Dinner and a Show at Fuji of Japan

Habachi is back. After being closed for nearly one year, Fuji of Japan has re-opened under new owners: the Huang Family. What was once the only Japanese restaurant in Darien, now joins the ranks of numerous Asian inspired eateries that have peppered the town in the last five years. I am a huge fan of all things sushi, wok-fried, bamboo steamed, curry infused, and spicy, so I was happy to see Fuji back in the game. Fuji still remains the only place in Darien for hibachi-style dining, and for that reason alone, off we went on a quiet Wednesday night to visit the new guys on the block.

Much remains the same. The exterior is still that odd-shaped building tucked between the thruway and the Post Road. Red Japanese paper lanterns still greet you at the front entrance, and a trickling fountain with a goldfish pond is the first sight and sound you encounter upon entering the restaurant. The spacious layout is the same, and the large bar remains hidden to the far of the restaurant. Often overlooked, the u-shaped bar has the potential to be a fun gathering spot, complete a large screen TV and a working gas fireplace.

The bulk of the renovation was a back-of-the-house project: all new kitchen floors, equipment, and plumbing; music to my ears, as restaurants often update the front-of-the-house and neglect the kitchen. It’s nice to know that the food is coming from a fresh, clean kitchen. New carpeting I can do without, but a clean kitchen, I cannot.

Beyond the center dining room there is a sushi bar, and beyond that, six hibachi tables. On this particular “school night,” the sushi bar had a few people, as did the dining room—mostly families with young children. (Yikes!) I forgot that hibachi is loved my small children and their parents who want them to be occupied by the knife-wielding, flame lighting chef. The manager saw my “child-free, please” expression and immediately whisked us over to an empty table (How perceptive of him and how accommodating). We were soon joined by a lovely family (older kids, thank you), who were excited to be there and just as hungry as we were.

As we sipped our large bottle of Sapporo beer (more exotic drinks include Mai Tais and other fruity concoctions), we perused the hibachi menu. All the standards were there: chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, lobster; I was surprised to see salmon, sea bass, tuna, and even Long Island duck! But, wait! There’s even Kobe beef! Feeling nostalgic for the old Fuji hibachi days, Scotty and I stuck with the chicken and the steak and shrimp combo. You can choose between fried rice and noodles to go with your flash-sautéed meat, fish, and vegetables. Again, being a traditionalist, I went with the rice. When I asked for brown rice to be substituted the waitress politely informed me that they could do it but it would not be as tasty as the white rice.

Famished, we tacked on spring rolls and gyoza to start with. The eight fried pork dumplings with spicy sesame soy sauce showed up in minutes. They were smaller than a typical Chinese dumpling. The outer dough was thin and light, and the pork filling was finely minced and flavorful. Dipping is optional here as it was perfectly moist and salty without the dipping sauce.

The three spring rolls, like the dumplings, were delicate. The thin crunchy wonton wrapper was filled with shrimp and vegetables and a sweet duck sauce made it complete. Other appetizers on the menu include: shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings), teriyaki beef negamaki wrapped around scallions, fried oysters, chicken or beef satay with peanut sauce, and shrimp tempura.

Our table companions (really, sharing a table was actually enjoyable), insisted that we sample their tuna pizza, a favorite of theirs. Silky layers of tuna were draped over a layer of guacamole and thin rice cake crust. It was fun and delicious.

As I clicked away with my camera, we enjoyed the iceberg lettuce salad with fresh crushed ginger dressing. The salad is no-frills, but the cool crunchy lettuce combined with the tangy dressing is delightful.

There was also a bowl of soothing hot onion broth to savor as the chef began his cooking show. Again, nothing earth shattering, just simple and warming.

Cling-clang! Metal to metal, the chef heats up the joint with a drum solo on the hot hibachi grill.

Trays of fresh meat, fish and vegetables wait in the wings on the chef cart as the rice is the first to make sizzling contact with the hibachi. After playing catch with a raw egg that he catches in his chef hat, the chef cracks them open to scramble and then tosses little bits around the table with his spatula for us to catch in our mouths. They bounce off of our faces; a few of us catch it in our mouths.

Zucchini, onion, and broccoli florets are next to hit the grill. The chef adds peanut oil and soy sauce and continuously shuffles them about the grill.

Heaping portions of fried rice and vegetables are scooped onto our plates for us to pick on as the chicken and steak are seared, seasoned, and sliced. Lastly, the shrimp are quickly sautéed with sesame oil and a good douse of soy sauce.

There’s not much to this style of cuisine. It’s really all about the ingredients, the cooking method, and the social aspect.

The steak is juicy and the shrimp are wonderfully meaty and flavorful, especially with an added dab of ginger and mustard sauce that were ladled into ramekins at the beginning of the meal. The quality of the meat and shrimp are quite good. While the chicken is prepared just fine, I deduce that I am not a fan of white meat. It’s lacking flavor and I miss the gamier, moist texture of the dark meat chicken. Some salty sesame pieces of thigh meat would have worked wonderfully here.

Our table-mates ordered the Kobe beef and, once again, generously shared a bite of this expensive and delightful grade of meat with us. I purposely picked a fattier piece from our new friend’s plate as I wanted to extract every ounce of flavor from this special treat. It was fabulous and it is worth the added expense, although the portion is a tad skimpy. I am intrigued by the duck option on the menu and vow to return for that and the sea bass.

Price points are fair and portion sizes are more than ample. The hibachi style also seems to be a more healthful preparation option, as opposed to the deep fried, sauce-laden options of traditional Japanese and Chinese dishes.                          

Fuji offers both Japanese and Chinese food, and bags of take-out orders line the counter; but it’s the dinner and a show aspect of the hibachi table that continues to draw a crowd.