dining In April 2008, Amy and Peter Chen of Olympia opened Fujiyama Restaurant on the Westside. They have brought a taste of Tokyo to Olympia by serving traditional ‘Teppanyaki’ cuisine—a style of Japanese fare that uses an iron grill to cook the food (Teppan= iron plate, Yaki= grilled)—Fujiyama also puts their personal spin on the delicious tradition. Fujiyama got me most thrilled about their grilling because of the talented chefs, the freshest local seafood and meats they serve, and their creative, Asian-inspired cocktails. There, chefs prepare your meal theatrically to order; grilling meat and vegetables right at the table. Our knife-wielding, singing and joking chef Glen Amberson, was one of the most talented I’ve ever seen. This chef was more like a oneman show. He bounced and balanced eggs on his spatula. He created a flaming volcano out of stacked, thick slices of onion and homemade garlic butter. And he flipped a perfectly seared sea scallop off the grill, tossed it mid-air, then landed it deliciously centered on my plate. Fujiyama really gets grilling with high quality meats and fresh caught seafood. You’ll find excellent entrees in all of their Hibachi listings. Steak is plentiful and popular, and they offer the best cuts to include New York, Rib Eye, Filet Mignon and a 10 oz Center Cut. Their seafood offerings are local and fresh and the steak/seafood combinations can be made up with succulent choices like shrimp, salmon, scallops or lobster.
“One of the more popular entrees is the Fujiyama Deluxe with fried rice—which is by far the best of both worlds,” exclaims Patricia, a manager at Fujiyama. “This meal is made up of a premium cut of filet, a fresh lobster tail, and scallops—which makes the entree a customer favorite!” Other Tokyo-inspired treats included a marvelous martini menu. As a huge fan of fruity martinis, I was jazzed about trying the juicy Toyko Apple and the refreshing Plumtini. For those who enjoy sipping a bit dangerously, you may prefer the spicy likes of a Wasabi Martini or a Sayonara Martini. The restaurant also conveniently features two daily happy hours in their bar during the week—one in the afternoon and one later in the evening. Other highlights include fair value pricing for the food, service and entertainment. Fujiyama also makes many of their sauces and dressings from scratch with seasonings like fresh garlic, ginger and wasabi. If it’s dinner and a show you want, Fujiyama won’t disappoint. TAMMY ROBACKER
2930 Capitol Mall Drive, Olympia 360.352.9888
www.showcasemedialive.com
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