Sapporo Japanese Steakhouse
3 Municipal Wharf 2, Monterey (831) 333-1616, montereysapporo.com
You’re not a birthday princess. But you do appreciate the thoughtful gestures that come your way: a babysitter you didn’t schedule, an unexpected dinner out with bae. The Lyft drops you off on the commercial wharf, where you enjoy buttery nigiri and the rippled reflections of boat lights on the water. Suddenly, a drumbeat jars your reverie. You’re surrounded by grinning staff who launch into the most unusual rendition of “Happy Birthday” you’ve ever heard, involving taiko drumming, a tambourine, and… are those castanets? It’s one part the usual, four parts something else, and you don’t understand the words but when the candle’s under your nose and everyone’s clapping, you get the gist. Make a wish.