At times theatrical and communal, tableside hibachi-style dining is alive and well in Stamford.
Shiki Hibachi & Sushi, one of Stamford’s longest-standing family-owned Japanese restaurants, is marking its 20th anniversary with a special ribbon cutting celebration Sept. 16 with Mayor Caroline Simmons and the Stamford Chamber of Commerce.
“We all feel amazing,” Kiti Chen said of the milestone. Kiti Chen co-owns Shiki with her husband, Allen Chen, and their business partner Sam Lu.
“We feel love and connected to the local customers,” Kiti Chen said, adding that she feels rewarded when longtime customers who have moved away come back to celebrate a special occasion.
“They still remember Shiki for their birthday party,” she said. “I really feel so appreciated.”
The restaurant is celebrating with the launch of a newly redesigned website, a fresh new menu and new plans for continued community involvement, a news release said. They are also offering discounts to local students.
At Shiki, hibachi chefs may show off their knife skills to entertain guests — tossing just-seared vegetables to diners across the table or shooting shots of sake or soda into patrons’ mouths from several feet away, said Sarah Bamford, a spokesperson for the restaurant.
Bamford said youngsters and teens enjoy the hibachi experience which is interactive.
“They hear hibachi and they get so excited, because it’s entertaining, and what I love about that also is that it gets kids off their device. They’re not sitting there on a computer screen while their parents are eating, everybody’s engaged,” Bamford said.
The restaurant is divided into a traditional dining room and the hibachi room, where a communal table of up to 10 guests can sit in front of the grill.
The most popular hibachi combination dish is steak and shrimp, though there are vegetarian and gluten-free options. Chefs can accommodate guests with food allergies and dietary restrictions, said Kiti Chen.
Shiki will officially introduce its new catering division this fall, offering its hibachi experiences, fresh sushi and Japanese cuisine to corporate events, private celebrations, schools, nonprofit organizations and community gatherings throughout Fairfield County, the news release said.
Customers may now also order platters of sushi, instead of individual orders, for parties in their home.
Shiki Hibachi & Sushi is located at 493 Hope St. in Stamford.
Dining and Cooking