Lakeo Steakhouse of Japan is one of the newest additions to the dining scene in Elizabethton. On a recent afternoon, I paid a visit with a friend for a casual lunch.

 

The restaurant, which opened about two months ago, offers a casual, friendly atmosphere with walls painted in hues of red and yellow ochre. Some of the decorative touches adding a bit of ornamentation to the dining area include a hanging Japanese scroll, some figurines of a family of moose and a couple of brass phoenixes. The decor also incorporates a mix of potted plants, both artificial and live specimens, including a jade plant.

 

The kitchen is located in full view of the dining room, allowing diners to view the chefs at work on preparing their meals.

 

There's also a bar area, which is currently in use as a work station for the restaurant staff. Our server informed us, however, that the restaurant's owners hope to obtain the necessary paperwork to serve alcohol in the near future.

 

Our server, after inquiring if we had visited previously, proceeded to go over the menu in admirable detail, answering any and all of our questions. She also provided her own recommendations.

 

The menu, divided into lunch and dinner sections, features vegetable, chicken, seafood and beef dishes.

 

The seafood options include shrimp and scallops, while the beef options consist of New York Strip, Filet Mignon and Yakiniku.

 

The term "Yakiniku" is the English spelling of a Japanese word meaning "grilled meat," so in its broadest sense, this term simply refers to grilled meat dishes. The term and technique have evolved to commonly refer to a Japanese style of cooking bite-sized meat, usually beef, and vegetables on gridirons or griddles over flame of wood charcoal or on a gas or electric grill. In North America, Yakiniku generally refers to Japanese barbecue, although it can also connote Korean styles of grilling. The menu at Lakeo Steakhouse describes its Yakiniku as slices of marinated beef tips.

 

The menu also offers several combination dinners, such as Shrimp and Scallops, Filet Mignon and Shrimp, and Yakiniku and Chicken.

 

I chose to try the combination platter of Filet Mignon and Scallops while my dinner companion chose the Yakiniku and Shrimp combination meal.

 

During lunch, which is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., meals are accompanied by salad, sweet carrots and fried rice.

 

Dinner entrees are paired with salad, zucchini, onions and fried rice.

 

In addition, the server brought us two small bowls of hot, clear broth enhanced with snippets of green onion and thinly sliced mushroom.

 

The salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, shaved carrots and purple cabbage. Diners can dress their salad with ranch dressing, ginger dressing or shrimp sauce.

 

My friend and I chose to try the ginger dressing with our salads. Since there was a container of shrimp sauce delivered to the table, we also tried some of this sweet condiment on the salad. The light broth and the refreshing salad were a great way to begin the meal, and we didn't have to wait very long for the arrival of our main course.

 

If the dinner portions are much larger than the lunch ones, I wouldn't be surprised if many diners are asking for carry-out containers to take some of their meals home. As it was, I managed to finish my lunch, but the ample portions were quite filling and adequate.

 

Throughout the meal, our server remained attentive and very engaging. She quickly refreshed drinks and made certain to inquire if the meal met our expectations.

 

I enjoyed the tender filet mignon and also found that the scallops were well-prepared and not at all overdone. In addition, mushrooms had been grilled with these two meat offerings.

 

I also sampled the shrimp and Yakiniku from my friend's meal, and found them to my liking as well. We both agreed that the sauce used during the grilling process is pleasingly flavorful and slightly sweet.

 

At the end of the meal, a couple of fortune cookies arrived when the server dropped off the bill. We enjoyed these traditional treats and hoped that the fortunes contained within them might actually come true.

 

Lakeo Japanese Steakhouse should be a welcome option on the Elizabethton dining scene, and based on our first experience, the service is swift enough to allow people with lunch hour constraints to enjoy a nice meal without feeling rushed.

 

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AT A GLANCE: Lakeo Steakhouse of Japan, 139 Hudson Drive, Elizabethton. 213-5267. Lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner, 5-9 p.m. and, on weekends, 5-10 p.m. Dinner entrees range from $8.95 to $17.95. Credit cards accepted. Carryout available.