Names may be deceiving
A lady who lunches
Last month a chef, whose opinion I respect, highly recommended I try dining at Jabez y Jabes.
The first time I saw the use of “y” between the two names, I had the misconception it would be a Mexican, Spanish or Nuevo Latino restaurant, so I was a little surprised when he explained Jabez y Jabes is a hibachi steakhouse featuring Japanese cuisine. Based on his suggestion, I quickly scheduled a lunch date with my most adventurous dining companion, so that we could share a broad sampling of their menu.
I say adventurous because we had hardly received our iced waters when he asked our waitress about the Shark Brain appetizer on the menu. Much to his chagrin, this colorfully named dish is actually an avocado half-stuffed with tuna. Delicious, I am sure, but there were many other items listed that we wanted to sample.
As we waited for our lunch orders to arrive, we had a quiet moment listening to the piped in music to appreciate the understated elegance of the room. While the ceilings, tables and waitresses were all clad in black, the room featured spot lighting that, while unobtrusive, still let us read our menus and allowed me to take photographs without assistance. The indirect natural light from large windows in the upper and lower dining rooms along with stained glass panels and mirrors added a nice open feel.
When the first dish arrived, it set the tone for the entire meal. The lively green mound of Seaweed Salad ($4.50) was attractively plated and topped with pink strands of seafood garnish. While it looks similar to a plate of translucent green angel hair pasta tossed in olive oil, the soft strands have a refreshing light crispness. After the first flavorful forkful touched my taste buds, it was apparent that this simple dish of seaweed, tossed with toasted sesame seeds and seasoned oil was a notch above others like it that I have had in the area.
The next appetizer to arrive, Mixed Sashimi Salad ($9.95), was equally pleasing. Bright chunks of raw salmon and two types of tuna sprinkled with bright orange fish roe were nestled in a crisp bed of lettuce, cucumbers and onion with a traditional hoisin-style sauce on the side.
Then our main courses arrived, first the miso soup then our bento boxes. It is hard to say exactly how, but the miso soup and bento boxes were just a little better than others we’ve enjoyed. First, the miso soup contained attractive accents of green onion, tiny tofu cubes and seaweed that were a pleasant addition without being a distraction.
Our divided plates both contained the expected tasty slices of California roll, an orange half cleverly sliced and reseated in its skin so that it was a touch of culinary art and a dumpling. The lightly fried piece of shrimp tempura in the dumpling section was an unexpected treat.
The Salmon Bento Box ordered by my dining companion contained a generous portion of fish covered with a healthy serving of grilled vegetables. We were pleased to see the fish separated easily with a turn of the fork into nice flaky layers and had a flavor as firm and light as its texture.
My Steak Bento Box ($9) contained a mound of moist tasty fried rice served with medium rare chunks of steak sautéed in a brown sauce with carrots, zucchini and mushrooms. While my entrée did not need any extra seasoning, the steak sauce served on the side was so delicious that I kept dipping veggies and rice into it.
Often with generous portions, I do not pack the fried rice to go, but their fried rice was so good I actually looked forward to eating my leftovers for dinner later while I worked on a project. If you do not end up with leftovers, fans of the restaurant also assure me that there are dinner specialties and other sushi dishes that make an evening visit a must.
Our service and food were such a delight that I wanted to learn more about the owners who provided such a nice lunch experience.
With a hectic schedule, messages and a missed opportunity to speak with Ara Ruiz, this is a subject I will happily pursue another time.
While there appears to be a history of promising restaurants attempting to capitalize on this prime location at 4460 Youree Drive and Leland Avenue, Jabez y Jabes seems to have a winning combination of great food, good service and atmosphere that is deserving of our support. Enjoy!
Lynn Laird is a writer, fine artist and self-professed bon vivant living in Bossier. With “Flair for Cooking,” she seeks out interesting ingredients and techniques to help make everyday meals just a touch more fabulous. She can reached at flairforcooking@gmail.com.
