My intention this week was to review a restaurant that served cuisine from one Asian island, but when I arrived to discover they were closed one late afternoon, I hopped on over to another Asian island, Japan.

Kyoto Diner serves low-key dinners at reasonable prices. I say “low key” because I wouldn’t say its menu offers a lot of variety, and I wouldn’t suggest visiting Kyoto if you’re looking for atmosphere or one-of-a-kind menu items. However, if you’re looking for high-quality, fast and healthy, hibachi- or teriyaki-style cooked Japanese food, I would highly recommend Kyoto.

My dining companion and I tried to start with an appetizer, eggrolls; however, they only serve eggrolls on the weekend. I then asked the difference between hibachi and teriyaki and the waiter explained it was the sauce. He said that the teriyaki included hibachi, but the hibachi did not include teriyaki. I didn’t quite understand this (there was a bit of a language barrier), so my dining companion and I ordered one of each, to see if we could tell the difference.

In the meantime, we had a conversation about the word hibachi. We both thought it was a small grill we remembered having on a college apartment balcony. I looked it up when I got home and sure enough the definition of hibachi is a portable brazier that burns charcoal and has a grill for cooking (a brazier is a metal container).

I ordered scallops and chicken hibachi style, he ordered teriyaki chicken. Both were delicious. Tender meats, with abundant portions and both sauces were thick, rich and oozing with flavor. We couldn’t, however, tell the difference in flavor, but the teriyaki included broccoli while the hibachi included mushrooms. Both dishes also incorporated potatoes, carrots, zucchini and onions in the meal. The potatoes seemed out of place for Japanese food, but did add hardiness when eaten with the rest of the veggies and meats.

The meal is also served with rice and a ginger sauce. The ginger sauce doubles as dressing for the salads and is a very tasty, creamy, subtle ginger-flavored treat. When I say salad, I mean just iceberg lettuce and dressing.

As I said, we couldn’t tell the difference in the sauces, as the waiter had tried to explain, but I did see a difference in how the meats were cooked. I wondered if the hibachi dishes are actually grilled meats with teriyaki sauce and the teriyaki dishes are saut/ed in teriyaki. That would make sense, wouldn’t it? As would the waiter’s original explanation – it was just me not quite understanding what he was trying to say.

Either way, Kyoto has some great meals that you can eat quickly if you dine in or it’s a great stop for dining out. Reasonable prices, with a simple menu and easy to take home meals.

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

KYOTO DINER

2800 Scottsville Road, Suite 4 796-6161

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

Cuisine: Japanese

Price range: $3.99 to $6.99 for one entree; $8.99 to $13.99 for combinations

Specialties: Teriyaki and hibachi

Libation situation: Various domestic and Japanese beers

Smoking: Yes