Hibachi Heaven First Impressions, According To FiDi Lunch’ers
The Hibachi Heaven truck finally debuted in the Financial District (and the streets of NYC) yesterday after some hiccups delayed the launch from Tuesday. I wandered down early to avoid any crazy lines, and happened to get there a few minutes before they opened making me the second person to order food. My take on it will be coming on Monday, but I thought since a couple of you weighed in after eating there that I’d do a special Friday crowd-sourced review since they’ll be returning to the corner of Water & Broad Old Slip today and every Tuesday and Friday (at Hudson & King on Thursdays). The good, the bad, the lack of rice straight ahead.
You can take all of the comments with a grain of salt as it was their first day of service and from the sound of things, there was a substantial line for most of lunch time. I would say it was about 10 deep when I left at 12:15.
Lunch’er Jenny and some co-workers also ate there and she had some favorable things to say about her beef and shrimp over fried rice with wasabi mayo that you can see above.
I actually liked the wasabi-infused mayo, I also tried the heavenly ginger sauce (kind of like the dressing on Japanese-restaurant salads) and the yum yum sauce (they said it was supposed to be a little Cajun/spicy but didn’t taste like anything to me). The wasabi mayo had a kick and I think went well with the shrimp.The food is pretty true to what it’s supposed to be – don’t expect the protein to be seasoned (just like when you go to Benihana’s). I’m a fan of tofu but the piece I tried from my friend was just okay. I like that these shrimps were big and meaty…Although they had big muscles, the staff was refreshingly polite and courteous. They probably scooped up a lot of what would be Mexicue customers today by parking right next to it. There was a long line at the HH truck at 1pm.
So not impressed…After waiting 30 mins, I get up to the front and they’re waiting on rice…hmmmm hibachi with no rice. Like you couldn’t cook it ahead and leave it in a steamer? Ok no biggie, I wasn’t looking forward to the rice anyway. I get beef, veggies, and yum yum sauce. They still charge me the same amount even though there’s no rice (and won’t be for about 20-30-mins). The guys were nice…Brooklyn guys…making hibachi. Told me they have a sushi place in Sheepshead Bay. Interesting. Large chunks of hardly seasoned, not very tender steak. Barely cooked large slices of carrots. Broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms and onions were ok. Sauce tasted like less spicy mayo that comes slathered on some sushi. And there wasn’t enough of it. Did I just pay $9 for this? Ugh! I won’t be going back.
I’m withholding judgment until tasting, but my hopes are not high, especially with the flagrant use of “yum yum sauce.”
Hibachi Heaven Truck, (516) 830-0021, on Twitter and the Web
Posted by Andrea H at 9:30 am, June 15th, 2012 under Hibachi Heaven Truck, Japanese, Truck.
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of course I too expected “asians” running this truck, yes they ran outta stuff ITS THEIR FIRST DAY! was it great/perfect Hibachi? No. will the improve? most likely. they GOTTA put some hustle in that Brooklyn muscle tho, or fuggedaboutit, the wait is BullS**T. the main component, the sauce, they’re doing right. portion good too. gotta fix the cook time on the veggies and seasoning on the proteins and they’ll be doing good. – I give it 2.5 outta 5 fistpump’s for now.