Picture this: It's Saturday evening in your New Albany kitchen. Your guests arrive expecting another nice dinner party, but instead they walk into something completely unexpected. A professional hibachi chef is setting up a gleaming teppanyaki grill on your patio. The aroma of garlic butter starts drifting through the air. Within minutes, knives are flashing, flames are dancing, and your backyard has become the most entertaining restaurant in Central Ohio—except everyone has the best seat in the house, and you're actually relaxing with a drink instead of sweating over a stove.
That transformation? It happens at dozens of New Albany homes every y month, and I'm Rumla, the founder ofLove Hibachi , the service making it possible.
There was this corporate event I did last fall in one of New Albany's newer subdivisions. The host was a tech executive who'd relocated from San Francisco, and she missed the authentic teppanyaki experiences from back home. She started by saying, "I just want good hibachi without dragging everyone to Easton." By the end of the evening, with her team gathered around our grill watching steak and scallops sizzle under the stars, she pulled me aside and said something I hear constantly: "This is better than any restaurant. Everyone's actually talking to each other."
That's the thing about a private hibachi chef in New Albany—it's not just about convenience, though that's certainly part of it. Our chefs bring the complete teppanyaki steakhouse experience directly to your space, whether that's your backyard patio, finished basement, or even your driveway (yes, really—some of our best events happen in driveways). We arrive with commercial-grade equipment, premium ingredients, and fifteen-plus years of culinary training. You get the knife tricks, the onion volcanos, the perfectly seared filet mignon, and the interactive entertainment that makes hibachi so memorable.
But here's what makes the at-home version special: intimacy. At a restaurant, you're sharing your chef with strangers at adjoining tables. The birthday celebration three seats down gets just as much attention as your anniversary. With our mobile hibachi service , your event is the only event. The chef reads your crowd, adjusts the show to your group's energy, and creates those spontaneous moments that become the stories your guests tell for months.
Let me walk you through what one of these evenings actually feels like, because until you experience it, it's hard to imagine how seamlessly everything comes together.
Our chef arrives about forty-five minutes before your guests are due. You're probably putting finishing touches on drinks or setting out appetizers while we quietly handle the technical setup. The grill gets positioned for optimal viewing—we've done enough New Albany events to know exactly how to work with everything from sprawling Kitzmiller Road estates to cozy Market Street townhomes. Equipment gets tested, ingredients get arranged in those satisfying rows you'd see at any high-end Japanese steakhouse, and our chef changes into professional attire.
When your guests arrive, they immediately notice something's different. There's this beautiful teppanyaki setup that wasn't there before, complete with proper ventilation and safety measures. The questions start immediately: "Wait, is this actually happening here?" Yes, yes it is.
The show begins once everyone's settled with drinks. Our chefs are trained in both culinary excellence and entertainment—these aren't just skilled cooks, they're performers who happen to make incredible food. The knife work starts, vegetables fly, that signature onion volcano appears right on schedule. Flames leap dramatically for the shrimp, and suddenly everyone's got their phones out capturing the moment. The smell of soy-glazed chicken and garlic butter shrimp fills the air, mixing with laughter and the rhythmic scrape of spatulas on the grill.
Here's where the magic really happens: people relax completely. There's no pressure to order quickly, no server rushing to turn the table, no worrying about getting home at a decent hour. Your guests are fifteen feet from their cars, or better yet, they're already home. Kids can wander off to play between courses. Adults can have real conversations without shouting over restaurant noise. The pacing is yours to control.
The food itself? Restaurant-quality doesn't quite capture it. We source premium proteins—USDA Choice or higher beef, large shrimp, fresh vegetables—and prepare everything fresh on-site. Each dish gets the proper attention because we're not juggling twelve tables. By the time our chef serves the fried rice (always a crowd favorite), your guests have transitioned from impressed to completely won over. When you discover our full menu at lovehibachi.com, you'll see why—we offer everything from classic steak and chicken combinations to premium additions like lobster tail and scallops.
After hundreds of events throughout Central Ohio, I've learned what separates a good hibachi experience from an extraordinary one. While typical New Albany caterers provide food, Love Hibachi delivers a complete entertainment experience that guests talk about for months. The difference shows up in unexpected ways.
Our chefs bring legitimate teppanyaki mastery directly to New Albany homes, offering authenticity most local restaurants can't match because we're not cutting corners to serve hundreds of people nightly. Every event gets fresh ingredients, proper equipment, and a chef who's genuinely invested in making your gathering special. We've done everything from intimate date nights for two to full corporate events with fifty guests, and the quality never wavers.
The practical advantages matter too. Love Hibachi transforms New Albany gatherings from ordinary dinners into extraordinary events where you're the relaxed host, not the stressed cook. You're not spending three hours preparing food or another hour cleaning up afterward. You're not worrying about dietary restrictions because our chefs accommodate everything from vegetarian to gluten-free requests seamlessly. You're simply present, enjoying your own party, which is surprisingly rare when you're hosting.
Living in New Albany creates these unique advantages for at-home hibachi that I don't see everywhere. The community design here—with those generous outdoor spaces, covered patios, and well-planned entertaining areas—means most homes are naturally equipped for this experience. I've done events in neighborhoods from Rocky Fork to Bevelhymer, and consistently find that New Albany residents have put thought into creating spaces where people actually want to gather.
