Thrills at the "Grill" continue...

If it was Mongolian Grill yesterday, it was Japanese Grill today:-) I cannot tell you how much fun I am having with the sheer variety of food that I am eating these days!

I was on a business dinner tonight and my good friends at Halifax took me to The Hamachi Grill at the Waterfront, Halifax. The menu looked like Greek and Latin to me but the charming waitress was kind enough to explain the whole procedure. We were sitting at a rectangular table with one end open and we had a hot plate right in the middle of us. Initially it felt we were attending some sort of a conference but when the chef came in with his stuff only we realized that we were in for a treat.

There is something called "Teppanyaki" where the chef prepares whatever we order right in front of us on the grill table. Since the grill table used is common for both meat and veggie, I chose to eat Flat Grill Udon Noodle Fry- Veggie which was awesome. Fresh Garden Salad and Veggie Spring Rolls were also provided. I summed up my supper with delicious Japanese Ice Cream in Ginger Flavor and needless to say, I was overwhelmed with the sheer magical taste of the food!

It was not just the taste of food that was magic but the entire art of Teppanyaki cooking that made it even more interesting. You could ask for Seafood, Pork, Beef, Chicken or Veggie Teppanyaki and it would be served to you with Soup, Salad, Steamed Rice or Japanese Fried Rice.

The chef started out with the preparation of Japanese Fried Rice. He had a bowl of steamed rice with him and added a bowl of fresh cut veggies to it. It was mixed very well and then he added Japanese wine and sauces to it. The wine added to the plate will be lighted with fire for a brief minute and then it gets mixed with the rest of the contents.

Once the rice and the vegetables were cooked well, he pushed the mixture aside and started working with the eggs. His juggling act with his head, knives and his chef hat provided for some laughs! I never knew that you had to learn so much to be a Japanese chef! The eggs were thrown into the air and made to fall on the sharp edge of the knife and they were broken effortlessly. All eggs were scrambled with consummate ease and these were mixed with the Rice and Veggies. The Japanese Fried Rice was done and he arranged it in heart shape on the grill table for all of us to see. The rice was served straight onto your table in bowls accompanied by sauces.

Next was the turn of the veggies- Onions, Mushrooms, Carrots, Baby Corn were all mixed up. The Onion Rings were arranged one on top of the other to make a volcano and Japanese wine was poured inside the pieces. Once it was lit up, it looked like the volcano was in action- giving out fire and smoke! The veggies were also mixed and cooked together and served onto the plates.

Later he brought in Salmon, Scallops and Shrimps and the steps were repeated with Chicken and Pork as well. While there is no doubt that the food grilled right in front of your eyes add to the excitement and that they are served piping hot, the only drawback I found with the food is that you are served the rice first, then the veggies, then the seafood and then the meat!

You need to gulp a lot of water (soda/ alcohol for those who are interested) while taking this food lest it should leave a burning sensation in your stomach. It is rich in calories and you eat it boiling hot but have no questions on the taste! It will help if you down an Ice Cream or some green tea to ensure that the food gets digested properly.

That said, being at the Japanese Grill was an awesome culinary experience that tantalized my taste buds and had me craving for more! Dont leave an opportunity if it comes your way sometime soon :-)