Otani Japanese Restaurant–Just OK

I took my buddy Danny out for a holiday lunch and he wanted to go for Hibachi, so I figured we would check out Otani in Mayfield.  Otani has been in the back of the Golden Gate Plaza (1625 Golden Gate Plaza, Mayfield Heights, OH 44124

) seemingly forever, and unfortunately that is my impression after our visit.  The exterior is nicely decorated to look suitably Japanese, once inside we were quickly greeted and seated at the hibachi table (I know that this style of cooking is actually called tepanyaki, but in keeping with the old style, Otani refers to this as Hibachi).  I have to say that the décor feels really dated and dark.  The basic setup at Otani is fine, but it feels like nothing has changed since the restaurant opened in the 1970s. 
After a quick perusal of the menu (which you can see here), we quickly decided on our meals and ordered, Danny was having the Steak and Chicken lunch, I choose the Shrimp.  We started with the mushroom soup, which was a light broth with some slices of mushroom, nice, but a bit safe, it could have used a bit more complex flavoring.  That was a good indication of what was to follow.
Our chef soon arrived and after a quick flame of the grill for effect settled in to cook our meal.  The performance was a bit understated, with our chef seemingly getting there on the performance side, but not nearly as good or as entertaining as the chef at a nearby table.   The lunch consisted of a large portion of fried rice, sautéed mushrooms and our respective main courses.  The food was nicely cooked, but underseasoned, even the two dipping sauces didn’t add much flavor or zing to the meal.  The portion on the Steak and Chicken lunch was ok for the $10.50 price, but I thought the shrimp portion was a little small for $9.00.  
I have to say that I found Otani to be about what I thought, a restaurant that is firmly rooted in its tradition, unfortunately since the 1970s our tastes and sophistication levels have changed, especially as it relates to Japanese food.  I think Otani needs to update its décor and bring more punch to its food.  As always your mileage may vary.