Do you remember going to the hibachi grill places when you were younger? My family would go to a place in Durham called Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse for special occasions, such as report card prizes or birthdays. [For those in the Triangle, it later changed its name to Kurama and is across from the old South Square Mall!]
There was always suspense as we waited in the lobby with fish tanks and rocky indoor pathways to see which table would be ours for the night.
I’d always get the combo meal that came with chicken, steak and shrimp and smother it all in that lovely white sauce. I’d eat all but a few pieces of each and a pile of rice, dump the rest of my white sauce on top and take it home for lunch the next day.
[Check out those ADIDAS “flops” with socks!! ]
This event usually took place on a Saturday night, so on Sunday, after returning home from church on a cold winter day, we’d get out the white styrofoam containers and take turns heating up our leftovers in the microwave, usually disappointed in the sad portion after stuffing most of it in the night before.
But my gosh those leftovers tasted SO GOOD!
So today, I brought out our Orzo leftovers. This time time I removed them from the plastic to-go box and put them on a plate for microwaving. The sizzling steak and shrimp smells brought back such a strong memory of those hibachi leftovers!
I sliced the steak once it was warm and combined it with cheese, salsa and SPINACH in a whole wheat tortilla for a quesadilla surprise.
Man this was good!
Matt had a single shrimp and 4 brussels sprouts left, so I heated those in the skillet with the ‘dilla and ate them on the side. The brussels were just ok – not bad, but not great either.
On the side – fruit salad!
Faith came by for a quick visit for dessert and brought me a mint from Gearhart’s for V-day 
I was expecting peppermint patty, but this tasted like THIN MINT COOKIE! So good!
Mama Cass is on song #1026 of the day! I think I’ve juuuuuust had enough of the song 
{ 81 comments… read them below or add one }
I love hibachi! The best part is the fried rice. It tastes so good when they cook it on the hibachi grill. I have to agree with you on the steak too. That usually tastes pretty great too! I love how you turned your leftovers into a quesadilla. Looks yummy!
So brave of you to post pre-teen photos –
Sadly, I recall wearing the exact same footwear combination when I was that age. So clearly we were just being cool!
I love memories like that! I still to this day think that Chinese leftovers actually taste even better than when fresh
You and your sister looked identical when you two were kids! Seriously, you could have passed as twins!
I love nostalgic food memories!! I spent most of my family meals out dragging my parents to sizzler for the 5.99 scampi and all you can eat soft serve ice cream… memories!!
Ohh hibatchi! it’s so bad for you but it’s so good. i always feel like i have to take a shower afterwards because i smell of oil, butter, and white sauce
Those Brussels definitely look roasted and toasted!
That’s just the way I like em though. Is it sad that we NEVER went to a hibachi grill restaurant when I was a kid? I know – I guess I had a very sheltered childhood. Your lunch sounds fabulous!
what a yummy lunch! i love leftovers for that reason…
I love the childhood pictures – adorable! What a creative way to re-work your leftovers; I’ve never thought to do anything like that. Your quesadilla looks delicious!
Cute pics of you and your sister! I think my two sisters and I had very similar matching blue dresses that we all wore for Easter one year with coordinating white hats
I like how you reinvented those leftovers into a quesadilla, it looks yummy!
Love the old photos! I keep meaning to take a month off from Life and scan all my old photos. Maybe some day, but not likely… De-lish meal.
That looks absolutely divine! I need to try this maybe with turkey and the cheese and spinach.
I love your memory and old photo posts. Thanks.
I’m still full from lunch, but MAN that quesadilla looks good. Extra cheesy!
i need to be better about keeping small amounts of leftovers! 4 brussels sprouts and 1 shrimp would have for sure ended up in our trash (well, that’s if the hubs at brussels), but every little bit counts!
We never really went to those places when I was a kid but the Mr did and he loooooves them! (They called it “yum yum sauce” where he went. That term seriously turns me off. LOL)
However, I love going to them for special occasions when we can load up the table for ourselves. This looks seriously good!
I think I had at least 5 pairs of those Adidas sandals
My sisters and I had that same picture taken from Olan Mills! Do they still do those?!
