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I NEVER realised eating out could be so much fun but the nightlife is really sizzling on the Teppan Yaki counters at Bushido restaurant in Seef.
Having tried to book a table for Wednesday evening only to be told that the venue was fully booked with a waiting list already in place, we settled for a session on Friday night and quickly appreciated why this section of the Japanese cuisine hotspot is in such demand.
It’s not so much of a dining experience ... more an evening of entertainment with the stars of the show namely executive sous-chef BW Goh and his assistant Reyni Boy.
The dynamic duo proves not only to be exemplary on the cooking front. They are born entertainers too. As actor Tom Cruise somehow learned to juggle bottles in the movie Cocktail, Goh and Boy have mastered the art of making kitchen utensils fly through the air with the greatest of ease.
The Teppan Yaki is a traditional Japanese technique, where the food is cooked live in front of guests on a hot iron table.
Bushido boasts two table sets of 12 seats for diners to enjoy the experience both at lunch time and dinner.
Our evening started with a bowl of warm pea pods which according to a friend, who happens to be an acquaintance of a Japanese ambassador, should be plucked up by the fingers and squeezed slowly to allow the peas to pop into the mouth.
The menu consists of a sashimi salad and mixed tempura – the dressing is a ‘secret’ recipe which my taste-buds uncovered a distinctive apple and nutty tone – followed by Miso soup.
Then it’s on to a choice of main courses – the good lady wife Kathryn chose the king prawns and I went for the tenderloin beef sirloin, medium rare. The king prawns dish, with edible heads, was priced at BD12.700 with a chosen spicy Thai sauce and I went for a Teriyaki sauce over my sliced steak at BD15.600.
The prices are subject to a 15 per cent service charge and five per cent Governmental levy. A full range of beverages is available.
It was show time. The flavouring and grilling was part of a five-star sizzling performance by the chefs and their creative flair was only matched by the taste of the fare they prepared.
A garlic and fried rice followed to soak up the juices and a cracking display of egg juggling commenced with a challenge to the guests to send one flying high into the air only for it to land precisely on the edge of the spatula allowing the yoke to slip on to the hot plate slowly enough to write your initials.
We all tried and failed ... splat, splat, splat and splat ... until Kathryn proved those culinary skills cultivated many moons ago in her father’s fish’n’chip restaurant in Yorkshire (and currently in expat hibernation) had not all been forgotten.
The meal was concluded with a triple crème brulees special which included a novel little chocolate number.
A fun night out ... but don’t forget to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
