A recent Saturday evening found me dining with a friend at Wok and Hibachi in Johnson City.

 

The restaurant offers a casual dining atmosphere with plenty of tables and booths providing seating. The crisp, mostly black and white color scheme for the dining area is broken by one wall of red wallpaper with a gold print pattern. Some bamboo screens and a large, framed metallic relief depicting a herd of galloping horses provide the other ornamental accents in the dining room, which is bordered by a sushi bar and an hibachi grill.

 

The menu describes the fare at Wok and Hibachi as fine Oriental cuisine and sushi bar. In addition to traditional Chinese favorites, the menu offers Japanese and Thai selections as well as a variety of sushi items.

 

The menu also offers an array of appetizers, including Crab Rangoon, Curry Roll and Crispy Salt and Pepper Calamari, but we decided to start our meal with a sampling of items from the sushi bar. We chose tuna prepared in two different ways as well as an Avocado Roll. The sushi items were stylishly presented and served on an attractive tray, accompanied by pickled ginger and wasabi sauce.

 

I enjoyed the refreshing simplicity of the Avocado Roll, which consisted of slices of avocado wrapped in seaweed and rolled in sticky rice and sesame seeds. The sushi featuring the tuna, which is dependably non-fishy in its taste, was also well received. We liked the Dynamite Tuna, which benefited from a tasty sauce which delivered the jolt to the taste buds that gives this item its explosive name.

 

When it came time to choose an entree, I considered options from the Chinese, Thai and Japanese sections. Some of the Chinese offerings included Ching's Dynasty Scallops and Shrimp, Kung Pao Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein and Mongolian Beef. The Thai items that interested me the most included Pad Thai Noodles with Chicken and Green Curry Beef.

 

The menu also offers several "Hot Pots," which are dishes prepared in a hot clay pot. The Satay Grouper Hot Pot certainly tempted us.

 

My final decision came down in favor of the Japanese menu selections, but I still had to choose from such tempting items as Hibachi Sesame Chicken and Pepper Steak. I chose one of the combo items -- the Hibachi Steak and Shrimp.

 

My dining companion went over the extensive menu as well, considering several selections before coming down in favor of an order of the Thai Red Curry Chicken.

 

My meal included a cup of soup, a tossed salad and Hibachi Special Fried Rice. I also had the choice of pairing my entree with Glazed Carrots or Zucchini and Onions. I chose the latter.

 

My dinner companion also chose to try a bowl of Miso Soup. Other soups available included Egg Drop Soup, Tom Yum Soup and Seafood Hot and Sour Soup.

 

Our soups arrived promptly. The soup served with my dinner consisted of a simple clear broth served hot with plenty of thinly sliced mushrooms and green scallions floating in it.

 

My dinner companion enjoyed the Miso Soup, although I have always considered this distinctive soup to be an acquired taste. Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley or soybeans, with salt and the fungus kojikin, the most typical miso being made with soy. Miso Soup consists of a stock called "dashi" into which is mixed softened miso paste. The kojikin fungus used to make miso is also used in Japan to ferment grains and potatoes into alcoholic beverages.

 

The Miso Soup at Wok and Hibachi is served with chunks of tofu and snippets of green scallions.

 

My dining companion also tried Thai Iced Tea, a sweet, refreshing blend of tea and spices served over ice. This beverage proved to be a hit, and the server provided a refill when it was needed.

 

My salad arrived just after we finished the soups. The simple but refreshing salad consisted of a mix of greens with thin carrot strips and purple cabbage. Shrimp sauce was provided as a salad dressing.

 

There was a brief interval between the salad and the arrival of the main courses. Diners who order any of the Japanese hibachi-style dinners get to watch the progress of their meal as it is prepared on the grill in the dining area.

 

The tasty shrimp and beef strips in my dish were coated in a slightly sweet sauce and served with a generous amount of fried rice as well as julienned zucchini and grilled onions.

 

My dining companion's Thai entree consisted of tender chicken sauteed with red and green bell pepper, snow peas, green beans and straw mushrooms in rich coconut milk.

 

Both dinners offered generous portions, and each of us took some of our meals home to enjoy later. We both enjoyed the fresh-tasting ingredients featured in both dishes.

 

The restaurant does offer some dessert options -- cheesecake and ice cream -- but we instead enjoyed the complementary fortune cookies.

 

Fans of Asian cuisine will have choices beyond merely Chinese fare at Wok and Hibachi. Over the years, I have found the food consistently good. Consider a visit soon.

 

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AT A GLANCE: Wok and Hibachi, 101 E. Unaka Ave., Johnson City. 928-9696. Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday, 4-10 p.m. Dinner entrees range from $6.50 to $18.95. Credit cards accepted. Carryout available. Limited delivery available. Selection of beers available.