I should have seen this coming....

Have you ever gotten started on something, it could be anything, and its not going right from the get go?  You do your best to keep trying to keep the train on the tracks but the harder you push and the harder you try to make the magic happen, the more obvious it seems that there is going to be a total train wreck in your near future?

The story I am about to tell is about such a train wreck. 

One thing I learned from my grandpa was, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy".  This statement was in reference to the success and simplicity of his relationship with my grandma.  It's akin to "happy wife/happy life".  I admired that about him and them and I strived to do the same thing in my life and marriage.

One night I was at work and the wife and a friend of hers came in.  The wife started telling me about this new Japanese restaraunt that she really wanted to try.  Japanese cuisine isn't something that I would normally be on board with, but the more she talked it up, the more important I knew it was to her.  So I told her, "make the reservations and other necessary arrangements and we will go".

The next morning she tells me that we are on for the following weekend.  I let her know that I was totally on board.  (Happy wife/ happy life bullshit, full steam....)  I head off to work that evening and more or less forget everything about this arrangement.  No big surprise, the wife calls me a bit later at work and tells me how much this means to her and how much fun we are going to have and just goes on and on and on.

During our conversation, she mentions the name of the place but it doesn't sound familiar.  The bar was getting busy and I had to get off the phone.  I told her I loved her and was really looking forward to the evening.

I get a break in the action at work and decide to look this joint up.  I mean, she keeps going on and on about it, it must really be something spectacular!  Into the "googler" I type N E T A N Y A H U and hit search.  Obviously I got the name wrong because Netanyahu is the name of the Isreali Prime Minister and not a Japanese restaraunt.  (This should have been my first indicator that this thing would pan out to be a soup sandwich, but it just didn't click.)

So, I give her a call.  I said, "Honey, there is no Japanese restaraunt around here called Netanyahu's.''  She started laughing and said, "Of course not.  First of all, the place isn't here.  It's in Salt Lake.  Secondly, Netanyahu is the Isreali Prime Minister.  What in the hell could he possibly know about Japanese Hibachi cooking?" 

My next replay sent the mood in the wrong direction, naturally.  "Salt :Lake?  Jesus Christ, I thought we were going to dinner and now we have this whole road trip planned.... it better be all you're making it out to be."  As usual, she told me to cool my jets and that everything was going to be fine.

Now, the big day arrives.  I am going to drive 4 hours to eat Japanese food.  I normally wouldn't have given it a try if it was being made in my back yard, but off we go.  We get into Salt Lake, check into our motel room and start to get ready.  The wife packed my nicest white button down, a pair of jeans and my boots for me and of course is going to do her best to get all gussied up.  (She looked fantastic, by the way.) 

She knows I don't like venturing too far away from my comfort zone and I knew that doing so would mean the world to her....  (Yeah, more "happy wife/happy life bullshit....)  So, as well pull into the parking lot, she begins her celebration.  She does this little giggle and clap thing that she cannot control, so that happens and as it does, I feel this impending doom setting in.  I don't know what it was but my intuition was telling me, this was going to end poorly. 

As we were walking towards the door, I tried to talk her into a steak joint that we drove by but she was having none of it.  She started chanting the places name over and over like a 5 year old standing in the Disney Land parking lot.  We walk into the most trendy, Japanese looking place I have ever seen.  The place was spotless and nothing was out of place.  Traditional Japanese artwork on all of the walls, complete with the obligatory bamboo plants in the corners.

At this point, the most Japanese Japanese woman in the world greeted us.  She was a beautiful person but I couldn't understand a thing she said, which is odd because its normally me that has to work as the Dudley family foreign language interpreter.  She said whatever she said and DeeDee just nods and we are whisked away to a big ass room full of big ass grilles.  These guys are cutting shit up, twirling knives, cleavers and machetes and shit... flames blowing out all over the place and it is only now that I think we are in for a good time.

Our hostess seats us at our own private grille, says something else that I can't understand and walks away.  I am watching the chef next to us doing his best to not burn the joint down!  the folks in front of him are "ooohing and aaahing" and he is really kicking some bar-b-cue ass on that grill!  I'm amazed and thought to myself, "this alone is worth it."

