A touch of Japan in the heart of Orland Park

Fuji Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi
15132 South LaGrange Road, Orland Park, Illinois
Cuisine: Japanese Hibachi/Sushi
Price: $$-$$$

Although it was a longer drive to get out here from our neck of the woods, I was really happy with the overall experience and food that Fuji provided to us.

ATMOSPHERE: Even though Fuji is tucked away in a mini-mall, don't let that scare you, it is definately worth checking out. Upon entering, we noticed right away that this place was packed! However, we had a reservation, so we got our table right away. There was a small amount of japanese decor around, but my eye was drawn to the several hibachi grills looming before us. I will say that compared to other hibachi style restaurants we've been to, the seating and spacing between tables was a little tight. However, I know that they only had so much space to work with, so they utilized it very appropriately.

DRINKS: We didn't delve too deeply into the drinks because we were on the spot to order quickly, so, we opted for the traditional japanese beers, I got a Sapporo and Jon got the Asahi. I did notice that they had a variety of Saki, Wine and a full bar available as well.

FOOD: I decided to go with the Hibachi Chicken and Garlic Shrimp combo, while Jon opted for the Scallops and Calamari hibachi style. To start with, they bring out a cup of onion soup in a light broth along with a Fuji Salad with Ginger dressing. Several people at our table ordered Sushi for an appetizer and I will say that the one spicy tuna roll I tried definately was in the top five of sushi restaurants in the area; it was delicious! After our soup and Salad, our Hibachi chef showed up and started grilling up the fried rice. The giant fireball he created from the oil on the gril was definately a spectacle! He did some very entertaining egg tricks in which he flipped them up in the air with his spatula and then cracked them open and fried them to go along with the rice. After that, he cooked up the vegetables in which he did the traditional onion volcano trick and then moved onto the meats.

The Garlic Shrimp was AMAZING! Even though everyone at the table made some cracks at how my breath was going to smell afterwards, it wasn't overpowering. The shrimp had a great flavor and perfect tenderness. In between cooking the chicken, he served Jon his scallops and calamari. Jon's dish made me wish that I ordered his. The scallops were succulent and not chewy or dried out. The Calamari was suprisingly tender and flavorful as well! It was nice to try calamari for once unfried. After the seafood, our chef cooked up the chicken. The chicken was definately good, but it was a tad on the dry side after having tried the scallops and calamari. It was still good however, and is a great standby for those who are afraid of seafood.

After everything was cooked, he even went on to cook mushrooms and sprouts. At this point, I felt like after eating for 30 minutes, that my plate just kept filling itself up again!! We had SO much food! I threw in the towel shortly after and asked for a box to take my goodies home in.

After all of the main course eating was over... I got news that we got ice cream too! Oi! Jon and I opted to get the Green Tea ice cream since I had never tried that before and it was wonderful! (The other two choices were vanilla and sherbert). On top of ice cream, we were also given sliced oranges.

SERVICE: The service was right on target, the waitresses were fast and attentive, never letting anything go empty or letting empty plates sit around for too long.

Overall, I would say that this is a fantastic hibachi grill to visit. The service was impeccable, the food was delicious and the atmopshere was definately fun and entertaining. Sure, the prices may be a bit high, but you definately get what you pay for in food (including soup, salad, rice, meat, veggies, ice cream & fruit). Definately check it out if you're in the area, you won't be sorry!

WOULD WE GO BACK? In a heartbeat! This place is worth every penny!

- Review by Theresa