Boston Date Night Series: A Quadruple Date at Osaka Hibachi in Brookline
Ahhh! I totally fell off the date night train – sorry to those who are loyal followers of this series! But I’m back today with a whopper of an entry: a quadruple date night with four – you read that right – FOUR couples. It’s pretty crazy how many people within my friend group coupled up, whether in college or right after graduation. There’s me + Darren, Hannah + John, Emily + Jordan, and Lindsay + Sydney. And those are just the couples we could get together on a random Friday night! It’s so fun to hang out together because not only to I get to see some of my best friends, but I also get to spend more time with my S/O. Now, without any further gushing about love and all that mushy stuff, let’s jump into this awesome date idea in Brookline!
If you haven’t been to a Hibachi restaurant before, Osaka Japanese Sushi & Steak House is a great place to try. This trendy spot has a little bit of everything: from a sushi bar and main dining room with Asian fusion cuisine, to a karaoke lounge and several Hibachi show rooms. It’s definitely a good idea to make a reservation (especially for Hibachi), as this is a popular place to go. Keep reading for an inside look at the experience!
The first thing to know about Hibachi is that you should be prepared to participate. No, you won’t be getting behind the grill, but you will be subjected to sake shooters and the chef trying to fling a piece of zucchini into your mouth. If the thought of this scares you, don’t worry – you can opt not to participate via visual clues (a closed mouth and shaking your head/waving your hands usually does the trick). It’s all part of the fun though, so give it a try if you’re feeling it in the moment!
You should also show your appreciation by clapping and cheering. The Hibachi chef is there to entertain you just as much as they are to cook for you, so show them some love. One of my favorite parts is the onion volcano. Our chef was nice enough to make sure I had my camera prepared for this crowd-pleasing moment. So cool!
The next thing to know is that you should come hungry because you’re going to end up with SO. MUCH. FOOD. From fried rice and veggies, to yummy chicken or shrimp and fresh noodles, your plate will just keep piling up as the experience unfolds. Everything is delicious, so it’s hard not to scarf down your whole plate and leave over-stuffed. But if you’re able to show some restraint, you can take the leftovers to go and eat it for lunch/dinner the next day!
My third Hibachi tip comes from my friends… try a Scorpion Bowl! Darren is a total sucker for these things and likes to get one to share whenever we go somewhere that serves them. Fair warning: don’t let the sweet, tropical taste fool you – there is a lot of alcohol in there! Find your DD within the group or plan to Uber if you want to partake.
All in all, Hibachi is such a fun experience. If you’ve never been, you should definitely give it a try. I recommend bringing a large group like we did (there were 8 of us total), but they’ll also sit you with another group if you can only rally a few people.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve been to Hibachi before and what your favorite place is!
