There are lots of choices in East Tennessee for dinner shows. If you don’t have the time for both, try Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse in Knoxville. You’ll find great dinner entertainment, friendly locals and visitors alike enjoying delicious Oriental Cuisine. This is where dinner becomes the show — experienced trained chefs prepare your dinner, hibachi-style, right at your table. Most of these chefs have excellent personalities and love to entertain their table guests with cooking techniques that we recommend that you don’t try at home. That is all part of the fun!
Knoxville’s Wasabi Japanese Steakhouses
It’s easy to find a Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse, there are two locations in Knoxville, Tennessee. There is a third location in St. John’s Town Center in Florida if you happen to be in that area sometime soon. Both restaurants in East Tennessee have become a Knoxville favorite over the years, since they opened in 2002, by serving hibachi-style steaks and exceptional sushi from their sushi bars. This Wasabi franchise is privately owned and has consistently won awards as being one of the top Japanese restaurants in the Knoxville area. These recent awards were given by the annual Knoxville News-Sentinel recognition for fine restaurants in the area.
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse serves both lunch and dinner, and has a full bar. Both locations will take reservations, since this is a popular restaurant no matter what day of the week, it is best to call ahead, especially if you have a large party. Wasabi is great for both large and also tour groups if you are planning to be in the area. Don’t worry, walk-ins are welcome and they will seat you as quickly as possible. Children are always welcome, Wasabi has a great family atmosphere
Plan Special Celebrations at Wasabi
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse has a contemporary Japanese design and regularly updates their interior design. Outside dining is especially enjoyable in nice weather on the deck surrounded by Japanese gardens. Wasabi explores new recipes and innovative fresh flavors which gives their customers a special new dining experience when the time comes to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary, graduations, high school proms, a corporate event, and more.
Dining Choices
Lunch and dinner is served in the elegant dining room, with a full service bar, both which offers a more formal and quieter dining experience. On the menu is authentic Japanese dishes. The charcoal-grilled steak teriyaki or vegetable tempura are tasty choices. Beautifully arranged bento boxes, for example the Tokyo Box with its seaweed salad, teriyaki shrimp, tempura and sashimi are delicious. Wasabi’s full bar offers imported and domestic beers, Japanese beer, plum wine or sake to accompany your meal. Or you may choose from a variety of specialty sake cocktails and martinis.
It’s difficult to make a menu decision when looking over all the traditional sushi and sashimi styles. The chef’s choice sashimi deluxe, or the more inventive American-style maki creations — such as asparagus topped with salmon, avocado, black pepper honey, and hot sauce or the autumn roll with spicy king crab. One of the Wasabi’s favorite and popular maki rolls is “The Angry Dragon,” made from a wonderful combination of tempura-fried shrimp, spicy crab, papaya, with spicy raw tuna all rolled up in colorful soy wrap and arranged creatively to look just like a dragon. Wasabi customers who are not usually able to eat raw fish are excited to try that one. It is very delicious.
Hibachi Dining
The larger family-friendly hibachi dining room has a more festive atmosphere. The tables include the grill and you’ll make new friends with the communal seating. The chefs are extensively-trained hibachi chefs, and they will entertain everyone and amaze you with their knife skills and culinary theatrics at the table grill. It’s not easy to cook everyone’s food at the same time and have the talent to entertain as well at the same time.
Wasabi’s hibachi meals are full-course, starting off with Japanese onion soup and a salad with a ginger dressing, appetizer of shrimp, then the main course of your choice of protein ranging from steak, chicken, assorted seafood, or the Wasabi special combination with filet mignon, shrimp, cold-water lobster tail and scallops. All include steamed rice, noodles with mixed vegetables Japanese style.
End your dinner with one of Wasabi’s desserts, the choices are excellent and some authentic. Choose wrapped Japanese ice cream formed into balls of strawberry, mango and vanilla ice cream, tempura fried banana, vanilla bean cheesecake or everyone’s favorite — the chocolate mousse cake.
Wasabi has great lunch specials during the weekdays until 2 pm and the lunch menu is very affordable. During the week, enjoy a happy hour from Monday through Thursday with specials on adult beverages and maki rolls.
Find a Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse at Bearden Hill is located at 118 Major Reynolds Place Knoxville, TN. This location is centrally located and convenient to downtown Knoxville. Their phone number is 865-584-4898. Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse is located west and just next to Turkey Creek at 226 Lovell Road Knoxville, TN. Their phone number is 865-675-0201.
Lunch starts at 11 am until 2:30 pm. Dinner hours begin at 5pm weekdays and 4pm on weekends. View the times and menu online here, and more information at Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse.
