I’ve been watching the old Rue Dumaine spot ever since it was announced that has been leased and would soon house Tokyo Grill Sushi & Habachi Buffet. Yesterday I noticed it draped with flag and stopped in for lunch. The server told me they’d opened quietly this past Sunday.

First impression – you can’t help but notice it’s been totally transformed and the blue walls are meant to invoke the feeling of the sea, according to owner Tony Huong. This 37 year old entrepreneur explained this is his 4th restaurant, with one in Virginia and two in South Carolina and has been in the business for 20 years. Family friends suggested he come to Dayton because it was a friendly city. The old bar has been removed, but I was informed they applied for their liquor license 3 months ago and are still waiting for it to arrive.

Across the back of the restaurant is the hibachi line. You are give an order form to choose your base (white or brown rice, noodles) and a bowl to put your ingredients in. You are welcome to select as many as you want from the over 20 ingredients on the bar, and then yous get to the protein choices, which included pepperoni, Italian sausage, squid, Krab meat, chicken, pork and salmon and turn it in to the Habachi Chef. When your bowl is ready, they will bring it to your table.

If you prefer you can order a poke bowl. Poke means “to slice or cut” in Hawaiian and refers to chunks of raw, marinated fish — usually tuna — which is then tossed over rice and topped with vegetables and umami-packed sauces. Their will be several to choose from, the classic which is tuna and several variations with crab and shrimp, salmon and a veggie tofu bowl.

Owner Tony Huong at the sushi line.

Along the west wall buffet you can begin your selections from coconut or tempura shrimp, mozzarella sticks, french fries, stuffed crab jalapeno, crab rangoon, and then there is a section of over 24 sushi rolls- fried tuna roll, yellow tail roll, sesame chicken roll, California roll, fried salmon roll, mango banana, dragon roll, spicy tuna roll, rainbow roll and more. Huong let us know that he has two sushi chefs that each have over 15 years experience, so you can expect quality and variety on the buffet.