Another Japanese woman elegantly approaches with menus.  She asked if we wanted cocktails, which naturally we did.  DeeDee order some Triple Zombie or some damned thing and I ordered a Japanese Lager...  it kicked almost as much ass as the chef at the next table.  The drinks arrive and the lady kindly explains how things are going to happen.  Again, I can't understand so I am taking DeeDee's lead on this.  The next thing I know, we are confirming the fact that I ordered Filet Mignon and seafood....  I nod and said, "Your damned right."  DeeDee ordered the same thing.

Moments later, the most Japanese looking guy in the world comes out pushing a tray with all kinds of shit on it.  He nods and smiles and starts preparing the grille.  He's saying shit that we don't understand, throwing knives in the air and banging some spatula looking thing on the grille.



They must have given us the best guy!  People around us where watching this guys routine.  He'd say something, point at something on the tray, throw that shit in the air, chopping and screaming... twirling other sharp things.  It was awesome.  The guy kept trying to ask us if we liked stuff, but I'd just nod and smile. 

The guy cuts up a pepper and an onion with super human speed, stacks it up and squirts oil in the middle.  It made this little volcano thing, which was also bad ass!  This dude was a hibachi ninja!  The more he did, the more awesome he got!  We were both enjoying the show but DeeDee was over the moon impressed with everything. 

At this point, the vegetables are kind of precooked, so he moves them to a cooler part of the grille.  He pulls out 2 nice looking filets and starts his acrobat/ninja spice routine.  Shit was flying everywhere and then in bionic fashion, the guy manages to cut both steaks into 1/4 inch thick slices, screams some Japanese shit and throws it on the grille.  A huge flame erupts, knives and cleavers are getting thrown around again and then he pulls out the shrimp, lobster and scallops. 

Now, all kinds of crazy shit is happening.  This guy was moving around so effortlessly, but so incredibly fast, it was just amazing!  More flames... more knives... it was just awesome.  The next thing I know, I am taking a sip of my beer and the chef looks at me and says, "You rikey shreeemp?'  I look at DeeDee, I look back at him.  Again he says, "You rikey Shreemp?" and I finally get what it is that he is saying... or at least I thought I got what he was trying to say.  I nod my head and in a split second, the guy picks a shrimp up with the end of his knife and throws it at my face!

The shrimp bounces off my forehead, bounces off my bad ass white buttong down and hits the floor.  I have a 2nd degree grease burn on my head.  DeeDee and the chef are laughing and now, all of a sudden, this guy speaks real good English with a strong Japanese accent.  When he stops laughing he says, "You awful.  You no coordination.  I fro shreemp, you catch in mouf.  You no catch in mouf, you let bounce off head!" 

Now everybody in the joint is laughing at me, DeeDee included.  She did however notice that it was time to jump into full intervention mode.  I said, "Hey Suzuki, I had no idea you were gonna throw shit at me.  Nobody told me, you just start winging prawns around the god damned room like I am your trick pony and am supposed to somehow understand your ass." 

Well, Suzuki or whatever his name is is now laughing harder.  DeeDee is trying to console me and do first aide on the grease burn on my forehead while I want to fight a hot greasy shrimp throwing ninja who is armed with more knives than a cutlery store.... 

The beautiful hostess comes running up with another cold beer.  It was like she knew how to deal with a big idiot like me.  (Beer always works....)  The chef plates our food, bows and then excuses himself.  As he walks from behind the grille, he pats me on the shoulder and says, "You berry good sport but you no coordination." 

By this time, even I saw the humor in the whole thing.  I apologized for my shitty behavior and we all had a good laugh.  As it turns out, the food was absolutely fantastic!  I don't know what he did to that steak but it was one of the best I have ever had.  The name of the joint is Teppanyaki... not to be confused with Netanyahu.  Why I call it Netanyahu, I'll never know.  I am going to go back for another steak and I swear to God, the next time anyone throws a shrimp in the air, even if it as at Sea World and its intended for a lion seal, I am going to catch that son of a bitch and not ruin another shirt!