Fine Dining: Shogun

The Shogun Japanese steakhouse is Uniontown's newest dining establishment, and after all the hype my brother's given it, you could say I waited too long to go. He's right, though--it's a pretty awesome place.

First, it just looks really cool. The decorating is really neat. So are the drinks. Try the Zombie, which has a long, exhaustive list of alcohol ingredients. All I remember is rum, triple sec, grenadine, and pineapple juice. It's definitely a strong drink, but the taste of the alcohol isn't overwhelming. That won't matter anyway, though, after your chef squirts saki in your mouth.

The menu is best navigated with the help of a veteran diner (like my brother). Not everything is hibachi, but don't think that doesn't mean you're going to get a lot of food. Any dinner orders get you a salad, which has a strange, sweet dressing. It's good but I don't love it. My brother does. They also come with a soup, which I prefer. The flavor isn't strong but it's still really good. It's mostly broth with a few sliced mushrooms and scallions and another mystery item my brother thinks might be bacon.

$55 sashimi

Be careful not to accidentally order $55 sashimi, although I blame our waitress for this. But if you do want the $55 sashimi for two, it looks really cool and gives you plenty of food. I can only tell you that I liked the crab and my boyfriend liked everything else, including the unpopular mackerel. But everyone has different opinions on the sushi--for example, I prefer the California rolls. My dad prefers the ones with salmon, but my mom says the salmon is too slimy. You can also try octopus, but it's slimy.

The hibachi dinners are the most fun. The chefs show off, sing, throw you food, and set things on fire. Hibachi is easily a very entertaining dining experience, so Shogun is easily the most entertaining restaurant in Fayette County. The bigger the group, the more fun you'll have, although it does make for a great date restaurant, too. Beware, though--even without accidental $55 sushi, it does get pricey, mostly due to the meat and seafood on the hibachi menu. On the plus side, you get plenty of food and the leftovers taste just as good. Chopsticks are optional.

If you make it to dessert, try the fried cheesecake.