Kiku Hibachi

2085 Burnt Mills Rd
Bedminster, NJ 07921
http://www.kikuhibachi.com/

For my father in law's 60th birthday, we decided we wanted to go someplace he would enjoy but that we could also keep our boys (3 and under 1) entertained enough for us to socialize.  My husband believed hibachi would be a great way to go, so we set out looking for a place that was different, highly rated, and between our two locations.  By checking out urbanspoon, I stumbled upon Kiku, which happens to be around the corner from where my husband works.  When he started telling people there where we were going, they started raving about how wonderful it is.

We got there early, for our kids' sake, and this worked out because the reviews suggested it was very important to get there early--this proved to be the case as we left, and the lobby was very crowded! 

First, we all got a salad, which was outstanding (many times, I don't like the ginger dressing, but this was awesome) and Miso soup (which I was not really crazy about, but my husband liked very much).  The hibachi "show" was pretty typical, but the food was delicious.  I couldn't tell you what was different from other hibachi restaurants, but the meat were fantastic.  My husband felt the noodles weren't cooked perfectly, but I thought they were very good. 

We felt the prices were a little bit higher than other hibachi restaurants, but for a special treat, this was a delicious restaurant!

Yutaka

90 West Main Street
Somerville, NJ 08876
Phone: (908) 218-5523
Fax: (908) 218-5110
http://www.yutakanj.com/

BAJ and I were afraid of taking The Boy for hibachi. Although we love it, we didn't know how our infant and then toddler would respond. Then, there was a discussion on a message board of which I am a member of this very thing. I read the responses to BAJ, and he then fixated on going.

Since Somerville has yet to let us down, that's where we headed for hibachi, and Yutaka didn't disappoint. I really liked the ambiance of their restaurant. I saw this little room with a low table and you have to take off your shoes; it looked so cool!

The food was pretty good, although not the best hibachi either of us has had. I felt the prices to be a little bit on the high side, even for hibachi. The sushi looked awesome, something we definitely want to return and try! The show was pretty good, contrary to some other reviews I've read. They do this funny thing where they shoot people with saki; it was a competition between our table and another as to who could get those most. Our chef was very kind to our 2 year old, letting him know when scarier things might be happening.

Speaking of which, the 2 year old did really well. He was scared for the big flames, but really enjoyed the show and the meal. He even ate with chopsticks (granted, by scooping, but nonetheless...)