Kanpai of Tokyo has a brand-new menu. OK, two new menus. Or, if you want to count the lunch and dinner menus separately, there are three new menus.
"We had to make different menus because all the new things wouldn't fit on just one," laughed assistant manager Francisa Luna.
I suppose numbers aren't important. What is important is the huge variety of hibachi, sushi, combos and cocktails that are now offered at Kanpai. "This is the first overhaul of our menu in a very long time," said manager Tommy Sines.
The new hibachi lunch or dinner menu now includes options like rib-eye cooked to order and served with freshly sautéed and sauced onions, zucchini and mushrooms and a heaping scoop of fragrant fried rice. If you like, you can add chicken, a variety of steak cuts, scallops, shrimp or tofu.
"The old menu just had combos like 'seafood platter,' but on the new one you can choose anything," general manager William Miranda said. The new menu lets you be more creative. For instance, you can create your own hibachi meal: shrimp and chicken; yakiniku and rib-eye; scallops and tofu; the list goes on.
But if you're like me, you are most interested in the sushi menu. So let's move on to my favorite topic.
Kanpai's new sushi menu has doubled in size. "We kept all the best-selling sushi rolls, then added a lot more," said William. Some rolls are brand new while others are new and improved. Take the Rock-NRoll, for example; made with salmon, cream cheese, eel and avocado then topped with a mixture of specialty chef sauces.
"We had the Rock-N-Roll on the old menu, but now we deep-fry it," Francisa said.
Other new rolls include the Pink Geisha, made with spicy crab, tempura flakes, avocado and cream cheese rolled in a pink soy wrap and topped with specialty chef sauces. There is the fiery Ong-Bak with smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado and jalapeno pepper then topped with spicy tuna and shrimp.
There is teriyaki chicken sushi, crunchy rolls, sweet and spicy rolls. Best of all, there are more than a dozen rolls available for $2.75 every day between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Conveniently, this is the same time as happy hour. In addition to its delectable new menu items, Kanpai also an array of sweetly colorful mixed drinks.
"Our drinks are super-affordable," said William. "You can get top-shelf liquor for less than $5 during specials." In fact, Kanpai is more affordable than ever. The new menu also features lower prices. OK, maybe numbers are a little important.
Also important: sushi. And pineapple upside-down cake martinis, which are myfavorite. If you've never tried one, I strongly suggest channeling your inner early bird and taking advantage of Kanpai's daily discounts.