Hibino, Cobble Hill

I'm ashamed (ASHAMED!) that Eats Meats West hasn't yet covered Hibino, which is arguably the best Japanese restaurant in Brooklyn, much less Cobble Hill.  It's also perhaps the closest restaurant to my apartment, so there's really no excuse.

As is my custom, I ordered all of the obanzai available that day:

• Kabocha croquette - panko breaded mushed Japanese pumpkin, eel and ground chicken.
• Roasted stuffed shiitake Mushroom
• Sauteed shredded beef and garlic sprout with oyster sauce

We were all a bit curious about what exactly a Japanese pumpkin is, and after eating a croquette containing one I can honestly say I'm only more confused.  First of all, the taste is nothing like [an American?] pumpkin.  Second of all, how am I supposed to eat this monstrous disc with chopsticks?  As a friend later pointed out, Hibino is definitely not the kind of Japanese restaurant in which it's socially acceptable to ask for secondary utensils.  You just have to go balls in and hope for the best. 

The roasted stuffed mushrooms were OK, but a bit too dry.  They actually tasted like an overcooked pesto bruschetta. 

The shredded beef and garlic snaps dish was pretty good, if a bit too heavy on the oyster sauce. 

I feel kinda bad for writing was turned out to be a negative review of Hibino, so I'll endeavor to go again soon.  And again, sorry for the craptacular pictures.  The photo of the beef dish is courtesy of their blog, which can be found here.