Stix

I went shopping today with a friend and after five hours we were completely starving. We didn't want to go far from the mall so we decided on Stix. The restaurant has a hibachi side and a Chinese side. We chose the habachi side for a good show and delicious food.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 

The decor has a modern twist to Asian architecture but the vibe is very relaxed. We looked around at the other tables and discovered that the portions were huge so my friend and I decided to share the combination shrimp and chicken hibachi. The waiter took the order and offered to split the bill between the two of us, which we agreed to happily.

I was craving some sashimi so I also ordered a simple tuna roll. The sushi rice was well prepared and the slight sweetness was really balanced with the freshness of the tuna.

Tuna roll: $2

We also received a complimentary soup and salad as an appetizer. (Well, we thought this was complimentary, but more details on that later.) The soup had a strong onion flavor but was too salty for my taste. The salad dressing had a miso dressing that was both sweet and salty. However, towards the end the salad became a dressing soup; there was just so much dressing. Way too much.

Soup and salad: $3.95

The habachi chef came over a few minutes later and began performing his tricks. Many of them were the ones typically found at any other hibachi place: egg tossing, huge flames, and onion volcanos. The chef did fling shrimp into our mouths as a final trick. I thought the shrimp would miss my mouth completely but the chef had great aim.

When the food was split onto our plates, I was really shocked at how much there was. Even with the amount split, there was so much for the both of us. The food was on the salty side. The shrimp were cooked well and they were naturally sweet. However, the chicken was a little overcooked and dry. I wish there were some more vegetables, although they were still too salty. I did enjoy the fried rice. There was no corn, which I was really pleased about. It's not an ingredient that fried rice is supposed to have, but I've been seeing it pop up at a lot of restaurants.

Chicken and Shrimp: $19.95

There was so much food that both my friend and I had enough food remaining for another meal to take home. We were pretty excited: good show and so much food at only $10 between the two of us. However, the checks came and we were surprised by the additional cost. The waiter had failed to mention to us that when he split our dishes, we had to pay an additional $4 for the soup and salad that neither of really enjoyed. Especially when the main dish was only $10 each, the soup and salad cost was really annoying.

I left the restaurant on an irritated note, but the amount of food I got to take home with me made me happy again. I get to eat delicious leftovers for lunch tomorrow... or maybe for a late night snack tonight.

My fortune

Stix Restaurant 

3250 Galleria Cir
Birmingham, AL 35244

(205) 982-3070

http://www.stixonline.com