Date Night at Beluga Japanese (Pictures, too!) (LOCALISM FEATURED)
Jason Crouch
My wife Pam and I had a true date night yesterday evening, which means all three children were at home 
with our sitter and my mother-in-law. Pam understands the importance of my blog, so she suggested that we go some place local so that I could write this review.
We both enjoy Japanese food, so we selected Beluga Japanese, which is located in the strip center next to the H-E-B on Louis Henna in Round Rock.
It was beautifully and (I think) authentically decorated, although I will readily admit that my experience with Japanese decor is limited to what I have seen in action movies. There were two rooms with a more traditional setup (i.e. sitting on the floor, etc.), but we ate at a regular booth. This goes hand-in-hand with my old saying, "When in Rome, sit in a booth if possible."
On a related note, I recall seeing "The Man Who Knew Too Much" with Jimmy Stewart when I was a kid - they had a Hitchcock revival at one of the Dallas theaters, and my mom and I saw several of them that year. In the film, Stewart has an awkward time adjusting to the Moroccan style of dining since he is so tall. But I digress...
Pam ordered the teriyaki salmon and I had the teriyaki chicken. Both are served on a bed of mixed vegetables along with a side of white rice. We also had the calamari appetizer, which I managed to eat with chopsticks somehow. The calamari was probably the best that I have ever eaten, and it had a thin, sweet sauce drizzled over the top - delicious!
Since we were feeling lucky, we even shared a dessert. I don't recall the name of our choice, but it involved fried pound cake, ice cream, oranges, whipped cream, and honey. We weren't able to finish the whole thing because it was huge, but it was also terrific.
As you can see, we took pictures of each other as we were hanging out - why not?
Our server was on top of her game, although it was not that crowded when we were there. I never had to seek her out for a refill, and she was quick to answer questions or make suggestions.
I would highly recommend trying Beluga Japanese if you are looking for high-quality Japanese food in the Round Rock area. Here is a direct link to their website:
Looking at the web address, I just realized how close it is to "Belushi", but I suppose shortening the name would result in a copyright infringement.
Our bill was around $58 pre-tip for appetizer, two entrees, and the giant dessert I mentioned above. Overall, not bad for a pretty elegant dining experience with great service!
Beluga did not offer teppanyaki-style dining. If you are looking for a place where you can see the chef preparing the food in this way, you would probably enjoy nearby Tokyo Steak House:
http://www.austinscoolestblog.com/post/540777/Our-Date-Night-at-the-Round-Rock-Tokyo-Steak-House
