Take the opportunity to do as this column’s heading suggests—‘‘Dinner and a Movie.”
Matsutake Hibachi, Sushi and Steak House, located at 5225 Buckeystown Pike in the Westview Promenade, is neighbor to a major movie theater. Perfect!
High gloss, cherry wood walls surround the dining room. The décor is simplistic with a few pretty pictures on display. Soft lighting offers a subdued glow, bringing out the patina of the wood.
I wondered if the restaurant was slammed that evening, or if they were short of help. Most of the servers ran between tables and to the kitchen in order to keep patrons happy. Maybe this is the norm, as the service was excellent.
A true taste of Asia awaited us as we took a few minutes to absorb the menu. Asian Restaurants generally serve large portions — and this was no exception. We chose not to have an appetizer. However, Matsutake does offer a wide selection of over 20 tempting choices.
I did order a bowl of Gyoza soup — beef dumplings prepared in a light broth — and enjoyed every spoonful.
For my entrée, chicken and shrimp was presented with the meats leaning on a tee-pee shaped doily with vegetables in the middle, thin rice noodles on the top and garnished with a sprig of fresh parsley.
It was authentic, skillfully prepared and delicious. I chose fried rice instead of white, and my generous serving was light and fluffy.
My husband’s entrée of lightly battered and deep fried Japanese-style chicken cutlet, called Chicken Katsu, was served with shredded carrots, tomato slices, broccoli, and a cole slaw-type mixture. Glazed with plum sauce, he commented that it was an exceptional meal.
Chopsticks were available, but being somewhat inept with these, we broke down and requested silverware. I did notice a table of four women dexterously using the chopsticks and not dropping a bite.
Shrimp, salmon, beef, tofu, vegetables, pork cutlet, chicken, various types of Japanese noodle soup and Thai flavored pasta, all prepared in authentic Japanese style, are just a sampling of the enticing menu items.
On the lighter side, spinach, seaweed, avocado, chicken teriyaki, salmon or mixed greens salads are possibilities.
The hibachi menu features the showy chefs preparing chicken, steak, filet mignon, shrimp, scallops, lobster, tofu and steak in many combinations. If you wish to splurge, and have the appetite to go with it, you might try the Imperial Dinner — a lobster, shrimp and filet mignon creation.
Sushi lovers take note. A lovely bar, featuring a wide variety of sumptuous sushi, is situated to one side of the main dining area.
At the counter, you can watch the impeccably dressed masters at work, or you can also be seated at tables. A whimsical clock behind the bar features pieces of sushi instead of numbers.
Lunch can be ordered from the sushi bar, hibachi grill or regular menu. Children are offered four hibachi entrees of chicken, steak or shrimp or a combination. These are served with soup, vegetable and fried rice.
Desserts include tempura ice cream, tempura banana split (two scoops of your choice of ice cream with tempura bananas), cheesecake, and ice cream flavors of ginger, green tea, French vanilla, coconut chocolate crunch, espresso chocolate chip or mango sherbet. Interesting possibilities await your sweet tooth.
Matsutake Hibachi, Sushi and Steak House
5225 Buckeystown Pike (Westview Promenade)
Frederick
301-631-5060
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday
Dinner: 4:30-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4:30-10:30 p.m. Friday; 3-10:30 p.m. Saturday; 3-9:30 p.m. Sunday
All major credit cards
Handicapped Accessible
