress arrived, we all ordered water for our drinks. When she brought those, we ordered our food. It was immediately obvious that there was a language barrier. Throughout our interaction with the waitress, we had to clarify and/or repeat things. It is important for a waitress to be able to understand her customers.

My brother ordered teriyaki chicken hibachi with clear soup and a blooming onion. My gf and I both ordered hibachi steak & chicken with clear soup. The waitress was having trouble understanding how my gf wanted her steak cooked (rare). She thought she said “well”, then after saying rare slowly a couple of times, she thought that my gf was saying raw. Another waitress had to clarify.

The soup arrived first, but unfortunately my spoon was filthy on the front and back. The waitress brought me the ladle type spoon next, and when I took it out of the paper, there was a hair resting in the spoon. There was the same type of hair on the side of my gf’s soup bowl.

When the rest of the food arrived, I was instantly disappointed. This is due to my hibachi chicken being obviously slathered in teriyaki sauce. I didn't think the hibachi chicken would have teriyaki sauce, seeing as they literally have a teriyaki chicken hibachi plate, which my brother ordered. Why even have that as an option if all of the chicken comes drowned in teriyaki sauce anyway?

I didn’t bother to ask the waitress to clarify because she probably wouldn’t have understood me anyway. I gave the teriyaki chicken to my gf. The food was hot and tasted fresh. I was on edge about hair being in my food, but found none. My fork was also clean, thankfully.

While eating, someone was seated diagonal from our table. When the waitress (a different one from ours) came to take her order, she had to repeat about four times that she wanted chicken and fish (lady kept thinking she wanted steak for some reason).

Our waitress never came back to check on us after taking our orders (a guy brought the food out). No refills, nothing. We had to flag someone down for take-out boxes and the bill.

It was an awful experience and I will never return. Lil Tokyo at the beach is much better and has a wonderful atmosphere. If this is the same restaurant that was once across the street (ate there a year or two ago and it has the same name), the quality has certainly fallen into the depths...

Update: They have lost customers for life. I always get the myrtle beach with no crab. For religious reasons, but it also causes our family to get sick, as our bodies are not used to it. Last night they messed up our order, and added crab. I ate two peices before I noticed. Yes, I should have checked, but trusted them as I always get this. My husband picked it up just before they closed. Now am incredibly sick.

When he called they told him that he should have brought it back last night. He explained they closed just after he picked up. Probably assuming he ate it, or threw it away( should have, as religiously it's not allowed in our house) they told him he could only have a refund if he brings it back.

So waste more gas money to go into town to get money back on a serious mess up THEY did.

We are highly disappointed and will never come back.

Absolutely rude and ridiculous.

I loooove this place.

I am part Japanese and Okinawan, so I tend to be a little more picky about my Japanese food and sushi. I was over the top happy to find when we moved here that Whiteville has a TRULY AUTHENTIC Japanese restaurant.

And the food is amazing.

It's got a beautiful clean atmosphere with real...