1 /5 Jessica Crowder: Tonight was supposed to be a special evening for my family. My husband, our kids, my mom, and I went out to celebrate our anniversary at Shogun Steak House and Sushi in Rosenberg. We let the staff know it was a special occasion, and we were genuinely looking forward to making it a memorable night for our family.
Unfortunately, what we experienced was far from celebratory.
The hibachi chef gave us a rushed 5-minute presentation no tricks, no interaction, and clumpy, undercooked rushed rice. I initially assumed he may have been new and decided not to let it ruin our night.
But just a few minutes later, we watched that same chef serve a family nearby with a full, enthusiastic show he was flipping utensils, tossing food, laughter, interaction… the complete hibachi experience we’ve come to expect.
Although I peeped the difference immediatly it wasn’t until my 8-year-old turned to me and said, “Mommy, can I go sit with them?” that I knew I needed to speak up.
I’m not someone who jumps to make things about race, but in this moment, it was hard not to. The only noticeable difference between our table and theirs… was the color of our skin.
I spoke with the manager, who offered little more than a shrug and a half-hearted apology.
We won’t be back. And I’m sharing this because experiences like this where families like mine are made to feel less than should NEVER be normalized or dismissed.
Do better, Shogun. DO BETTER.