Restaurant Review: Kihachi (Columbus, OH)
Boasting one of the finest menus to be found in Columbus, Kihachi is a nestled away in a most unexpected location -- a nondescript strip mall just off I-270 near Sawmill and Dublin-Granville Rd. Don’t allow appearances to deceive you, it is absolutely great. With quality of such high caliber, one would expect to find a restaurant of this sort in the heart of downtown or in the likes of NYC heavyweights with expensive furnishings and astronomical prices to match. Fortunately for us, they spare the pretense and focus entirely on inspired dishes expertly crafted from only the freshest high quality ingredients. Due to its unassuming exterior, finding it can prove a bit difficult (even if privy to the lore), but once found, a treasure trove of culinary delights awaits you.
Much like the outside, the inside of the restaurant is rather modest. The décor falls somewhere between traditional, minimal, and elegant while the restaurant’s small size makes for an intimate dining experience. There are many tatami rooms lining the walls, two tables in the center of the restaurant that can seat four, and a sushi bar that gives a front row show of the masterful chef in action.
Many of the old favorites are listed on the menu such as a various sushi rolls, soba noodles, teriyaki, and tempura, but what really makes it exciting are the specials and menu items that most Americans would be unfamiliar with. With this particular visit, my party and I ordered primarily from the specials menu written entirely in Japanese. The courteous and attentive staff was more than willing to translate and describe each dish in full, mouthwatering detail, so there was no need for intimidation. Out of the eight or so specials, we ordered four and a few other items from the regular menu.
First up was the bluefin toro roll special. As mentioned in a previous article, toro is one of the finest cuts of sushi. We received 12 pieces. Each roll contained quite sizeable chunks of tuna with visible lines of fat (a very good thing). Nicely chewy and had a melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture. Soy sauce be damned, it was so fresh that I was reticent to use any at all.
Chris ordered a cod special. The fish was squeezed and pressed into balls. The texture was dry with a dense center and had a grainy, somewhat powdery feel in the mouth. None of us had ever tried anything like that before and didn’t quite know what to make of it. While the taste was far from bad, it was just new and strange to us.
Next came one of the highlights of the evening: braised pork cheek. Being my first experience with pork cheek, I wasn’t certain what to expect. As pictured, the presentation was lovely. It was served with red onion, cherry tomato, and shaved celery. The meat was warm, had just enough fat, and was ever so delicious. Now having tried it, I would say pork cheek is somewhat similar to pork belly, or tontoro. In addition to the meat itself, what really made this dish was the glaze. It was sweet and tasted of maybe honey, or fig? I couldn’t quite place it. Whatever the glaze, this is a new favorite of mine.
We had a few rounds of tempura. From the regular menu, we had two orders of the veggie and an order of shrimp and what appeared to be Asian broccoli from the specials. Pretty typical of tempura that could be found at most Japanese restaurants, there wasn’t anything that greatly set it apart. Breading was nice and crispy, and the tempura dipping sauce was pretty good. It appeared to be made from ginger and stock.
Still hungry, one of the lovely ladies with us ordered a chicken dish. Continuing the theme of high quality ingredients, the chicken was said to be free-range. That is always a plus and often unheard of in restaurants. It was prepared very well with a light breading, tasty seasoning, and was nicely moist.
And finally, highlight of the evening #2: snapper sushi. Photos of this dish do not give it justice, the presentation was beautiful and the taste much the same. It was garnished with painstakingly thinly sliced lime wheels. The snapper was just stellar with its subtle seasonings. It was sweet, tangy, and somewhat woody with just a touch of spice from the Japanese peppercorn. Attention was paid to every detail in this dish, it was even served with its own specially blended citrus and soy sauce. After the first order was finished, Chris promptly ordered seconds. In retrospect, I wish there had been thirds and even fourths.
With the night drawing to a close and completely satisfied with our meal, we decided to end the evening with dessert. They had a few options to choose from, including green tea ice cream, but we ultimately decided on two orders of pear custard. As with everything else that evening, it exceeded all expectations. The custard itself was very delicate, both in texture and taste, and while good on its own, was excellent paired with the fruit served with it. Certainly, a perfect ending to a perfect meal.
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