Flaming Clams at Hana Japanese Eatery

Somehow there’s always some sort of edible entertainment when I eat at Hana — a flaming sugar cube, a whole fish getting carved up behind the counter, a bubbling bowl of noodles. 

Yesterday, lunch was a glowing trio of littleneck clams, set atop a small pile of flaming salt. As the fire engulfed them, I could see their juices bubbling and steaming. Once the flames went out, it was safe to eat them, but I waited a couple more minutes before knocking back the savory liquid like a shot.

For my main dish, I dug into some lovely katsu-don, a big bowl of rice topped with sliced, fried pork katsu (cutlets), egg, and