At Sakekawa Japanese Steak House, diners are in for a show as well as a creative and distinctive meal. Sitting around stovetops, customers watch a hibachi chef prepare their meal with flair.

The chef begins with a bow and then an immediate culinary display of spatula flipping and tapping on the metal stove. Then, the chef lights a large flame.

The hibachi chefs have different shows, based on what they are cooking and depending on the chef. If cooking fried rice, the chef may toss balls of rice into customers' mouths, which at Sakekawa they call "basketball." Or the chef may form the rice into shapes, such as a heart or animal.

"Customers really enjoy the shows," manager Amy Pratt said. "A lot of kids love to watch, and adults too."

And then comes a volcano—when the chef piles onions on the stove and pours vodka and oil in the center and lights it on fire. Even seasoning the food comes with an extra zest as the chefs flip spice containers in the air to give the food a big taste.

Sakekawa has two locations in The Woodlands, with the first opening in 2007 on Woodlands Parkway while the other, larger restaurant opened in October on Research Forest Drive. Both restaurants offer a sushi bar and a full bar.

"Our Woodlands Parkway location was really busy, and we decided it was time to build a bigger place," Pratt said. "It's the same food, same place. Just more people can enjoy it now."

The Research Forest location also offers live music every Friday and Saturday night on its large outdoor patio, which is equipped with fireplaces and can be enclosed on cooler nights. Sakekawa has gained a strong following of regular customers, Pratt said.

All the food is made fresh daily while fresh fish is delivered to the restaurant six days a week, assistant manager Marco Wong said.

"It's fish," he said. "It has to be fresh."

Both locations are busy on weekend nights and typically have waiting lists, Pratt said. The two restaurants send customers to either location if there is available room. The restaurant also takes reservations.

The Research Forest location is usually busy at lunch with the business crowd, Pratt said. And the Woodlands Parkway location gets busier during the weekday evenings and on weekends with families.

"It's a family place," Pratt said. "Our customers feel like they're at home here."

Customer favorites

• Hibachi meals include soup, salad, shrimp, steamed rice and sauteed vegetables
• Hibachi vegetables–$15.95 (dinner)
• Hibachi chicken–$16.95 (dinner)
• Hibachi steak–$21.95
• Hibachi shrimp–$18.95 (dinner)

Bento boxes

• Served with soup, salad, California roll, crab puff, egg roll and steamed rice
• Teriyaki Chicken–$16.95 (dinner)
• Teriyaki Salmon–$18.95 (dinner)
• Shrimp Tempura–$17.95 (dinner)
• Shrimp Sautee–$17.95 (dinner)
• Teriyaki Beef–$19.95 (dinner)
• Smoked Salmon–$19.95 (dinner)
• Pork Chops–$16.95 (dinner)

Sushi

• Tiger Eye Roll– $7.95 (smoked salmon, masago, cream cheese, and jalapeno rolled in seaweed paper and soybean paper)
• Caterpillar Roll–$10.95 (eel and cucumber topped with avocado, shrimp and eel sauce)
• Mexico Roll–$7.95 (crab meat, jalapeno, onion and mayo)
• New York Roll–$11.95 (shrimp tempura and cucumber topped with crab meat, mayo and chili sauce)

Sakekawa

4221 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, 281-298-9188

6777 Woodlands Parkway, Ste. 200, The Woodlands, 281-419-5988, www.sakekawa.com

Hours: Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat. noon–11 p.m., Sun. noon–10 p.m.