Hot and Cold, also known as Go to Ichiban!

Recently I came back to Regina after a quick Thanksgiving-related family trip and discovered 2 feet of snow. Everywhere. I hate snow with a passion and now I hate it even more-so because it makes me even less likely to leave the house. Now if I wanted to go walk to the library or get some milk from the store, I have to put on my winter boots (the only shoes I own where I actually have to tie the laces), find a toque, mitts and dig out my winter jacket. Then I have to trek through endless snow up to my knees while facing deadly winds. And this is all so I don't get sick! Forget it, I'd rather sit at home under a warm blanket with some green tea and grow mindless while I play my bootleg copy of Roller Coaster Tycoon 2.

Anyways, the point of this post is not to bitch about the surprise of snow, but instead to praise a restaurant I was recently taken to in Winnipeg by my family. The place was called Ichiban and it was worth every penny of the $25-$30 meal price per person. The great thing about this place is that the tables are U-shaped and right in the center, the chef will cook all the food for you. While you are waiting, they will entertain you with stories, tricks, such as knife juggling, salt/pepper juggling, and various jokes and games. Our chef would turn off the vent fan and set our food a blaze, sometimes up to 3 feet high. At my table, we also played a game where everytime our chef would ask what time it was, we would yell "Sake Time!" and then he would pick one of us and pour sake from the bottle into our mouth. I've never had sake before, which may sound surprising, but now that my stomach has recently decided as of last year that one drink per month is enough for me, I've barely taken up any opportunity to drink. I did however take my turn with the sake-mouth-pouring act and my stomach did punish me later, but the food was also so delicious and filling so it could have been that as well.

Just make sure you don't stick your hand out too far.

The best part about it was that I was able to eat stuff that I didn't even order. Most of the time, the chef would make too much food, so even the people who didn't order the item got to sample a little bit of it. I got a free helping of fried rice, which is much better than the fried rice I make at home. Also, I got a few free teriyaki scallops, which I've also never tried before.

So if you are ever in Winnipeg, I highly recommend trying out Ichibans. I know that the price may seem a little steep per person, but for the quality of food and the value of the entertainment, it is worth every penny. Just make sure that you book a reservation a few days in advance, otherwise you won't get in. Yes, this place is that popular.