Close, But No Cigar

The artist formerly known as Frau Lobster and I used to get to Hibachi on the Plaza at least once a year, usually her birthday if nothing else. Bar none, her absolute favorite restaurant on earth.

I like it, too, though more than once I was amped to try a new restaurant, a couple of times we'd even made reservations someplace else, and she'd talk me into canceling the reservation and heading to Hibachi.



It's a fun place to eat. If dining out is 20% food and 80% entertainment, they at least give you good bang for the 80%. For the uninitiated, it's one of those Japanese steakhouses where they cook on the table (teppanyaki), juggle knives, make onion volcanoes and that sort of thing.



But what I dig the most there is the salad dressing. No kidding, it's the best part of the meal. I've wished they'd bottle it, but I don't know for a fact they make the dressing in house. When I've inquired about buying it for at home, I get a wink and 'But we want you coming back.'



So anyway, I'm in the Asian market buying Thai Basil leaves and I realize they sell Japanese salad dressings. There were several choices, and I picked one based on it sounding roughly like the dressing at Hibachi. Color-wise, it seemed probable. Kewpie Fukairi.

I got a kick-ass bottle of salad dressing, but it's not the same. I'll have to try some of the others: I almost went with one that was a ginger miso combination, and I wonder now if that was it.