Hospitality, cooked-to-order fare make Ozeki a winner

There's no shortage of restaurants in the vicinity of Daniels Parkway and U.S. 41. What is in short supply are establishments that aren't bursting at the seams with customers and the volume that generally accompanies them.

That's but one of the reasons it's worth looking for Ozeki, a charming little teppanyaki-style steakhouse tucked into an unobtrusive nook of Cypress Trace Shopping Center. (Head into the center and you'll find Ozeki just west of McAlister's Deli.)

On the night of my most recent visit, there were fewer than a dozen people in the restaurant. I can only surmise the reason is that it's not as obvious as its competitors because both the food and the service are exemplary.

Sauann Ho, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Wai Yan Ho, graciously welcomes new arrivals. At Ozeki, they don't leave you sitting there waiting until the eight seats at your table fill up. Whether there are two people or eight in a party, dinner commences in short order.

The wine list, although relatively compact, had some palatable entries, including a Robertson sauvignon blanc from South Africa that was refreshing and light without that grapefruity edge often found in the New Zealand vintages. Another plus: It was served in well-chilled glasses.

PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN Dinner begins as chef Chris Johansen gets the onions cooking on the super-hot hibachi. There are six large hibachis, each of which seat about eight people around sleek black countertops. The room has a warm cocoa and tan color scheme, with just a few framed prints on the walls and a cluster of dolls in traditional garb on a shelf.

Besides hibachi items, the menu offers several appetizers including gyoza, shrimp tempura and bacon-wrapped shrimp.

We tried a spring roll and the shrimp shu mai, both of which arrived hot and fresh. The spring roll was crisp with a medley of vegetables inside, while the shu mai were perfect little steamed dumplings with a tasty shrimp filling.

Soup and salad come with all hibachi dinners. The soup was a clear broth that was on the bland side, but the salad was fresh, cold, crisp and topped with an excellent creamy dressing that had a strong ginger flavor without a trace of bitterness.

PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN Johansen deftly prepares fried rice, assorted vegetables, seafood and meat on the tableside cooktop at Ozeki. Many hibachi establishments offer chicken, beef, shrimp and maybe scallops, but Ozeki also has squid, lobster tail, tuna, salmon, filet mignon and N.Y. strip. And there's no need to settle on one - the proteins are available in whatever combination you want.

It wasn't long before chef Chris Johansen arrived at our table with a cart bearing the tools of the teppanyaki trade - cooking oil, knives, spatula and the raw ingredients of our main course - a shrimp and scallop combination and a shrimp and steak combo.

He began by greeting us and squirting oil in the shape of a heart onto the cooking surface. While the hibachi heated up, he tossed his spatula into the air, catching it behind his back with a flourish in classic teppanyaki style. He kindly spared us the joke about soy sauce being the Japanese equivalent of WD-40.

Instead, he mounded rings of onion into the shape of a volcano, poured a clear liquid (presumably vodka or some other form of alcohol) into the center and lit it, causing a dramatic burst of flames to rise from the center of the onions.

Then he got down to business, coaxing the rice to a lovely golden hue, tossing vegetables until they were tendercrisp, following that up with the shrimp and scallops, which he glazed lightly, and finishing by cooking slices of steak to a lovely pink medium.

Because the hibachi is so hot, the cooking process takes very little time so everything was warm, despite the fact that the components were cooked in stages. The steak came with a tangy ginger sauce while the shellfish had a mild cream sauce. Both were good, but I found the ginger sauce was just as good with the shrimp and scallops as it was with the steak.

The shrimp were large and fresh tasting, the scallops fat and sweet and the steak was tender with a rich flavor.

We finished our substantial meal by sharing an order of fried ice cream, which had the requisite crisp warm outer layer that held cool creamy ice cream. A drizzle of chocolate sauce finished it off nicely.

From start to finish, we were treated with the care and attention that indicates the management valued our patronage. I mention it because it's the way I'd think every restaurant would strive to treat customers but far too many fall short of the mark.

(For those who think that I get special treatment because of my position, I can tell you that I'm rarely recognized when I dine out. In addition, I was listening to the party of six behind us and they all raved about the dinner, the service and the reasonable price, saying they were definitely going to return.)

Obviously, there are many people who want to be in the thick of the action when they dine out. That's why the high-profile restaurants pack them in night after night. But if you're looking for a soothing little oasis that serves up fresh, flavorful food with a smile, Ozeki delivers on all counts.