Like a hidden, sacred place, Ikko Hibachi Restaurant is concealed in the back corner of Brick Plaza near Bon Ton. Once you discover this rare eatery, however, it’s location (on Cedar Bridge Road, 107 Brick Plaza), will be hard to forget. Led by General Manager Simon Tan and his partners, Ikko is a flashy Hibachi room, ornate Sushi bar and sit down Japanese restaurant all at once. On the night of our visit, it was hard to believe how many people had found the new spot after being open only six weeks!
In the spirit of tradition, honorable service and true hospitality the owners and employees of Ikko aim to satisfy visitors. They have set the bar higher for their competitors. The result of creating a higher standard is that we, the guests, benefit. From the time we entered and met Boh Zhu, a partner and Front End/Floor Manager, to the time we said goodnight, the employees took time to smile, thank us for being there and satisfied our requests. As a matter of fact, I was quite impressed to see Simon calling guests by name as they left.
The rooms, individually, have their own crafted comfort that you should see and enjoy. Just don’t miss a visit to the Sushi Bar with Sushi Chef and partner John Chen. The art of Sushi preparation is a show itself but the bright décor and well dressed staff suggested there was something special going on here. I was right. With the same care Simon and Boh provided, a smiling Chef John prepared truly masterful Sushi dishes with artistic plate garnishment.
Our place in the restaurant this night was around the Hibachi grill. If you’ve never tried the experience, your time has now arrived. We all sat around a u-shaped table with a flat stainless steel griddle in the center. The cooking surface was far enough out of our reach so that we could not accidentally touch it. The surface, however, was close enough to our plates so the chef could prepare and serve fresh and hot delicacies as we watched. But that would come later.
Partner and Hibachi Chef Eric Wu performs culinary feats to the delight of guests and oversees the organization of the many Hibachi stations around this half of the restaurant. Our Hibachi was staffed by Chef William who is a talented master of the griddle and a part time magician. I don’t just mean the “magic” of cooking I mean the presto-chango type. During our visit, he delighted in making coins disappear, but my family, with their own talent, made his food disappear!
Ikko is a BYOB and we were served appropriate classes for our red wine and the bottle was expertly corked by David, one of our servers that night. The kids ordered Shirley Temples from co-server James and everyone was anticipating the upcoming feast.
Our appetizers included some of the freshest fish and most unique presentations I’ve experienced. For example, a simple chilled and thin sliced fresh Yellow Fin Tuna was served in a shallow pool of Ponzi Sauce (a thin but flavorful citrus teriyaki) with wasabi and jalapeño slices. It was a simple, delicious treat and contrasted well with the more complex Sushi Grade “Tuna Millenium.” The Tempura coated tuna is quick fried to just sear the exterior and barely cook the outside of the sweet fish. It’s sliced and attractively layered inside a cobalt blue martini glass on a smear of wasabi mayonnaise and rained upon with drops of sweet soy sauce. It’s one of those “must tries” if you are a sushi fan. It will certainly be on my list for the next visit.
A typical looking sushi dish was a pleasant surprise. Tightly packed slices of ingredients like alvocado, crab, tuna and cucumber were wrapped with thin, thin sliced green apple instead of seaweed and sticky rice. In addition to mouth awakening flavors, the plate decoration was pure art with scallions and sliced tomato to make a flower design. There were many Sushi and Sashimi choices that you would recognize, but Chef John Chen can also present the extraordinary. We rounded out our appetizer course with a refreshing crisp salad topped by a homemade ginger dressing. The salad dressing looked like “French” but had a “wake-up-the-taste buds” zing of fresh ginger. Dinner at the hibachi tables also included a subtle Vegetable Leek Soup that was a contrasting calm in the bounty of flavors enjoyed. The soup was far from dull, but instead, true, pure vegetable and leek flavors, served with fresh sliced mushrooms as garnish.
The Hibachi experience was one of sights and sounds with a bounty of choices made right in front of you. What better way to experience good food than to see it before preparation? Our table opted to share all the selections which included: scallops, salmon, chicken, shrimp, filet mignon and swordfish. From the moment the grill was lit, it was like the curtain had opened at a Broadway play. Without giving up the whole show there were: flaming rivers, smoking volcanos, flying utensils, steel to steel drums and it all had the happy ending of generously portioned meals with lots of side treats.
Searing your meats and fish on the Hibachi seals in the natural flavors and allows for an excellent base to season. Chef William used cooking wine, soy sauces, sesame oil and seeds to enhance the lean, thin chicken breast, tender mignon and fresh fish. Each meal included fried rice with egg (wait until you see the chef toss and cook the egg!) and there is also a healthy portion of lo mein noodles and vegetables prepared to accompany the meats and fish.
We finished a fun, flavor filled night with Fried tempura Ice cream (I noticed it was a real treat for Birthday visitors) and Mango/Strawberry ice cream pastry called “Mochi” that was a sweet and fruity end to our night.
Finally, I hope you take the opportunity to visit Ikko. There is nothing quite like it in our town and I’m sure a visit would impress family or friends for an occasion or any night you need a little something special. Ikko offers platters of Sushi and Japanese dishes for home catering and has adequate space for private parties and business events. Call 732-477-6077 for details. All of us at Gleny.com wish Simon, his partners and staff a long, successful run at their new location.

James Conroy-CHS-Foodservice Consulting & Training-908-216-2349 www. ConroyHospitality.com
Courtesy of the Brick Communicator