The air buzzed with multiple conversations, mouthwatering seafood was out on display and fire burst from the grill as chefs prepared food. It’s dinner time at Oyama.

Calvin Wu, Oyama’s 27-year-old hibachi cook, flipped his spatulas back and forth, twirling them around in his hands and tossing them behind his back to catch them flawlessly.

He entertained the customers as they eagerly awaited their chance to watch Wu in action at the hibachi.

Wu lit the hibachi and got to work, prepping the food and giving the customers the exact entertainment they were waiting for as he flipped food into the air using his knives and spatulas.

He laughed as he flipped an egg into the top of his hat and brought it back out to continue his cooking. The customers were thrilled by Wu’s performance.

Loud banging directed the attention of the customers to the far end of the restaurant, where employees marched out towards one of the tables; one employee beat away at a large drum.

“Alright everyone,” the woman carrying the drum called out. “Let’s all sing Happy Birthday for this little lady here.”

An employee delivered a delicious looking treat to an older woman at the birthday table as the room prepared.

The whole restaurant erupted into a round of “Happy Birthday to You.”

The woman celebrating her birthday was from the west side. She had come all the way to Ellensburg to visit her son, an Ellensburg local. Her son had told her that Oyama was the best place to go in town.

She was thrilled with their choice of restaurant, having enjoyed the treatment that she received, celebrating with the lively restaurant crew.

“My favorite part was being with my family,” she said with a grin.

“It’s the best place in town,” her son said, smiling when he joined her.

Oyama has been open since Nov. 20, 2013. The owners, Zoe and Cody, came from Grandview, Wash. Cody and Zoe are married and, prior to Oyama, Zoe was a stay-at-home mom.

The couple looked into the building where Oyama is now with an interest in making a Japanese restaurant. Originally, the building housed a Chinese restaurant. After that restaurant ended, Cody and Zoe bought and remodeled the space.

“It wasn’t up to me [to start the restaurant],” Zoe said. “When you marry someone with such ambitions, you can’t stop them.”

Zoe describes her husband as a man who likes to run things, take charge and be adventurous. It was his idea to start up a Japanese restaurant when they moved to Ellensburg.

Rachel Helseth, senior criminal justice major, started working for Oyama back in September.

She had heard about Oyama since the day they opened and is a very big fan of their sushi.

“I’m an avid sushi eater. I care about the quality of food—the fresh taste,” Helseth said.

Helseth said she has a good relationship with all of the staff, including the owners.

“[The] atmosphere is great,” Helseth said. “Everyone I work with, they’re characters, so to speak.”

A group of college students were crowded around a hibachi in another corner, excitedly chatting and laughing.

One boy, who seemed to be celebrating a birthday of his own, chugged a few small drinks while his friends cheered him on, beating a drum and chanting.

“Hey everybody! Are you all ready?” Chef Calvin Wu, a 27-year-old hibachi cook, shouted to the group of college students as he arrived at their table.

He fired up the grill and prepared the entrees for his guests, flipping the food with flair and igniting huge flames, all while the students clap and cheer.

Wu, originally a hibachi man in New York before coming to Ellensburg, trained for three years before he mastered his work.

Wu, friends with Zoe and Cody, has been living in Ellensburg for the past year because the owners asked him to come and work for them.

According to Wu, the hardest part of working a hibachi is being able to cook the food just right.

“They came here for the dinner, not just the show. They both have to be good,” Wu said.

According to Wu, the best part about the hibachi is making a fun experience for the customers and being able to make new friends from those customers.

Wu put on another friendly smile and went on his way to greet the incoming customers, looking forward to giving them the best hibachi show that he can.