We went here last night with a party of 20 and a baby. The manager hustled us in, and seemed pretty frenetic. The restaurant is tiny and cramped, with only two teppan grills. He fitted 14 of us at one of the teppan grills, and the other 6 adults and a baby at a booth clearly designed for four people. The baby was in a high chair, my wife was sitting in the aisle, and 5 very cramped adults wedged into a 4 seat booth. I attempted to bring another chair over so we weren't so cramped, and the manager was very rude. He was telling us that the table should fit five people, and was giving us hassle, saying that we were blocking the aisleway (when there was definitely ample room to get by, and we were in the corner booth of the building). We were trying to get him to do something about it, but I had to raise my voice to get him to actually put us at another table (mind you the restaurant was only about 40% full). He made a table for 6 and a baby, and literally did put it in the middle of the aisle, so we couldn't have anyone standing around the table, because every person passing from the front to the back of the restaurant slid by us. It was very degrading, and something I never dreamed an apparently good restaurant would do...mind you, it was the manager that was causing all of the tension. We were told that we would be able to order teppan grilled food, and the chef would make the first batch for everyone sitting at the teppan table, and the second batch for us. When it came time to order, the manager came over, bruskly told the waitress that teppan style wasn't allowed for our table, and then walked away. The head of our party talked to him, and requested that we be able to receive the same style food that we went there for...the manager went over to the owner, and was ranting to him for a couple minutes, looking right at our table, complaining and pointing. Finally, he said we would be able to, but it would come from the kitchen, not the teppan grill that we were sitting right in front of...which made no sense. At that point I wanted to walk out of the restaurant, but we stayed for the teppan food. Their food was really lackluster, no spice or seasoning or anything. Even the people sitting at the teppan grill said the same thing. I ordered the new york teriyaki steak, and they brought me new york strip steak with a side of teriyaki sauce...I mean, this stuff is just low grade junk. My sister was complaining that her filet mignon was fatty, and my wife said the same of her filet mignon. The parking lot is definitely not big, as someone else said, as it is behind a gas station, and in front of a hotel parking lot. For teppan, this place is not worth your time. Definitely go to Hibachi in Anaheim Hills, their food and service are light years ahead of this dump. Also, I believe their prices are cheaper. About 10 years ago, shiki was good, but I believe it had different owners back then when we would go. Now the interior looks more like a japanese marie callenders than a teppan restaurant, and has the service and food to match.
more