Colossal Kabuki
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David Hungate
Kabuki 3
Kabuki Restaurant offers a beautiful variety of sushi entrees.
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David Hungate
Kabuki 1
Kabuki's Hibachi chefs put on a great show.
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David Hungate
Kabuki 2
Sunset over the Kabuki Restaurant off Franklin Road.
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David Hungate
Kabuki 3
Kabuki Restaurant offers a beautiful variety of sushi entrees.
Koeda is proud of his empire perched high on a hill over Franklin Road. He points out details like Japanese woodcarvings, granite flooring and upscale seating in the bar area.
The relocation of the bar making it distinctly separate from the entryway gives a more open feel to the lobby, which overlooks the koi pond constructed of rocks that Koeda selected individually. The baby koi fish lived in Koeda’s pond at his home until their new home was ready.
“Now we have over 30 fish, but most hide under the rocks until they get too big,” says Koeda.
Perhaps the fish seek shelter due to the proximity of the new sushi bar, which seats 40 people – some of whom can opt to sit on traditional Japanese cushions and remove their shoes for an authentic experience.
Down the hall from the lobby and through a hallway sporting a waterfall wall is the dining room where the real show happens as the chefs/entertainers prepare meals in a theatrical manner. The larger dining room now provides patrons and staff more room to maneuver around the 18 granite teppanyaki tables.
Pieces of Koeda’s Japanese heritage are scattered throughout the restaurant. In the center of the newly enlarged dining area sits a child-sized suit of samurai armor, a gift in honor of his first son’s birth. A large black flower with six petals sitting in a circle can be seen all around the inside of the restaurant and on the exterior of the main entrance is his family’s crest.
Tour of Koeda
Koeda arrived from Osaka, Japan in 1971 and found work at Kanki, a Japanese steakhouse in Raleigh, N.C. A decade later he was ready to open his own Japanese steakhouse and began his quest for the ideal location.
Koeda considered Oklahoma and North Carolina but came here to look at a location on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke. The place was not up to his high standards for cleanliness and visual appeal. That evening he had dinner at Red Lobster and found his current location atop the hill that looks down on Franklin Road and provides a picturesque view of the Tanglewood area.
Kabuki opened in 1982 with 11 tables but a scant four years later, Koeda bought the property after his landlords declared bankruptcy and added 2,000 square feet and five more tables. When the opportunity arose to buy additional property in 2007, Koeda seized the chance to expand again bringing the total square footage to its current 11,500 stylish square feet.
Even in the shaky economy, Koeda wasn’t afraid to make a sizeable investment in his business.
“I’ve been here 26 years, and the people in Roanoke have always supported me,” Koeda says.
The Food
Comforting in its sameness, the routine at Kabuki’s flaming tables hasn’t changed. Soup, salads and appetizers appear, and with perfect timing the chef arrives toting his cart of veggies, oils, sauces and meats. The jokes and shrimp begin to fly as the oil hits the heated surfaces. Our chef, Wallace, delighted in setting onions and shrimp on fire as one of the female diners with hairspray-lacquered hair backed away as her hairdo was flammable.
Our starter of vegetable tempura popped out of the kitchen steaming hot and breaded with panko crumbs, which are delightfully crispy. Equally well prepared were our main dishes of vegetarian delight with fried tofu and Sakura – a filet and chicken. Halfway through his entrée, my dining companion commented that he hadn’t taken a bite yet that he didn’t like. I too was pleased with the vegetables, grilled and flame flavored but not overcooked and the tofu that was slightly crispy and flavored with soy and sesame seeds.
Not only did we eat Kabuki that evening, but munched on left overs the next day. The portions are generous, so much so that six of the eight people at our table left with nearly full large to-go boxes.
The combination of entertainment, quality food and attention to detail continues to pack patrons into Kabuki when many other restaurants are seeing business decline. Koeda notes that the business has been steady the last three months. Given the steady stream of customers I saw the weeknight I visited Kabuki, I expect that Koeda will continue to see his sales climb.