Would you like to take your meal sitting, kneeling, while watching a one-of-a-kind show or in an enchanted faux wonderland? At Kobe Hibachi in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., there is a variety of dining experiences to be had.
If you're looking for a fast and furious experience, there is the hibachi grill, where the steam billows, the flames fly and the guests collectively gasp and applaud accordingly. With their knife juggling and comedy routines, the chefs at Kobe put on quite the culinary performance, yielding delicious dishes like hibachi- grilled steak served with tenderly sautéed vegetables and heaps of rice so fresh and soft they could make a tasty meal on their own.
If you're looking for a more relaxed lunch or dinner, Kobe manager Copper recommends the separate dining area. "It gives a different kind of experience," he said. Located in a semi-enclosed space beside the grills, Kobe's dining area offers a multitude of tables where you can order from the full hibachi, sushi or appetizer menus.
The complete menus are also available in Kobe's reservation- only tatami rooms. Tatami refers to the traditional Japanese floor architecture where the table sits low to the ground, thus allowing diners to kneel to eat. For many, it is an interesting and exotic way to dine. There are two tatami rooms available at Kobe. One seats up to 10 people. The other seats 20.
However, the most interesting area of Kobe may very well be my favorite: the sushi bar, in all its wonderland-like glory. There is a collection of tables designed like twisted tree
trunks. Bar stools are made look like knotty tree stumps. The long, curvy bar is illuminated by sunshiny yellow lights, and the creative sushi platters have the appearance of surreal and edible flower gardens.
During my most recent visit, I sampled a sushi platter that featured hunks of savory firm-fleshed mackerel, crab, cucumber and creamy avocado in a roll topped with fresh salmon, and cool pieces of tuna layered like a red rose. There were cucumbers carved like crisp ferns and a whole orange sliced and splayed like a budding blossom.
"We keep our prices fair. People may come for the price, but they come back for the tastes," Copper said.
Though I'm sure the imaginative plates and month-long specials keep them coming as well. Throughout the rest of May, Kobe is featuring what Copper calls "the Mother's Month special." Monday-Friday, all day, Kobe is offering $1 bottles of domestic beer with the purchase of an entree - which you can choose to take at the sunny bar, the sizzling grill or a traditional four-top. Someday soon you might even have more dining options, as Kobe plans to expand its seating.
"Business is good," Copper told me. "We take our customers' suggestions seriously and feedback is great. We are confident in what we do."
KOBE HIBACHI
ADDRESS: 2603 Battlefield Pkwy., Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.
HOURS: Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30-10 p.m., Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30-10 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
PHONE: 706-861-8588