{Eat there}: Tokyo Grill.

It has been over a year since that fateful day when I started eating sushi. Ever since then I've been searching for good (but cheap) sushi. I love Sekisui Midtown but I feel like every time Jake and I go I get the bill and am like... um whaa?

Another (random) thing... I miss cheap good hibachi. In college there was this place I went with my roommates (shout out to the girls of 1312) all the time where you could get $8 hibachi that was the rice, veggies, soup, salad, and meat. And it was FAST. None of this chef-throwing-fire-in-your-face business. Hibachi places stress me out. (And now I'm sounding like my mother - hi Mom!).

Ok so now that I've rambled about sushi and hibachi let's get down to business. I'd been reading about Tokyo Grill, a fast-food Japanese place on Park at Mendenhall (where it turns into Mt. Moriah). We were out doing the Target run last Sunday (yes, we have a routine. no, we're not ancient ...yet). Best part about Tokyo Grill? I heard they had good/cheap/yummy sushi AND good/cheap/yummy hibachi. So BAM there we went.

When you walk in you're greeted with this counter with a menu and place to order. If you want to eat in the restaurant, you go and sit down but if you want to get a to-go order, you can do so here. A lot of people were getting to-go orders and I can see why. Good and cheap.

We sat down and studied our menus. So many choices!

They had lots of sushi rolls - these were the bargain ones:

They did indeed have the cheap hibachi too:

I ordered a clear soup to start and it came in a container big enough for about three people! Jake and I shared it. I can see myself getting this to go on the way home on days when it is cold and I have a sore throat. It was delicious.

We then shared an order of the spicy crawfish roll. They were made fresh to order and we got to watch our guy do it!  This roll was $4.25.

And then last the hibachi came out. We got chicken teriyaki (my fave) and it, too, was enough food for about three people. The rice alone was so much food!

You'll notice even when we ate dine in, everything still came out in the to-go Styrofoam. I guess that is just easier for them but I did feel wasteful.

I would definitely recommend going there. The owner was at the counter and we chatted when we checked out - he was so nice and he told me they are opening a second location in the Ridgeway area.

You know you want to go there - here's their website.

In sushi and soy sauce,

Go there: A-Tan.

A-Tan is an East Memphis (Midtown? U of M area?) restaurant that specializes in three distinct things, depending on where you sit  - you can have hibachi at the family style tables, sushi, and/or Chinese fare. We've been going there for Chinese food since I was little and more recently added both sushi and the hibachi to our routine.

The reason for this post, though, is to spread the news of the Happy Hour sushi specials they have during the week. The other day we needed a quick, healthy meal out that was cheap and this was our solution:

Their Happy Hour for sushi has a limited menu but there were plenty of options:

Happy Hour is 5-7pm (and 11-1pm for lunch) on Monday through Thursday. Nigiri is $2.00 and Rolls are $3.00. It is a great deal - definitely worth trying out. 

I didn't opt for sushi but instead got my favorites - the dumpling appetizer and the stir-fried garlic green beans:

Both are great choices for the non-sushi crowd. The atmosphere in A-Tan is casual but refined. Could be a good go-to for a week night but can be classed up if you want a fun dinner out (like hibachi for a birthday!):

A-Tan is located across from Poplar Plaza behind the Perkins in a little strip mall. It is family owned and a lot of times you can see the owner running the show. I definitely recommend checking it out, whether for the sushi happy hour or for a general dinner time visit. 

In white rice and soy sauce,