Ok so I'm a huge fan of teppanyaki and this place seemed to come highly rated but I have to say I was slightly disappointed.
We got there on a Friday night with no reservations around 9:00 p.m. Surprisingly we were seated rather immediately.
We were sat with 2 other groups at a standard teppanyaki grill. First thing I noticed was great they try to fit more chairs at each table than is probably comfortable. I'm sure that's maximizing space. And I know it's like that in most places.
Second thing I noticed was the large menu. They do offer a lot of Chinese and Japanese dishes in their regular sit down menu. They have about a third of the restaurant set up for just normal sit down.
Third thing I noticed was how the menus for the teppanyaki was set up. You start off with an $8.95 starter set. Choice of fried rice, brown rice, fried noodles or white rice. Then you get a salad, onion soup (no onions) and grilled vegetable medley.
Then the other proteins are almost like sides and add ons. Everything you'd find in other places. Shrimp, scallops, lobster tail, filet, NY strip, and even Kobe beef for $48.95.
We added the filet for about $10. The chef walked out and started cooking. Asked everyone the basics like confirming orders and the how do you want your meat cooked.
Started off with the vegetable medley. Wasn't too impressed. Mainly broccoli. Something about broccoli on a grill just didn't taste right 2/5.
Second was the fried rice and everyone had and that lacked flavor. 2/5. For as cool as the show was, the flavor was lacking. More like fast food Chinese take out to be honest. Most other places use Gaelic butter. I think that's what's missing.
The soup came out and it had those fried Asian noodles in it that you'd get back in the 80s at Chinese family restaurants. Also lacked flavor 2/5.
Salad was ok. Not the standard ginger dressing but more like a thousand island 3/5.
The chef was good. Had us laughing.
Meat started next. No shrimp appetizer like most places. You can add that on if you want.
My filet was cooked good. I asked for it rare. It came rare. I've the cut a 4:5 but the mustard sauce and the ginger sauce were way too sweet. Couldn't use either for my filet. Ended up salt and peppering my steak.
Overall the place is clean, staff is friendly but I'd rather dish out the extra cash and make a trip out to Benihana.