Thursday, April 23, 2009
Getting comfy with Japanese food at Kimono
Tom Angleberger knows what he likes. So we've asked him to eat at NRV restaurants and write about them. If you have a restaurant to recommend,
e-mail him. Tom Angleberger
Recent columns
“Kimono Japanese Cuisine
- Specialty: Japanese grill and sushi
- Price: Lunch platters range from $5 to $8. Dinners range from $8 to $25. Sushi begins at $3.
- Address: 1075 E. Main St., Pulaski
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Friday
For some reason, we've gotten very comfortable eating at Chinese restaurants, but have yet to settle into the same easygoing relationship with Japanese food.
Dinner at a formal Japanese steakhouse can be great -- especially if it's at Christiansburg's Kabuki -- but sometimes you're looking for something a little more laid-back.
It turns out what I was looking for was Kimono Japanese Cuisine in Pulaski. It has great food, but it's comfy. Heck, it's practically down home.
"I was a little scared about the restaurant at first," said my son mid-meal, "now I like it."
Cool decor and a dish of French fries will do that for a kid. But I felt the same way. I wasn't sure what to expect, but soon found just about everything to be just right.
The one thing that might be a little intimidating is the menu, which has 205 numbered choices on it. But relax, it's not that tricky.
If you're unsure what to get, just pick between grilled chicken or beef. Then decide if you want it Hibachi or Teriyaki -- soy sauce or sweet sauce.
I picked chicken and shrimp done Hibachi-style. When I first tried it I thought maybe I had made a mistake. It did seem a little too salty. That's when I decided to try a pitcher of creamy sauce the waitress had brought. This created the perfect balance.
The waitress had given me a choice of mixed vegetables or French fries. I'm so glad I chose the veggies. The zucchini and broccoli were mixed in with my Hibachi dish and were absolutely delicious.
I can't wait to go again and try some of the other items from the menu: fried oysters, spring rolls, steamed dumplings and Nabiyaki, a seafood noodle dish.
The only lackluster food we got was the chicken nuggets I ordered for my sons. My mission for next time will be to persuade them to try some Japanese food now that they're comfortable at this wonderful restaurant.
Bottom line: Reader Mary Williams recommended Kimono and, after having a great meal there, I do, too.
