Grandpa Gotta Eat—Kento: Hibachi On Wheels

Hibachi Steak And Shrimp

Some days, you just know you've got to try something new. You're in a food rut, and you want to get out, even if it is just for a little while. What do you do?

Well, obviously I can't say what you would do, but I know what I did.

As always, this week's edition of Grandpa Gotta Eat is posted in conjunction with the @foodfightfriday folks—"We never saw a hot wing we didn't want to fling."

Meet Kento: Hibachi On Wheels. Yes, that's right people, this is a food truck. Or more like a food trailer, since there really isn't a motor.

Not that far from us, there's a place where a few of these food trailers have started to congregate to offer different food fare. Kento hasn't been there very long, and since I couldn't tell from passing by what kind of food it sold, I decided to check it out an evening or two ago to determine if I wanted to try it someday.

Basically, it's a Japanese grill. It's primary offerings come with steak, chicken or shrimp, or any combination thereof. Rice and vegetables, which apparently are also grilled, come with the meal. A drink, however, is not included.

I like all of that, so on a subsequent day, I decided to try out their steak and shrimp combination platter.

What You See Is What You Get

Five shrimp, maybe a dozen smaller chunks of steak, a decent-sized round mound of rice, and grilled veggies that was mostly onion, but included broccoli and zucchini. The meal also came with what must be Hibachi sauce, otherwise known as Yum Yum sauce. From the taste of it, there's some mayonnaise, ketchup or tomato paste, water and sugar (and probably some spices I couldn't really detect).

Taste Test

Was it good?

Actually, it was awesome. Steak was tender, juicy and delicious, the shrimp was grilled to perfection, the vegetables flavorful, and the rice was probably some of the best Japanese rice I've had. Especially with the Yum Yum Sauce on it.

Here's where the problem comes in. The combination platter was $13.50, and a drink, had they had something I wanted, would have been extra.

Even though the rice was very good, I could have done with less of it and more of everything else. For the price, I want more of the meat. Even more vegetables would have been okay.

Will I Go Back?

Probably, but not nearly as often as I would if the price was better and included a drink. I'd have to price out what's in the platter, and I know Hibachi style food is at a premium in my neck of the woods, but I think I could serve up the same meal for less, and at least throw in a cup of water or something.

Whether I could make it taste as good or not, I don't know. Maybe that's what I was also paying for—a skilled Hibachi chef. Still for that price I can get two Chinese lunches, two meals at Taco Bell, and at least a meal and a half everywhere else. They pull off this platter for $9.95, I'm eating it once a week. As is, we'll see when I go back.

_{Images courtesy of Glen Anthony Albrethsen.}

Food Fight Friday is a weekly contest that anyone is welcome to enter. Merely post about food on Friday, use the #fff tag, and then if you so desire, go and read other posts, as you might want to help pick the food fight champion of the week.