Hanayori Here We Come!

My all-time favorite restaurant is Hana Yori Of Japan! There are always 8 people sitting in a semi-circle so you are usually eating w/strangers, unless your grp. consists of 8 people. And the chef prepares the food right in front of you & entertains you w/his culinary tricks & jokes. It is such an awesome experience. It's an expensive restaurant so we don't get to it very often. When my nephew Tyler turned 13 yrs. old a couple of yrs. ago we decided we'd treat our nephews & nieces to this restaurant when they turn 13. So Tyler was the 1st one to do this w/us. Braylon was just over a yr. old & thought he wouldn't like the big fire so he stayed w/Grandpa & Grandma T. This yr. my niece Mattie turned 13 yrs. old in Feb. so it was time to go back. And we decided that Braylon was old enough to come w/us.

Braylon using chopsticks for the 1st time! I was so amazed he could do it! One end is rubber banded together but still...I was impressed. And he enjoyed it. That's how he ate his whole meal. Now, me, on the other hand...I just can't master those things! I attempted & then settled w/my trusty ole fork!

Here's Braylon's response when the 1st flame flared up! Thankfully it didn't last long! Braylon's sadness, I mean.

I asked our chef's permission to take a couple of pictures. I guess I didn't get his permission to post it on my blog tho. Shhh...don't tell him! But for those of you who don't know what Hana Yori is, I wanted to give you a glimpse of it. Here he's doing the "volcano" w/an onion. Way cool!

Once the cooking & flames were done with, Braylon could enjoy his meal! :)

My niece had some left overs so we got hers wrapped up in a swan to go. Unfortunately for her, she forgot it in our fridge when she left our place, but fortunate for us becuz we got to eat her goodies!

So I'm already wondering...when's the next nephew or niece to turn 13 yrs. old??? I've gotta wait for 2 more wholel years!!