OT: Hibachi restaurant etiquette

[tatedog]

Tip the chef or not? If so, how much?

eta: Thanks for the input and suggestions.

 

[engie]

I always assume tips are split with them and leave 20-25% on the card or cash up front. I've never given them a separate tip or seen anyone else do it. But it's a fair question.

 

[Dawgpile]

I can't speak for the Hibachi, but I always leave a specific tip for the Sushi chef when I sit a the bar.

 

[kired]

I believe that's true. Most of them automatically charge 18% - I always assumed that's to make sure the chef gets a decent tip. I usually add a little more since it's a unique experience.

 

[stateu1]

Don't sit at the hibachi.

 

[patdog]

I always assume tips are split with them and leave 20-25% on the card or cash up front.

You assume correctly.

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

Oh, and don’t eat your food until all the courses are served. Exception made obviously for the shrimp that the chef bounces off your face.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

I'm a 20 percenter at the moment. I'll bump it back up to 25 when they update the show.

 

[61dawg]

Oh, and don’t eat your food until all the courses are served. Exception made obviously for the shrimp that the chef bounces off your face.

So you mean wait until the rice is cold?

 

[HotMop]

Oh, and don’t eat your food until all the courses are served. Exception made obviously for the shrimp that the chef bounces off your face.

I'm not going to let the Miso soup sit there for 30 minutes, do you mean until all guests at the table are served each course?

 

[engie]

Yeaaaa I eat it at lunch by myself on the road a lot. I'm hammering that stuff as soon as I get it regardless of the order I get it in. I prettymuch don't go in a hibachi joint unless I'm starving. I've never considered it impolite to do this, but then again, I've never put hardly any thought into it. Always double rice without veggies, so the scheduling of "when" to start eating would be off for me anyway.

Personally think I have everything I generally get at a hibachi joint other than the soup pretty well perfected on the blackstone. I'm not even close on the soup -- if anyone has any pointers there....

 

[TrueMaroonGrind]

Oh, and don’t eat your food until all the courses are served.

Said no one ever.

 

[RocketDawg]

Yeaaaa I eat it at lunch by myself on the road a lot. I'm hammering that stuff as soon as I get it regardless of the order I get it in. I prettymuch don't go in a hibachi joint unless I'm starving. I've never considered it impolite to do this, but then again, I've never put hardly any thought into it. Always double rice without veggies, so the scheduling of "when" to start eating would be off for me anyway.

Personally think I have everything I generally get at a hibachi joint other than the soup pretty well perfected on the blackstone. I'm not even close on the soup -- if anyone has any pointers there....

You have fried rice perfected? Never have been able to do it right at home, and some restaurants can't. The hibachi places that I've been to have all been good, but some of the worst I've had is at PF Chang's, and it's consistently bad. It's all in what you want I suppose.

 

[RocketDawg]

Here, it depends on the size of your group. 8 or more get 18%, but if you go in alone or as a couple it's up to you to tip.

I'm not a big believer in a percentage tip. If I have an $8 lunch I'll give the waitress more than $1.60. She works just as hard for that as if it was a $25 bill. On the other hand, if a dinner bill is $100, $20 might be a bit excessive.

 

[engie]

You have fried rice perfected? Never have been able to do it right at home, and some restaurants can't. The hibachi places that I've been to have all been good, but some of the worst I've had is at PF Chang's, and it's consistently bad. It's all in what you want I suppose.

Pretty good. Start with cooked jasmine rice that has been refrigerated overnight and had the clumps shaken out of it a couple of times. That’s the biggest key to the whole deal from what I can tell. So you aren’t really cooking rice, just warming it up essentially. You can add the frozen peas and carrots at that point if you want. You basically can’t put too much butter, garlic, eggs or onions imo. Use high flash point oil, but I haven’t noted a bunch of variance between the different ones. Soy is possible to overdo but you’ve got to be trying. I throw what will seem like too much finely minced onions on first and cook the texture out of them. I put the sesame seeds on but haven’t noted much added or lost on them. The other key ingredient seems to be a nice coating of white pepper. I tried it with fresh minced garlic for awhile, but actually like better with garlic salt. Easy to over/underdo it with the fresh and burn the fresh.

 

[HumpDawgy]

Most of these guys make a good salary. Tip your wait staff and if you are feeling generous and have money to burn, go ahead and tip the chef.

The national average Hibachi Chef salary is $54,443

 

[tatedog]

I'll definitely tip my hibachi chef in Los Angeles, because at that salary he's sleeping on a cold hibachi.

