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Dining With Gilles

Fuji Japanese Steak House
Village at Waugh Chapel
1314 Main Chapel Way
Gambrills, MD
410-721-6880

Conveniently located in the Village at Waugh Chapel, Fuji Japanese Steak House is definitely a place you’ll want to visit. When we arrived (quite early) on a recent Saturday evening, we were trendsetters of a sort: it only took few minutes after we were seated for a waiting line to start.

Why? Well, the décor is attractive, with a large sushi bar near the entrance and eight shiny teppanaki grills that each seat 12 guests. It’s all wrapped in a beautiful red wood, with traditional Japanese pictures on the walls and a class-A uniformed staff.
But the real secret of Fuji’s popularity is the food, of course. From an outstanding array of sushi, sashimi, rolls, hand rolls, and makis, cooked, raw or vegetarian, to a wonderful display of dishes cooked before you on the grill, you’ll find something delicious to your taste at very reasonable prices.

We decided on a variety of California rolls to begin, followed by shrimp tempura and spider crab rolls: just excellent. The rolls were freshly made, generous portions with perfectly cooked rice, and most important, the right proportion of rice to the main ingredient. This really allows you to enjoy the fantastic flavors of the ingredient itself, leaving the rice do its job of nicely enveloping everything. I was surprised on how delectable these rolls were compared to many I have tried. The modest wine list will let you focus on the food, and traditional beers are available.

We then took pleasure in the flavors and the show of the teppanaki grill. Steak, shrimp, fresh vegetables and fried rice are prepared here, and again, it’s a fantastic way to appreciate the simple, true flavors of ingredients perfectly cooked. Michael Feng, our chef, has been doing this since 1995 and at Fuji for the past few months, and he put on a fantastic show, firing volcanoes made of onion rings to flipping shrimp and utensils. His performance is not for the timid: prepare your children.

Another special feature of dining at Fuji is that you get to dine with perfect strangers seated right next to you. We met a friendly young couple, Sean and Shannon from Severn, who came recommended by a friend.

For once, we did not have dessert, but we did depart feeling extremely satisfied. By the time we left, there was an even longer line, but that didn’t stop the hostesses from greeting guests or sending them on their way with huge smiles on their faces.

Sayonara!