Long Island Food Critic

The Ultimate Hibachi Experience!

Aozora is a superb hibachi, sushi and Asian fusion restaurant with a sleek façade and an ultra modern interior. Past the sushi bar on the right, there is a room filled with six Hibachi tables, each capable of holding a party of up to eight. There is also an entire upper level with more hibachi tables that is ideal for hosting a private party or event. A minimum of two people is required in order to partake in the hibachi experience.

After being kindly greeted and seated, it was time to browse through the menu and decide what to try. The menu had a fabulous selection, including a Kid’s Hibachi section for children. The dishes ordered were the scallop hibachi, filet mignon and lobster tail hibachi combination and chicken and shrimp hibachi combination.

All were served with a salad (above right) and clear soup. The salad contained iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, sliced tomato, cucumber with a generous helping of traditional Japanese carrot-ginger dressing. We enjoyed the clear soup, containing scallions, fried onions, mushrooms and broth, while anticipating the arrival of the hibachi chef.

After a short while, the hibachi chef rolled his cart to the table and began preparing the teppanyaki grill. He entertained guests by squirting sake shots straight into their mouths from a squeeze bottle (above left) and tossing pieces of vegetables one by one from his spatula into the eager mouths of participants, cracking jokes all the while. Guests giggled with excitement.

Then began the performance with a blast of flames from the teppanyaki grill. First the chef laid down the rice and mixed vegetables. The chef took out two eggs and spun them, making them dance along the teppanyaki grill and bounce from spatula to fork. He then scrambled them and mixed it with rice, squirting soy sauce from a squeeze bottle. Pushing the rice together with the spatula, he made a heart shape out of rice, then slid the spatula beneath the heart and made the 'heart' beat. That was a clever touch.

The chef stacked a raw onion cut into rings to make a volcano shape, poured oil in the center and lit it on fire. Flames exploded and shot out of the top like a volcano with smoke billowing out like a smoke stack. The chef then pulled out a whimsical figure that doused the flame and provided a little unexpected humor (above left).

Then came the meat. He laid down scallops, lobster tails, shrimp, chicken and filet mignon, chopping and flipping as they cooked. He served them in the order of cooking time. Noodles were heated up quickly and the vegetables were served last. The server came around and handed out small bowls of white rice. He cleaned up his cooking station quick and left with the remark, “Enjoy!”

Everything was cooked to perfection (above right). The filet mignon was cooked medium rare as requested. The tender scallops were perfectly seared with a beautiful golden brown caramelization along the edges. The lobster was succulent on the inside with a delicious hint of charred flavor from the grill.

Our very animated chef knew all the tricks and created an atmosphere that was as entertaining as it was delicious. Eric of Farmingdale, a regular who comes twice a month, claims it is better than all the other places he has tried on Long Island. From our experience, we can attest that statement and is definitely the recommended pick for superb hibachi.