The weather cooperation doesn't hurt either. Spring through fall in Central Ohio gives us this extended hibachi season where outdoor events are absolutely perfect. Those May evenings when it's seventy degrees at sunset? Pure magic for backyard celebrations. Even during winter, we've perfected the garage setup (seriously—heated garages make excellent hibachi venues) and indoor spaces work beautifully with our ventilation equipment.
Some events just demand something special. Last month I did a surprise thirtieth birthday in New Albany's Fenway neighborhood. The wife had told her husband they were having "just a few friends over." He walked into his backyard to find twenty-five people, a full hibachi setup, and his college roommates who'd flown in from Atlanta. Watching his face during that reveal, then seeing him completely relax and enjoy the evening because everything was handled—those moments remind me why this works so well for celebrations.
Anniversary dinners at home have become surprisingly popular. Couples tell me they love the privacy and romance of staying home, but they want that special restaurant experience. We bring both. The chef creates an intimate atmosphere, prepares a beautiful meal, and then disappears, leaving the couple to enjoy dessert alone. It's more personal than any crowded restaurant could offer.
Corporate events and team gatherings have their own dynamic. New Albany has so many professionals working from home now, and companies are looking for memorable ways to bring teams together. A hibachi gathering at someone's home creates this relaxed environment where actual bonding happens. No conference room formality, no restaurant time pressure—just good food, entertainment, and real connection. We've served everyone from medical practices to tech startups, and the feedback is consistently about how much more effective these casual gatherings are for team building.
Holiday parties, graduation celebrations, family reunions—there's this common thread where people want something memorable but don't want the stress of making it happen themselves. That's exactly what Visit Love Hibachi solves.
The booking process surprises people with its simplicity. You reach out through our website, share your event date and approximate guest count, and we talk through what you're envisioning. Want the full menu with premium add-ons? Perfect. Prefer to keep it simple with classic steak and chicken? Also perfect. We customize everything.
About a week before your event, we confirm final details—exact guest count, any dietary restrictions, timing preferences. You don't need to provide anything except space and access to electricity. We bring the grill, the ingredients, the cooking equipment, serving dishes, even the propane. Some hosts like to provide drinks and appetizers, but that's completely optional.
On event day, our chef arrives with everything, sets up efficiently, performs the complete show, serves your guests, and handles all equipment breakdown and cleanup. The only evidence we were there is the lingering aroma of great food and your very happy guests. Most events run about two to two and a half hours from start to finish, though we adjust timing based on your needs.
Love Hibachi covers New Albany thoroughly, along with the greater Columbus area and surrounding communities. Whether you're in the original village area near the country club, out in the newer developments past 161, or anywhere in between, we've got you covered. We regularly serve Westerville, Gahanna, Dublin, and pretty much anywhere within reasonable distance of Columbus.
The beauty of mobile hibachi is flexibility. We've done events in homes, parks (with proper permits), community clubhouses, and even office spaces. If you've got a spot where people can gather and we can set up safely, we can make it happen. Check out our complete service area details to see exactly where we operate.
One question that comes up constantly: space requirements. Here's the honest answer—you need less room than you think. Our standard grill setup requires about a ten-by-ten-foot space with access to electrical outlets. We've successfully operated in surprisingly compact areas. The key is proper ventilation, which we handle with professional equipment for indoor events and nature handles for outdoor ones. I've done events in New Albany townhomes, condos, and traditional homes, and we always find a configuration that works.
Pricing questions are natural. The investment varies based on guest count and menu selections, but for context, most New Albany events for eight to twelve guests run comparable to taking that group to a nice restaurant—except you get the private chef experience, no tipping stress, complete cleanup included, and you're in your own space. We provide detailed quotes once we understand your specific needs, and there's never pressure or hidden fees. Everything's transparent from the start.
The dietary restriction question matters, especially with food allergies becoming more common. Our chefs accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, shellfish allergies, and other dietary needs without issue. We just need advance notice to prepare properly. I've done events where half the guests needed gluten-free preparation and the other half wanted the full traditional menu—our chefs handle both simultaneously without compromising either experience.
Weather concerns? Understandable, especially in Ohio. For outdoor events, we always have a backup plan. If weather turns, we can often move to a garage, covered patio, or indoor space. We're watching forecasts as closely as you are and will communicate about contingency plans well before event day. The good news is our equipment works beautifully in both settings.
Cleanup is honestly one of the best parts—there isn't any, at least not for you. We handle absolutely everything. The grill gets broken down, equipment gets packed, surfaces get wiped clean, and we remove all waste. Your space looks exactly like it did before we arrived, minus the lingering delicious smell. No dishes, no trash management, no post-party exhaustion.
The difference between reading about this and experiencing it firsthand is substantial. There's something about watching your guests' faces light up when they realize this isn't just catered food but an actual performance, seeing how naturally conversation flows when people aren't stressed about logistics, and feeling that satisfaction of hosting an event everyone will remember—without the usual hosting exhaustion.
New Albany has this wonderful culture of bringing people together, whether that's neighborhood gatherings, family celebrations, or professional events. Love Hibachi fits perfectly into that culture by making memorable entertaining accessible and stress-free. We handle the complexity so you can focus on what actually matters: enjoying time with the people you've brought together.
Ready to see what this looks like at your home? Learn more about how we do this or reach out to start planning your event. Whether it's next month or next year, we'd love to help make your gathering something special.
