Bib Taler has become quite accustomed to the only entertainment at the dinner table being his mom threatening to sell him to the gypsies if he throws one more handful of food on the floor.
   So when he saw Iwan the hibachi chef wheeling his cart of goodies to our table at Shogun Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, he sat up in his highchair and took notice.
   He watched with extreme fascination as Iwan drew his utensils from the cart. Then Iwan welcomed us to the restaurant, wrote "Shogun" in oil on the hot grill and set the whole thing ablaze. And that almost undid Bib Taler, whose little eyes reddened and rimmed with tears and whose lower lip poked out as he hurriedly reached for safety. It was apparent he didn't think of this as a friendly welcome.
   Luckily, there was ample time for a turnaround...
   We had packed a stash of toys -- and Cheerios -- so we were well-prepared when we entered Shogun early on a Friday evening, hoping against hope that with 5 o'clock reservations we could get in and get out before the dinner rush.
   It worked. We were seated almost right away, with Bib Taler's highchair positioned at the end of the table where there seemed to be more of a buffer between him and the soon-to-be-fire-hot grill, and we were home less than an hour and a half after we arrived at the restaurant.
   Bib Taler was content to roll his toy trucks across the wooden part of the table (and send them crashing to the floor more than once for us to pick up hurriedly, lest they cause an unsuspecting passerby to trip, fall and sue us for everything we have), but he soon discovered an exciting new plaything -- a package of eye-poker-outers... er, chopsticks.
   He waved those sticks wildly as he stared at our dinner companions, two young women seated at the other end of the table who didn't seem to notice a toddler eavesdropping on their conversation.
   We were just finishing our miso soup when the last four seats at our table were filled and salads were on their way out.
   Everyone ordered -- the geisha special for me (New York strip steak and boneless chicken for $18.95) and teriyaki chicken ($11.95) and an order of California rolls ($4.45) for Bib Taler's dad.
   Bib Taler's dad inquired about whether Iwan could do anything special on the grill with Cheerios, Bib Taler's current favorite food, but Iwan seemed not to get the joke and simply said no.
   I have to admit, I was a little worried going into this dining experience that Bib Taler would toss a toy onto the hibachi, or worse, that he would burn his hands trying to check it out, but as it turned out there was no cause for concern. Once the fire started, there was no way he or his precious toys would get near that grill. In my mind, his fear was, in this case, a very good thing.
   He burrowed part of his face in my shoulder, not daring to take his eyes off the chef, and once even pointed dramatically at the table and called, "Truck!" (Was he calling for a fire truck? Was he warning us that Iwan would set his toy trucks on fire? Did he see the shape of a truck in the flames? Oh, we'll never know.)
   He watched warily as Iwan clanged, sliced and diced, drew smiley faces on the hibachi and set them afire, and turned a stack of onion slices into a flaming volcano.
   But he quickly forgave Iwan's every transgression after he tasted the fried rice (prepared with our meal for an extra $2.50). The first bite inspired an "Mmmmm," the first measure of approval we had heard from him since Iwan appeared.
   He seemed to think the zucchini and squash were better than anything we could have prepared for him at home, as well. Hmmm... maybe if we replace our regular old run-of-the-mill dining room table with a hibachi table Bib Taler will become a champion vegetable eater. Or maybe we'll keep Shogun in mind when we really need to push the zucchini. Bib Tales is a monthly column on where to go with a baby in tow.

SHOGUN JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI BAR
   Address:
2815 Cantrell Road, Little Rock
   

Hours:
Sunday through Thursday, 5-9 :30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5-10 :30 p.m.
   

For the parents:
The dinner menu includes grilled jumbo shrimp, onion soup, salad, vegetables and an entree, like teriyaki chicken ($11.95), filet mignon steak ($18.95) or the Shogun special -- shrimp, scallops, lobster tail, steak and chicken ($29.95). If that's not enough to fill you up, you can order an additional portion of steak for $8.50, or chicken for $4.95, or a lobster tail for $9.50. House specialty drinks come in a porcelain container (in shapes like a Buddha, a geisha, a Sumo wrestler) for $9.50.
   

For the kids:
A full-course dinner is available in kid-size portions of hibachi steak ($9.95), chicken ($8.50) or teppanyaki shrimp ($9.95).
   

Highchair report:
Standard wooden ones.
   

Hire a sitter?
There were several small children present during our visit, but it seems like a meal that expensive would be better enjoyed without picky eaters.
   

Family budget:
Shogun certainly has the potential for breaking a family budget. But for a special occasion, paying for entertainment involving what you eat could be a special treat. Those celebrating special occasions can get a dessert, delivered by waiters and waitresses singing in Japanese and commemorated with a souvenir photo, for an additional $6 ($2.50 will buy the photo only).
   

(501) 666-7070

This story was published Friday, June 02, 2006