Jur-’in’, Jur-’out’

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

We had a very enjoyable New Year’s Eve celebration partying with new friends Rich and Melody. At that time, we agreed to go out to dinner in the new year. Five short months later, we finally got together and met them at Jurin Sushi-Teppan in South Elgin.

Jurin is a storefront venue, one side has a large rotating sushi bar and the other side has ten hibachi tables spaced VERY close together. The décor was rather plain and uninviting.

While we were being seated, our waitress came over to our table, handed us the packaged hot towels, then handed us a menu and asked us for our drink orders, even before our butts hit our seats. This was a clue as to how the night was going to go. After all, it was Friday the 13th with a full moon outside.

Our waitress returned a few short moments later with our drink orders and proceeded to take our appetizers and dinner orders. We ordered the (5) Gyoza’s ($5) for our appetizer. Jim chose the Steak and Shrimp Combo ($30), and I chose the Shrimp and Scallop Combo ($28) for our entrees. While we were placing our order, a waiter brought over our soup AND salad before we even finished ordering. Nancy always prefers her salad dressing on the side, but oops, too late, she wasn’t quick enough. The words couldn’t come out of her mouth before she was handed her salad. We are definitely starting to see a pattern here.

All entrees are served with soup and salad which we already had, and fried rice, and a vegetable sauté that included onions, zucchini, and string beans (really)?

While we were enjoying our soup and salad as quickly as possible, the cook wheeled in his cart with the preparations for our entrees. Since the tables were so close, the cooks had to jockey for position.
Let the show begin…

Our cook started off the show by stacking onion rings on the grill making a smoking choo-choo. That was the end of the show. No spinning eggs, no flying shrimp, no flaming grill. He must have run out of time.

Our appetizer arrived while we were eating our vegetable sauté and fried rice. The gyoza’s were pan fried dumplings with chicken and vegetable filling. In our opinion, these were bland and the dipping sauce needed more seasoning.

Nancy and I both ordered our shrimp with the garlic topping. This turned out to be a dry panko bread crumb mixture warmed on the grill and added on top of the shrimp after they were cooked. There must not have been any time to add the garlic because I couldn’t even taste it.

Jim asked for the steak to be cooked teriyaki style. This was accomplished by the cook frying the steak, putting it on his plate, and THEN squirting it with teriyaki sauce. Not exactly what he was hoping for.

Halfway through our meal another waiter came by asking us if we wanted a box for our leftovers. We must have stopped chewing for a second, shame on us for taking a breath between mouthfuls. Shortly after that, our waitress brought over our checks. Times a wastin’, we must keep eating…

DINING DUO TIP: Do not get up and go to the restroom. Rich did, and when he returned, his drink was gone. Hold on to your plate and fork, they are watching!!!

To sum this up, if you’re hungry and you have ten minutes to spare, this is the place for you. It gives new meaning to “fast food.”

Cost for dinner $70.95, spending 50 minutes with friends, priceless…

Jim’s take: I truly enjoy a well cooked, relaxing dinner with friends. I should try it sometime.

Nancy’s take: I usually take home a doggie bag from hibachi restaurant’s, not tonight. Maybe I ate too fast…

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at: thediningduo@gmail.com

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