A1 Japanese Steak House
Rating: 
There is a stand of coin-operated fish food dispensers in front of the pond. On the right wall, there is a bulletin board holding school children’s letters exalting the virtues of the restaurant in an attempt to get a field trip.
From there, the restaurant is divided into an open area housing the sushi bar and three rooms, one for general a la carte dining and two with hibachi tables.
The rooms are designed to give the appearance of an Asian street. False roofs project out from each room as though they are individual buildings. Bamboo and rice paper walls add an exotic feel.
The one hibachi room seats up to 80 people and is ideal for private celebrations. The restaurant takes on a family feel because there is a very low turnover rate among employees. They have become very familiar faces to the frequent guests and know their likes and dislikes.
As it was our first visit, our cordial hostess, manager Cherry Lee, sat us in the a la carte room. We also considered moving to the hibachi after having some appetizers. The setting is very tranquil with nicely-appointed tables and booths with the feel of a tropical paradise.
The restaurant also offers many exotic, tropical drinks, so you could almost feel the cool ocean breeze. Lee suggested a watermelon mojito for my spouse while I had a Japanese beer.
Lee explained the specials board that includes Asian fusion dishes. It changes about every three months, which allows guests to enjoy their favorite special on a frequent basis.
We started dinner with a Phoenix roll — salmon and tuna combined with scallions and a small amount of rice wrapped in soy paper served with the usual wasabi and ginger. The soy paper gave it a very different texture and flavor.
We also had the fried red snapper from the specials board. The coating was very crisp while the fish was very light and flaky. It was served with a dipping sauce that was ever so slightly spicy. This fish was so good, my spouse — who prefers meat over fish — asked me if I wanted the last piece, but did not wait for a reply. I guess it was a rhetorical question.
Next, we had the seafood udon. This flavorful, large bowl of noodle soup was jam-packed with shrimp, scallops, fish cake and fresh vegetables.
By this time, we were too comfortable to move to the hibachi table. Fortunately, the same menu is served in the a la carte room without the show.
We enjoyed a filet mignon and salmon combination from the hibachi menu along with all the trimmings. While I had the house dressing on my salad, my spouse had the ginger dressing. They were both very good, served over the well-drained, crisp lettuce and ripe tomato.
The filet and salmon were both well seasoned and nicely cooked. The wide array of vegetables included zucchini, onion, mushroom, carrot and broccoli.
With all the food we had, there was no room for dessert, but before leaving I wanted to get an idea of the hibachi chef’s showmanship.
We stood at the doorway of the hibachi room and watched. While the show was the typical onion mountain spewing flames with twirling knives and spatulas, it was done with great care.
With the quality of food and service as well as the pleasant atmosphere the A-1 rates an AHHHHH (5) out of 5 AHs.
E-mail Jim Clark at weeklyentree@verizon.net.
Location: 110 Lincoln Highway, Fairless Hills Cuisine: Japanese Alcoholic Beverages: Full-service bar Ambience: Casual Hours: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 10 p.m. Prices: Sushi, soups salads: $1.75 to $10.75; Entrees: $10.25 to $23.45; Hibachi: $11 to $30.95; Hibachi for two: $51.95 Phone Number: 215-269-1178