What do you mean “when you were a kid”??? I LOVE hibachi! It’s one of my favorite places to go on date night. I still stuff myself silly and am sad that I don’t have more leftovers.
When I was at Duke, we went to Kyoto all the time for the early bird special. Us college kids and all the elderly folks!
Those brussels look like the best part of that lunch- so roasted! Leftovers are great for their convenience and how the flavors meld together so much overnight.
I really appreciated this “memory lane” styled post. It also caused me to re-consider how my lunch leftovers reminded me of my childhood – we’re having leftover pasta and it reminded me of how my dad would make spaghetti carbonara often on weekends and it was such a special dish because he didn’t usually make dinner (he worked the latest in our family).
Fun post! Thanks, Kath!
I lived in a small town that did not have those types of restaurants…our favourite was to go for Chinese! Once in the big city…we would go to the fancy hibatchi restaurants…I would be all over the shrimp!
We have a takeout only hibachi place called O.E.C. We had it for Valentines day and I have eaten the leftovers for the past two days for lunch. SO delish!
Love the childhood photos
You ate your husband’s leftovers?! Bf would kill me if I did. Even if such a tiny amount. Haha
Lol, I was ALL about the Adidas sandals and socks- thought it was so cool!
The sad thing about those Adidas sandals is that A.) They still make them and B.) My boyfriend still WEARS them.
Ya know…… flip flops (the adidas type – not the “thong” flip flops) with socks apparently are in. My little teenage cousins are wearing it that way and so are my teens on my case load at work. Weird….
Yay! I’m not crazy! I was just posting about this (see below) before I read your comment. Too funny
There’s a place like that by me called Benihana. Such great food!! Did they do a little show when they cooked it for you there? I always loved all the little tricks they did!
I can’t believe you guys still don’t go to hibachi places. We still love it as a treat. Love all the old pictures. You really haven’t changed much
Wow, you looked like one tough cookie in those pictures
Those look like amazing leftovers!
That lunch looks delectable. I had leftover steak on a bed of arugula. So tasty.
Kath, when are we going to start seeing some baby updates???
I’ve been writing them ALL afternoon!! Coming soon to the new blog. I just want to get through my 12 week u/s first.
Loved this post! And, I just have to tell you… those sandals w/ socks are back in style! I’m 32, and guessing many of your readers are around our ages too… if so, and their kids are toddlers [or loaves of breads still
]then you perhaps aren’t confronted w/ teen style daily! My 17 yr old stepson wears his ALL THE TIME… with socks… to high school. Kills me! I should point out that he’s pretty dang fashionable and runs w/ the “cool” crowd if that defends this any to those of you who are gonna say we Texans are just out of it! I still laugh when I remember my 15 yr old stepdaughter exclaiming “you got slides” when she saw some in my closet, & me explaining that those are from my teen years when they were in style the first time, not that I’m trying to be “teen trendy” now!
I LOVE the picture of you with the different colored socks. I’m pretty sure I have that exact same picture of myself!! Hahaha. A classic look back in the day!
We used to go to Ichibans every year for my birthday! It was heaven to me!
Leftovers are the best
“make your own kind of music”
Sweet little girl dresses with the smocking. I buy those for my granddaughters now.
Those were grandma dresses. I never knew if Kath was going to like a dress my mom got her, but she was into Anne of Green Gables at the time and was pleased that those dresses had puffed sleeves.
OMG such a sweet pic from your childhood.. So cute
Those leftovers look outrageously good!!! I think that sometimes leftovers are even better than the real deal! Cold pizza the next day or sweet potato casserole the day after Thanksgiving, anyone? Yum!
Cute photos! Leftovers are brilliant.. this look delicious
You girls were so cute!!
Did you save any of the old school smocked dresses or Feltman Bros? I’ve loved dressing my three little girls in dresses that my mom saved.
I think I just have one or two Feltmans, but I have saved lots of Kath’s dresses. Bring on some granddaughters!! I’m glad you’re using the ones your mom saved. I was afraid you all might think the smocked were old- fashioned, but they sure are sweet and I bet darling on your girls!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who listens to songs on repeat for 100′s of times! Sometimes a song just hangs on for that long….
