We were looking for a place to take our 3 girls, all under 7 years old, for dinner the other night. My girls love Chinese food, and are usually up for trying different things. They had also seen glimpses of the Christmas episode of "The Office" last year, and wondered what type of restaurant they were eating in where you sat around a big grill. So off we were to find a hibachi!

We knew of Sakura in Bel Air, but living in Aberdeen, we didn’t know if the kid’s excitement would last the drive there. Then we remembered The Japan House in Aberdeen. Now, I have lived in Aberdeen for over 25 years, and have never been there. I don’t really know why.

When we arrived, we were asked if we wanted table or grill-side seating. We, of course, chose to be around the grill. We got there at a good time, because only 2 of the 5 grills in the main eating area were in use. By the time we left, all were taken. And interestingly enough, every grill was occupied by families with multiple children.

The food was moderately priced for adults, but rather expensive for kids. This certainly wasn’t our normal "kid’s night" at Applebee’s for $1.99. You do get a lot of food for the money, but this generally gets wasted with young kids. Of course, I just ate the leftovers before we left. I ordered the Filet Mignon and Shrimp combo with fried rice. You are also served a salad and soup. My meal added up to be $21.95, including a $2.00 upcharge for fried rice instead of white. The shrimp was ok, but the steak was excellent. You are given tons of onions, bean sprouts and zucchini with your meal as well.

The service was very good, as is to be expected in a place as small as The Japan House. The have a large sushi bar inside, as well as a sectioned-off bar area.

Overall, I would give the food and service an 8 and the price a 6, averaging out to be a 7. My family is excited to go back, although it may be a while due to the expense.

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