Miyabi

I should preface this review by saying that it is less of a review and more of a sploosh fest about the greatness that is Miyabi.  See, I first ate there after Mark and I had only been dating for about a month, if that.  We had come down to Myrtle Beach to visit his sister and see his whole family, who was also visiting.  At that time, I didn't have an adventurous bone in my body when it came to food, so I was really nervous about dinner there.  I did not need to worry, as it is still my favorite place to get Japanese hibachi.  It has pretty much spoiled any other place dealing in that cuisine for me.  I don't even care for the hibachi place located in the Japan pavilion at Epcot on Disney property.  For me, that is saying a lot.

Tonight, as it was a bit late when we entered the restaurant.  We didn't even have time to admire the entrance area, including the beautifully painted ceiling, as we were immediately led to a table.  It took a while for someone to greet us, but we passed the time chatting.  It turns out that Miyabi had a new special we were unaware of before.  You could get dinner for two for our $26.  They offered four different combinations, so we were debating what to get.  By the time the server showed up, we were ready to order.  We decided on the ribeye with hibachi chicken, which was made with lemon and butter, rather than teriyaki sauce.  

Eventually two gentlemen were seated at the far end of the table from us.  Because it was a slow night, we were the only people at our table, just the four of us.  Mark and I enjoyed our onion broth soup, or whatever they officially call it.  I had the salad with ranch, while Mark opted for the ginger dressing.  Both the soup and salads were excellent.  My salad could have used more dressing, but that's just me nitpicking.  I ate the salad just fine with the provided dressing.

Both our server and chef were spot on.  He provided an entertaining show that was maybe a bit quieter due to fewer patrons, but he didn't skimp on the usual tricks.  He made all the awesomely corny jokes and made the onion volcano!  Our food was excellent.  I am in love with the rice made on the hibachi table.  It is a fact of life.  As such, I always order extra rice, even though I can't finish what they give me in the first place.  Sometimes, the chefs will scrape up the rice that is a little burnt and give it to me.  The chef tonight didn't do that, hence earning my approval of awesome.  Our server did a great job, never letting me run out of Sprite.  That may not sound impressive, but it is a feat.  My family tends to drink a lot, not alchoholic beverages, mind you.  We focus on water and pop (or soda, if you prefer).

Usually, we get the chicken done teriyaki style.  Tonight's adventure in chicken, where we try hibachi chicken, was interesting.  The chicken was of higher quality, but the flavor was not what we would have preferred.  In the future, we will go back to our teriyaki chicken.  Also, I don't like shrimp.  To be fair for my review, I decided to try the shrimp, which I have only done one other time.  I'm sure it is cooked splendidly, but I just don't like shrimp.  I had a small bite then foisted the rest off onto Mark.  As usual, our steak was tender and flavorful.  Hooray for ribeyes.  All in all, Miyabi knows how to cook their proteins.

Will I go back to Miyabi?  I sure hope so.  Perhaps I will go next week with some awesome people who may be in town....  For those of you visiting Myrtle Beach or already living here, the dinner for two specials will run until the end of March.  Also, Miyabi will be closed on Super Bown Sunday.  Apparently, that's not a big hibachi day.  

If you haven't tried Miyabi, you are missing out.  It is the best hibachi I have ever had.  If you don't wanna go alone, give Mark and I a call.  We will gladly accompany you.

(Moved from FB - January 30, 2012)