Well, the first thing I want to say about our two experiences at Groton's Koto Japanese Steak House, Hibachi and Sushi Bar is that, yes, that's a long name for a restaurant.

The second is that, no, we did not participate in what is generally the principal attraction at such places — to wit, the hibachi communal dining experience and floor show. Customers — sometimes in a large part of friends and family, sometimes with strangers — are seated at low-slung tables around a small, central cooking area wherein incredibly skilled and versatile performance-chefs, wearing tall hats and brandishing sharp cutlery, prepare dinner whilst simultaneously presenting a highly entertaining show featuring sleight of hand and pyrotechnics.

I sort of think of this construct as the dining equivalent of a hotel lounge band — which should not be construed as nasty or degrading. Hey, I spent a very fine year and a half playing in a hotel lounge band, and it was a lot of rewarding but hard work all in service to the concept of pleasing a broad cross-section of folks, some of whom might want to hear Kenny Rogers while others clamor for Night Ranger. And you've got to make them all happy. The hibachi chefs are a lot like that, I think.

At my age and temperament, though, it's best if you feed me away from other citizens.

Fortunately, Koto's central hibachi dining room is bordered on one side by a handsome bar and, along the far wall, by a narrow stretch of booths for those who want a less spectacular experience. On both visits, our servers were friendly and very efficient. The menu is particularly expansive in the area of sushi and sashimi, along with soups and salads and modest and representative teriyaki, tempura, noodle and "small dishes from the kitchen" options.

Along with my wife, Eileen — who brought along several exotic and shiny knives, ready to put on a show in case I suddenly decided I wanted the experience after all — decided to sample across the board. And now's as good a time as any to say that all of the dishes we tried were lovely presentations.

A Mango Tuna Wrap ($9.50) from the sushi "small plate" was a fine clash of flavors and textures. Fiery strips of cucumber blended with the tart sweetness of similarly carved mango, draped like a rich woman's cape with velvety, pepper-crusted tuna, and topped with a creamy, teasing sauce drizzled across the production like a star's scribbled autograph.

E asked for a Tofu Skin Sushi Roll ($5) in part because, in her 22 years as a vegetarian, she'd never heard of such a thing. The "skin" happens when soy milk is boiled to make tofu, and she found it meaty and with a great chew. Housed along with delicate rice and seaweed, the experience was a success, though Eileen coaxed a bit of heat from a dish of wasabi sauce to counter the cool temp of the tofu skin.

Her first entrée was Tofu Teriyaki ($13), comprising crispy, firm equilateral triangles of delicately fried tofu on a lounge of onions, broccoli, carrots, peppers and baby corn kept temperate of a warm serving skillet. The sauce had a nuzzling umami quality that sneaked up on the tongue like an afterthought exclamation point.

The sole menu item under "Kitchen Special" is Peninsula Fried Rice ($18), and it called to me liked a piper coaxing rats out of a bad neighborhood. Generous amounts of stir-fried large shrimps and tender ocean scallops bobbed along with peas, carrots, green beans and corn in a sea of rice mellowly redolent of ginger, jasmine and the lovely licorice tinge of Thai basil. At the center of the colorful presentation, poking skyward, was a small lobster tail. The taste possibilities were mostly big fun, though the rice was a bit heavy with cooking oil and the lobster, while sweet, was a bit cool.

On our encore visit, Eileen started with an Avocado Salad ($5). Crescent slices of the titular fruit sprawled over romaine with tomato, cucumber, carrot and a sprinkling of crunchy sesame seeds. The rich, nutty ginger dressing was so good she wanted to eat it by itself — preferably at a trough. She followed with Vegetable Yaki Udon ($10), blended thick tendrils of pasta with broccoli, snow peas, red and green bell peppers, onion and mushrooms in a delicate and provocative sauce.

Koto is advertised as a steakhouse, after all, so an appetizer of Beef Kushiyaki ($8) got me in the mood. Three generous skewers of lean, lightly marinated beef, with tiny slivers of green pepper and onion, were just right.

I followed with a Steak Hibachi entrée ($22, $26 with filet — and, yes, I opted for the latter). A vast serving of bite-sized filet — exactly medium rare as requested and delicately flavored — occupied the bulk of a platter. Lightly stir-fried fresh vegetables (carrot, eggplant and mushroom) huddled stage right. Two shrimp perched atop the beef pile, and I selected a side of egg noodles (white or fried rice are also available). This was a huge amount of food, and to twirl the pasta on the tines of the fork, leaving the tips to spear a hunk of steak or two, resulted in elegant ballroom minarets across my tongue. At some point, I again thought there was a bit too much cooking oil saturating some of the noodles, but it's a minor quibble.

No matter how much you eat, do NOT leave without trying the Dream Bomba ($6), an enormous sculpture of peanut butter gelato, a crisp veneer of dark chocolate, a surface dew of peanut butter — and a core of molten caramel. Gods have gone to war over this.

If you go

Koto Japanese Steak House, Hibachi & Sushi Bar

527 Long Hill Road, Groton

(860) 445-5686, kotoct.com

Cuisine: Pan-Japanese including sushi, sashimi, tempura, noodle dishes and hibachi entrees

Atmosphere: Casually elegant, with dark walls, hanging lanterns and a comfortable side dining area hard to the "group tables" set up for the performance chefs' cooking presentations

Prices: Moderate but can climb quickly with specialty sushi and the hibachi entrees

Service: Very polite and efficient; food was delivered at top speed on both visits.

Handicap access: Park in the lot on the north side of the restaurant, and it's level with no steps.

Credit cards: All majors

Reservations: Advised for large parties seeking the hibachi presentations