GREENSBORO — When Greensboro’s Asiano Bistro closed in November (after a short stint as Aztec Dragon, an Asian-Mexican fusion restaurant), fans of the eatery were left disappointed. Luckily for them, and any fan of sushi or hibachi food, the owners of Asiano have rebounded with Hibachi Cafe, in the old Donato’s space on downtown Elm Street.
The tiny eatery is mostly a takeout restaurant, with a handful of cozy tables surrounded by comfy leather upholstered seats. The wide-open kitchen gives diners a view of their food being prepared, and a large flat-screen hangs in the corner, playing cable news.
As its name suggests, Hibachi Cafe serves an array of Japanese food cooked on the hibachi grill, plus a number of sushi rolls and nigiri. Starters include lighter fare, such as edamame, as well as gyoza (pot stickers served either deep fried, steamed or pan fried) and crispy shrimp. Spring rolls are light and crisp without being greasy and filled with slightly crunchy shreds of cabbage, carrots and mushrooms.
The hibachi menu is similar to other Japanese takeout restaurants — a variety of meats and veggies cooked on the flattop and served over rice. But Hibachi Cafe has a bit more choice — more seafood options (salmon and tilapia in addition to the usual shrimp and scallops) as well as a choice of white, brown or fried rice.
The teriyaki salmon is moist and tender with a subtly sweet teriyaki glaze that doesn’t overpower the salmon’s flavor.
Along with the meat and remarkably nongreasy fried rice, chunks of fresh veggies — carrots, zucchini, onions, broccoli and mushrooms — add just a bit of crunch. Other meats and seafood are just as flavorful as the salmon. The scallops are meaty and lacking any “fishiness,” the chicken is moist, and the steak is tender (with filet mignon also available).
Sushi choices run the gamut — tempura, spicy and classic rolls, plus a few specialties and nigiri pieces. Classics such as the California roll, Philadelphia roll and rainbow roll stand out from the usual because of the sheer freshness of the ingredients used. Specialty rolls include the Good-Time Roll (a California roll topped with steamed shrimp and avocado), the Kamisu Roll (cucumber wrapped with tuna, salmon and crabstick), the 007 Roll (a California roll topped with spicy tuna) and the Sushi Sandwich (spicy tuna, scallions and masago, a type of roe).
On both the sushi and hibachi menus, there are veggie choices for nonmeat eaters (in addition to a couple of meatless salads).
Although Hibachi Cafe certainly isn’t the same as Asiano, the restaurant continues the tradition of tasty food prepared with fresh ingredients and served by friendly, efficient staff. For those missing Asiano, Hibachi Cafe is a fine substitute.
Casual Dining features local restaurants for diners on a budget. It runs every other week in Go Triad. Contact Jennifer Bringle at jenniferbringle@gmail.com.
