Let me start off by saying how much I LOVE garlic. Would you like some garlic bread Janice? Why of course, thank you. Let me just add 50 cups of garlic salt to make this better. :)
Because of my love for garlic Rick, his roommate Eddie, and I went to dinner last night at Ninniku-Ya Garlic Restaurant, where everything on their menu has garlic in it. YUM! The restaurant has a delightful ambiance, filled with christmas lights wrapped around palm trees, poinsettias on the tables, and a fountain with koi in it. The wait to get food was long, but definitely worth it. Why? Because it's a restaurant that has dedicated itself to garlic! The best part of the restaurant though? It completely smells like garlic!
To start off with dinner there was Shonin Junmai Ginjo - sake straight from Japan according to the label. I didn't care too much for it, but Rick and Eddie loved it. It had sort of a dry feel, but still managed to taste citrus-like. And at $42 per bottle they finished the whole thing.
It took a little over 30 minutes for appetizers to arrive, but let me tell you that it was totally worth it! The appetizers were amazing! There was a garlic cheese bread that had a butter, garlic, and basil spread. No picture of it though because I didn't let that thing survive five minutes. It was loaded with garlic, I was in garlic heaven! Eddie also got a seared ahi appetizer that was crusted with bread, and topped with vinegar and pieces of mango. I'm not really sure where the garlic was in that dish, but it too disappeared very quickly.
Dinner itself was even more amazing than the appetizers, if possible. I ordered a garlic fried rice that had shrimp, vegetables, eggs, and even cloves of garlic. Can you imagine taking a bite of rice only to bite a whole clove of garlic? Heaven! Rick ordered a filet mignon while Eddie ordered a New York steak, which came on a sizzling platter. The waiter cut the meats into managable pieces then proceeded to add cloves of garlic which were stir fried in the kitchen.
Now I am no food critic, I'm just a girl who went a dinner date with two guys, but the food was delicious. The service was slow and it took a while for us to get our food, but for the garlic enthusiast I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
Now my only problem with garlic? I swear I will seep garlic for the next few days. I feel as though I can smell it coming from my pores like hot air coming up from potholes. But is it worth it and would I do it again? In a heartbeat.
