Masuki On Halstead Brings Japanese Hibachi to Harrison

It started out eight years ago as a Japanese-style delicatessen and take-out restaurant, a tiny spot along Halstead Ave. in Harrison called Masuki. It was opened by the husband and wife team of chefs Shinko and Yuriko Agarie, veterans of the Japanese restaurant business.

When I first met them, Shinko was manning the sushi bar Izakaya at the popular Noda's Japanese Steakhouse in White Plains. His wife Yuri was working the floor. Little Masuki was a dream-come-true for them.

Now they are joined by Master Hibachi Chef Noda, namesake of the original Japanese steakhouse, and they somehow fit an eight-seat hibachi table into the center of their small dining room, ready to be fired up at lunch and dinner.

Best of all is Noda himself, even after 40 years at the hibachi. Noda engages in the ritualistic cooking choreography: Gesticulating, cutting and playing the knives like he's on stage. All smiles, ready to prepare platters of good tender steak, chicken, filet mignon, seafood, scallops, and orange roughy in a variety of hearty and tasty combinations. His cooking and chatting performance is like theater for everyone at the table to enjoy.

Don't forget to start your meal with traditional appetizers like vegetarian osouzal; gyoza, home made pork and vegetable dumplings; shumai, shrimp dumplings; or tempura shrimp and vegetables.

Hibachi dinners come with a shrimp appetizer, soup, crisp salad and white rice. Select from such combos as shrimp with scallops, chicken and sirloin, or your own versions of surf and turf, shrimp and filet mignon. And order Noda's delicious fried rice, more than worth it for an extra $2.50. Flavorful Japanese salad dressings are available in 8 oz. jars for take home too.

In addition to the hibachi table, there's also a fine selection of sushi, sashimi and maki rolls from the compact two-seat sushi counter.  House specialty rolls include the "I Like Eel Roll," with avocado, cucumber, crab stick, eel and tabiko on top; and the calamari roll, with squid tempura, avocado, spicy sauce and tobiko.

There are six additional seats where you can enjoy such specialties at the loaded house Bento Box: A segmented case filled to the brim with your choice of combinations, including Japanese-style croquettes, pork, chicken or shrimp cutlets, Japanese hamburger, chicken teriyaki, fried chicken or fish cutlet. Additional menu specialties include shrimp tendon, shrimp tempura with egg over rice; curry with rice, choice of pork, chicken, croquette or shrimp cutlet; sliced pork and vegetables in ramen noodles; and nabeyaki udon, shrimp and vegetable tempura in udon soup, served in a hot pot.

At lunch the house also offers such reasonably priced dishes as kushiyaki seafood and chicken, or seafood and steak combos. All menu items are available for take out. Custom prepared platters and off-premise catering are also available.

In the right hand window is the original 'Hibachi Steak Seafood' sign taken from Noda's Steakhouse. For customers venturing inside, it's like a small slice of Japan. Yuriko is there to greet all with pleasant conversation. Walls are stark white. There's ancient symbolic Japanese black and white calligraphy hanging on the walls, and tiled floors. An outdoor patio is in the works for seasonal events as well.

If you haven't discovered this little gem yet, check it out.

Masuki Japanese Hibachi & Sushi Restaurant is located at 109 Halstead Ave., Harrison. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Lunch served: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Main courses at lunch: sushi rolls from $3.50 to Kushiyaki seafood and steak at $17.50. Main courses at dinner: sushi rolls from $3.50, Bento box from $9.25, to Hibachi dinners from $17.50 to $26.50. Occasional blackboard specialties. Take out. Party platters and catering. Major credit cards. Free street parking. Phone: 914-777-0775.

(Morris Gut is a restaurant consultant and former restaurant trade magazine editor. He has been tracking and writing about the dining scene in greater Westchester for more than 25 years. He may be reached at: 914-235-6591. E-mail: gutreactions@optonline.net)