A new hibachi restaurant opened in Boca Raton. On Glades Rd, near Lyons road where Ichiban used to be (and if I recall, Rudy’s before that). I liked Ichiban (and I LOVED Rudy’s as a kid). Saito’s dissapoints however. The salad was overdressed with a thick goopy sauce that laid on top of lettuce and… nothing! Not a cucumber, carrot, olive. Just lettuce. The soup should be described as broth, as there was nothing in it besides 2 thin slices of mushroom.
The menu was standard hibachi and japanese fare. I ordered the steak and squid combo. It came to the grill with vegetables all pre-chopped and tossed together. Isn’t the point of this place the knife work done on the grill in front of you? There was no show. The chef just came out and cooked. He did make a big deal of pouring the salt and pepper. No jokes, wisecracks, knife work, not even a smile. And the dinner did not include hibachi rice, that was $3 extra. The chef said he was formerly of Benihana. Benihana at one time knew how to make a show of this cuisine. Sadly, there is nothing special and no reason to come back.
quality of bagels down here that I wanted to start a blog like 
A new Mexican restaurant opened up in Boca Raton, and since my wife and I love Mexican food we wanted to try it. This is upscale Mexican, as you can assume by its Mizner Park location, but it is accessible, not too high brow. It is a beautifully built out space and I recommend sitting inside to enjoy it. I personally don’t like seating outside, unless there is a view to warrant it. We were very impressed by the fresh tortilla mahine, and the complimentary chips were delicious, although the salsa a bit too spicy. We started with the Queso Flameado con Chorizo because it is a favorite of mine, and it was Tuesday. Yes, this is only available on Tuesday. It was delicious, although I usually like tortillas with this dish, and when I got some, it didn’t quite go together the way I had imagined. I ordered the Herschel’s Platter as my main. While not a fan of tamales, these were good (but cold). The chicken enchilada also could have been better if warmer. The taco was fabulous though. Overall, this dish is ENTIRELY too much food. My wife enjoyed her pollo, but it had to be sent back as it was a little “pink.” They just opened, so I forgive some minor complaints. I would definitely go back, and this is a welcome addition to both Mizner and Boca. I recommend taking a big bite.
A new deli opened up in Boca Raton. It’s called Pastrami Queen New York’s Famous Deli. I had to blog about it because my friend the Professor bought me lunch for my birthday and I knew he would want me to. I am familiar with the original Pastrami King in Queens, NY and the subsequent Pastrami Queen in New York, NY. To me, this Florida outpost doesn’t remind me of either place. It doesn’t have the same look or feel. I know it is relatively knew, but it doesn’t seem decorated. The walls are pretty bare. Also, the menu’s of the NY Pastrami Queen and the Boca Pastrami Queen do not appear to be the same. So whether it is connected to the one in New York or not, I am not sure. The food was OK. I had a Rachel, a Pastrami Reuben. (Had to go for the Pastrami, after the name of the place). And the Pastrami was good. But I shouldn’t have gotten the Rachel. Not enough meat on it. Also, they didn’t put Russian dressing on it. It came on the side. The menu said it came with a choice of several sides, but they didn’t have macaroni salad “for a few weeks.” So I got the fries, which meant I couldn’t order a knish. The Professor wanted me to mention that when I tried to put ketchup on the fries, the lid fell off. I wouldn’t normally mention this, but it was funny. Overall Pastrami Queen was pretty good. I am not sure I would go out of my way to get there though, as readers of some more established Boca food blogs claim to do, but it was good. I think they should decorate the walls a little more though. And I did appreciate the small discount on my student card, so thanks for that. I say Pastrami Queen is worth a Big Bite!