Loved seeing the pictures of you as a kid, Kath! I, too, love hibachi-style restaurants!
I love peppermint patties! They are a great treat without being to sweet or unhealthy
YUM!
Pregnancy will put your childhood memories into high gear- so fun, enjoy! We have a japanese grill near our home and it is going on the “to do” list with the kids
Your post just made me crave a steak quesadilla in the worst way! I love having a built-in pregnancy blogger buddy.
Look how cute you guys are!! Almost like twins in the second photo!
We never went to Hibachi as children (I don’t think there were any around here). The Sizzler was a big deal. Oh, yeah- and Red Lobster. I thought it was SO fancy as a child. Having waitressed there during college, I have a very different opinion and would have a hard time setting foot in one now.
Leftovers, period, are highly underrated! I’m a big fan!
I live off of Pickett Road in Colony park…do you know where that is?…so crazy…
Is it in Durham? I don’t know where it is!
yah…where I live is just about close enough to throw a stone into the Kurama parking lot…well, it’s near the Durham Academy upper school (where I live)…but still not sure if you know where that is…nonetheless, it’s really close to where the old south square mall used to be (now the South Square Target)
Oh fun! I just don’t know the road names too well. Did you know I’m from Hillsborough?
I’ve seen that your parents currently live in Hillsborough, after reading some of your blog, but did not know that’s where you’re from!
where’d you attend university? is that where you met your husband? sorry for all the ?s, I’ll try to find tham as I read 
I went to Orange High and then Davidson College, and yes, that’s where Matt and I met!
Wow, thanks for sharing despite the killer fasion sense (I wore exactly everything that you both are rocking in the older-aged picture)! You and your sister look so much alike!
I grew up in Durham and use to love going to that restaurant! And yes the leftovers were the BEST!
I rocked the socks with flops, too! What were we thinking?!
I just went to a hibachi restaurant for Valentine’s Day. It’s still pretty good. And I totally had those Adidas flip flops.
Hibachi is still one of my faves! That lunch looks D. Licious!!!
Great recreation of your leftovers!
I see that I was not the only one sporting the ever-present knee Band-Aid. Curse those clunky roller skates! Thankfully, I stick to safer methods of staying fit now…hee,hee.
I’ve never been to a hibachi grill but there’s a new one nearby that I’m dying to try–especially after hearing your experiences there. Your quesadilla looks YUMMY! Great re-purposing of leftovers.
My family still loves a good hibachi grill. So fun and delicious. We usually go on birthdays. The place we go takes a picture of the birthday person in a funny looking, tall red hat… I think we have a million of these pictures between all of us.
Your lunch looks great.
Love all of the flashback photos
I definitely remember wearing some very similar outfits back in the day!
In reference to the said song. Maybe the title of the post should be “Kath LOST it!”
I’ve never been to a hibachi restaurant before! But a new one just opened up in my city, so I really want to check it out now!
Leftovers make the best lunch….looking forward to digging into leftover pizza later on today!
I used to LOVE those hibachi restaurants! We’d really only go when it was someone’s birthday because it was considered a “super” nice place as a kid. As cheesy as it was, I always loved when they’d turn the sliced onion into a “train”…
Surprise format of a Thin Mint is a nice bonus!
Lovin’ the vintage pics of you! And we went to plenty of those types of places..I call them Shrimp Flying thru the Air places
kurama, september 2002: josh and i go on our first date (it was labor day and i remember a lot of places were closed
). obviously it was a success!
Awwww!!! We should all go sometime
See you soon!
Oh my god I love that restaurant!! I have family that lives in Fayetteville, NC and whenever we go visit we eat there! The one there is called Miyabi. Its amazing and that white sauce is like crack. We have a few hibachi places in massachusetts, not as good..but still amazing
Love the picture with the blue dresses! So Cute! I love seeing childhood photos! They’re such fun!
I have always liked Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies!
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I live in LA on the beach. High of 72 today, low of 56. While it’s expensive, crowded, and trying at times – you just can’t beat this weather. My running route has a spot where I have view of the mountains and the ocean from either direction. NYC is pretty funky though, like LA, so I love them both.
Oops, wrong post!