 

[HumpDawgy]

I'll definitely tip my hibachi chef in Los Angeles, because at that salary he's sleeping on a cold hibachi.

I'll repeat with emphasis

The national average Hibachi Chef salary is $54,443

 

[tatedog]

That was my point. National averages mean diddly squat, especially for a job like this that skews in numbers to high cost of living areas. I haven't done any in depth research. I'm just assuming New York City and Los Angeles have more hibachi chefs than rural northwest Mississippi.

 

[seshomoru]

There is literally nothing engie can resist telling you how to do.

 

[bulldogcountry1]

I'll repeat with emphasis

The national average Hibachi Chef salary is $54,443

I think it must be said that there is an an extreme lack of diversity in the Hibachi chef profession.**

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

Pretty good. Start with cooked jasmine rice that has been refrigerated overnight and had the clumps shaken out of it a couple of times. That’s the biggest key to the whole deal from what I can tell. So you aren’t really cooking rice, just warming it up essentially. You can add the frozen peas and carrots at that point if you want. You basically can’t put too much butter, garlic, eggs or onions imo. Use high flash point oil, but I haven’t noted a bunch of variance between the different ones. Soy is possible to overdo but you’ve got to be trying. I throw what will seem like too much finely minced onions on first and cook the texture out of them. I put the sesame seeds on but haven’t noted much added or lost on them. The other key ingredient seems to be a nice coating of white pepper. I tried it with fresh minced garlic for awhile, but actually like better with garlic salt. Easy to over/underdo it with the fresh and burn the fresh.

No egg? I cook it every couple weeks at home with some form of chicken and shrimp. And you forgot one huge key ingredient. Sesame oil. Sesame oil makes or breaks fried rice. I use to use jasmine, and it's probably blasphemous, but I use brown rice now. Just a lot better for you. And I can't make the soup for ****. Only one I've tried is egg drop and it's an abortion every time.

 

[aTotal360]

More proof of Asian pay bias. ***

 

[engie]

No egg? I cook it every couple weeks at home with some form of chicken and shrimp. And you forgot one huge key ingredient. Sesame oil. Sesame oil makes or breaks fried rice. I use to use jasmine, and it's probably blasphemous, but I use brown rice now. Just a lot better for you. And I can't make the soup for ****. Only one I've tried is egg drop and it's an abortion every time.

"You basically can't put too much egg".

I am using safflower oil at this point but am up for suggestions on that. Really have never noted any of the different oils adding anything much but am up for that to happen.

 

[Seinfeld]

You pretty much nailed my home recipe. I probably tried a dozen times before getting it right, but they keys for me were the pre-cooked rice, a little sesame oil, high heat on the wok/skillet, and then most important of all... the yum yum sauce.

At first, it was a bit of a hassle, but after you get it all memorized, it’s not too tough to make a great batch of fried rice. Plus, I really like having the flexibility at home to use all kinds of different beef and seafood. You can feed 8 people at the house for $25 whereas I’d drop $125-$175 easily by taking 8 people out.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

"You basically can't put too much egg".

I am using safflower oil at this point but am up for suggestions on that. Really have never noted any of the different oils adding anything much but am up for that to happen.

I read right over that. I do pretty much what you said. Butter, soy and sesame oil is all I use as far as “liquid” if you consider butter in that category. Lots of butter.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

You pretty much nailed my home recipe. I probably tried a dozen times before getting it right, but they keys for me were the pre-cooked rice, a little sesame oil, high heat on the wok/skillet, and then most important of all... the yum yum sauce.

At first, it was a bit of a hassle, but after you get it all memorized, it’s not too tough to make a great batch of fried rice. Plus, I really like having the flexibility at home to use all kinds of different beef and seafood. You can feed 8 people at the house for $25 whereas I’d drop $125-$175 easily by taking 8 people out.

Exactly. I forgot yum yum sauce. It makes everything better. I mostly use fresh shrimp and make a terryaki type sauce but I’ve wanted to try beef.

 

[fishwater99]

Who the hell eats hibachi at a sushi restaurant anyway?

if you want a steak go to a steak house, sushi go to a sushi restaurant.

 

[RocketDawg]

I'm surprised somebody hasn't complained ....

 

[HumpDawgy]

Who the hell eats hibachi at a sushi restaurant anyway?

if you want a steak go to a steak house, sushi go to a sushi restaurant.

Because of the flaming onion volcano.....of course. You don't get that at Outback (well, not until you go to the bathroom.)

 

[Shamoan]

Did they bring me my drink or did I get it myself?