Fujiyama Review

Location: 5755 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43231

Fujiyama is a Japanese steakhouse. The chef cooks your food in front of you and gives you a little show while he does it. You menus selections are pretty much steak, chicken, fish or shrimp.

Design:

Brad: You walk in and you're immediately interested in the look of Fujiyama. The first thing you see is the hostess standing across this little bridge with a fake pond running underneath it. It was really neat and your first instinct is to stop and look down at the water. The main room dining room is very nice too. There are several fish tanks with very colorful fish. The dining room is very open and quiet. You don't feel cramped at all and you can hear yourself think. The chairs are also very comfortable. Callie and I also walked over to the bar area to see how it looked. We were delighted to find that the tables there were actually fish tanks. It was a great feature and made me want to order a drink and look at the tables some more. The outside is also very stylish as it's designed to look like an old Japanese building. The design to this place was very memorable and on a scale of 10 I'd give it a 10.

Callie: I am very interested in Asian art so I am a little bias when it comes to places like this. I thought it was wonderful. It gave a feeling of being somewhere in Japan instead of just in a restaurant. Other adjectives are open, spacious, calming. It was a truly enjoyable experience. 10/10

Service:

Brad: Our waiter really did it right. He kept the drinks full, he was friendly but didn't hover and he was attentive. It really was a treat. At our usual Japanese steakhouse it seems like we're always fighting with the staff to get my rice out before the meal or we're left for long periods with nothing to drink. My rice was promptly brought out with no mention from Callie or me. Our drinks were always full and Callie switched to Coke after having water and it wasn't a big deal. Our chef was proficient at what he did. You get pretty much the same show at any place and he hit all of the standard tricks well. He cooked the food very well and he was friendly the entire time. The waiter also brought us a $5 coupon for our next visit which was very appreciated. They really went above and beyond for us here and it really stood compared to a lot of our dining experiences. I'd give service a 9 out of 10.

Callie: The waiter was the best one we have had in a long time. Instant refills, steady, non intrusive busing. Everything was perfect and timely. The chef's show was the standard Japanese Steak House show. He was very polite and got our food correct. 9/10

Food:

Brad: I went with the filet mignon and shrimp. I'm not really a salad eater and I don't like onion so I skipped out on my appetizers. The food wasn't quite as good as where we usually go but I still enjoyed it. The meat was well cooked and tasty. He didn't under or over cook my meat. The meat was also very good quality and had a nice texture to it. I hate going to a restaurant and wondering if they actually gave you beef when you bite into your "steak". The shrimp also were cooked to perfection. My only real complaint with my food was it was a little on the bland side. The sauces provided helped with that a little bit but I just prefer it cooked into my meat. The other important part of the Japanese steakhouse meal for me is the rice. I don't like fried rice so I always go for the steamed rice. At our usual place it's always a huge ordeal. We have to complain to the staff or the chef gets so fed up he yells at the waitress to get my rice. And after all that it's usually been underdone. The fact I got my rice early and it was cooked just right was a huge plus here. It wasn't too crunchy and it wasn't soggy. It was just right. I'd give the food a 7.5 out of 10.

Callie: The meal started off with onion soup and salad with house dressing. I ordered the less expensive House steak and the fried rice. The onion soup was good, not the best I've ever had but it was good. The house dressing was really strong. Kind of Italian based and over all not pleasant. The fried rice, again, was not the best I've ever had. The rice consistency was perfect but there was something wanting in the flavor. The steak was cooked perfectly. I order my steak medium rare and this steak was melt in your mouth delicious. There could have been more seasoning, but the darker sauce the provided was perfect for steak dipping. I also had some of the grilled vegetables that made everything a little tastier as well. I would give the food a 6/10 .

Other Patrons:

Brad & Callie: It was really slow when Callie and I ate there. Most people seemed to be in there late 20s and early 30s. There were a few children there but their parents seemed to have them under wraps pretty well. No one really did anything to detract from our dining experience. If you do have young and or hyperactive children I would recommend avoiding this place. As I stated in the design section there are tables near the bar that are fish tanks. I imagine these are pretty sturdy but just be warned. Children will be attracted to it and you probably don't want to subject yourself to the horror if one of these were to potentially break.

Final Thoughts:

Brad & Callie: An excellent overall experience. I was amazed when I got in my car afterwards and saw that an hour had passed. The price was a little more than what Callie and I typically spend at a place but I didn't really feel cheated in any way. I was thrilled with the great service and the unique interior design of the place. The unfortunate part for us is that it's really out of the way for us so we probably won't find ourselves back there for awhile. If you're looking to try a Japanese steakhouse, you won't go wrong giving Fujiyama a try. Our final score for them is an 8 out of 10.