Domo Arigato!

M. took us out to a Japanese Steakhouse. It was a tiny little restaurant with hibachi cooking right at our table. We've never been to a place like this before. The boys were wary at first, but by the end they were all talking about coming back again.



After the first two courses (clear soup and a salad with ginger dressing) the chef came out and started his show by lighting a giant fire. It completely caught us all off guard, because he was chit-chatting and making small talk and the all of a sudden we saw this flaming mass of light and heat! We all gasped and rocked back in our seats. Colson turned halfway around in his high chair, not taking his eyes off the flames and yet ready to bolt if necessary. It took a few minutes to convince him that the cook was not about to set us on fire and it was safe to turn back around in his seat.

The chef did a great job: he flipped things into his hat and behind his back, his knives and condiment containers flew in both rhythmic and visual patterns. He flipped food into our mouths with his spatula, and the boys had a blast craning their necks and leaning in their chairs at absurd angles in an attempt to catch the flying shrimp.



Braden, always an adventurous eater, tried everything that was placed in front of him. Colson loved the rice and the teriyaki steak. He was very excited to see the cook making rice and mixing eggs with it. "I like those things!" he'd say. Brogan refused to try anything, but he enjoyed the show as much as anyone.



The food was delicious, but the show was the best part. Watching the boys' eyes light up as they watched their food being cooked was a delight. I wonder if I could learn to cook like that at home. Would they be more enthusiastic eaters if I put on a show as I cooked their peas ad carrots? Maybe I should start with something simple - like flipping pancakes.