Yamazato of Japan

News Mirror
Yucaipa/Calimesa
The Cuisine Scene
Brenda Hill

Yamazato of Japan

San Bernardino, CA

I love the restaurants on Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino. No matter if I’m hungry for onion soup, spaghetti, Mexican, Chinese, or a hearty steak or ribs, I can find something wonderful on ‘Restaurant Row.’

Friday night Kathryn and I decided to try Yamazato of Japan near the corner of Waterman and Hospitality Lane. Since it was a weekend, I called ahead to make sure of the dining hours, and they suggested I make a reservation. The hostess asked whether I wished to be seated in the dining room for a traditional Japanese meal, or if I’d rather dine at one of their grill tables--the Teppan-Yaki. My son had treated me to a Japanese restaurant in Ontario a couple of years ago and I’d loved it, so I didn’t hesitate to select the grill-table.

While waiting, I discovered that Teppan-Yaki is a style of Japanese cooking using an iron griddle. Teppan is Japanese for iron plate, and yaki means grilled.

When Kathryn and I walked inside, we were astonished. Serene was the first word I thought of with the green plants, blue chairs, and the soft lighting. Clean, Kathryn kept saying. Even the gravel in the various aquariums sparkled white.

We were led to a room of griddle tables, each grill encased in a horseshoe-shaped wooden table large enough to seat twenty people.

In the back of the room, another huge aquarium stretched the length of the room. We were asked our drink preferences and given menus by a quiet, efficient wait staff dressed in pastel kimonos secured by obi belts.

Even in the grill-room, the menu was varied. Our choices ranged from teriyaki or spicy chicken for $13.95, a choice of steaks including teriyaki for $18.95, to a sumo filet mignon, which is a double portion, for $35.95. Some of the seafood dishes include hibachi shrimp for $19.95, and scallops for $22.95. They also have calamari steak for $16.95 and lobster at market price. Now I’ve had calamari appetizers and love them, but I’ve never had the steak. Maybe one day I’ll try it—after I’ve sampled all the other fantastic choices.

All of the above dinners include miso soup, green salad with Yamazoto ginger dressing, hibachi shrimp appetizer, teppan vegetables—onions, zucchini, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and steamed rice.

They also have combination dinners with steak and chicken for a little over twenty dollars, and includes the above soup, salad, and vegetables, but adds green tea ice cream for dessert. But the next time I want to splurge, I’ll try their seafood combination, with a 4-5 oz lobster, scallops, shrimp and calamari for $32.95.

I love scallops and have been disappointed at the tiny size in some restaurants, but I decided to try them. Kathryn chose the teriyaki steak. After they brought our drinks, took our dinner orders and served the soup, which had bits of tofu, the chef appeared and the show began.

Smiling and chatting, he greeted everyone at his grill, which included several families with children, and entertained us by juggling utensils and flipping them in the air. After we showed our appreciation, he oiled the griddle and began the shrimp appetizers and flipped eggs for the fried rice.

Since the fried rice was an additional $2.50, I’d turned it down, but he did the worst--he gave me a sample. It was so delicious that I knew next time I’d pay the extra.

When he tossed the vegetables and shrimp onto the sizzling grill, the aroma of fried onions mixed with the vegetables reminded me I couldn’t wait for dinner.

The server brought salads topped with dressing and I tasted soy, ginger, possibly some lemon and a few other flavors. The chef, meanwhile, cooked Kathryn’s steak and my scallops, which, I was happy to see, were a nice size.

I couldn’t believe how tender they were. Whatever seasoning the chef used, it didn’t overpower the flavor, and they were so delicious that I was halfway through my dinner before I realized I'd forgotten to take a photo of my plate. The chef had cut Kathryn’s steak into bite sizes. She liked her steak as well. While we ate, the chef cleaned the grill, said his good-bye and left to work his magic at another table.

Seated at the grill, most of us chatted with each other, and one woman said her daughter, about seven, loved Yamazato’s, so they came as often as they could.

Just before we finished our meal, our server asked if we’d like a dish of their green tea ice cream. Green tea ice cream? I looked at Kathryn, she looked at me, and we politely declined. Green tea ice cream might be healthier, but we piled into the car and headed for Denny’s in Yucaipa and their fantastic hot fudge sundaes.

But I’ll be back. Next time I’ll take a table or booth in the dining room and have the assorted vegetable tempura dinner for $11.95, or a beef sukiyaki noodle entrée for $19.95. Perhaps one day, when I overcome my aversion to raw fish, I’ll sample their sushi bar in the back. It’s near an indoor fountain, so that, at least, tempts me. Maybe I’ll even try some green tea ice cream.

Yamazato's of Japan
289 E. Hospitality Lane
San Bernardino, CA 909-889-3683
UPDATE: The San Bernardino location is now closed