Who would have thought that you could wander down a small alley behind a Rabba's for izakaya!
The show is run by a former manager of Guu and the place has a similar vibe.
Heavy wood doors and tables along with upbeat and modern decor.
I liked how this restaurant wasn't overwhelmingly loud and the staff was still energetic and friendly.
Teppan Kenta is a small place and they still take reservations.
The "Chef's Table" is basically sushi bar seating but near the grill.
You can request a corner if you have 3 or 4 people, but I found a table was better to talk.
They have a cocktail list and a small selection of beers and sake.
I ordered their version of a collins which was light and refreshing.
My friend didn't finish her wine lemonade and passed it along to me.
It had loads and loads of undissolved sugar at the bottom.
It was way too sweet.
The beer was served in a nice frosty glass, but they didn't serve giant mugs of Sapporo! Booo.
We ordered a few items to share.
The seared salmon was okay, but I wasn't a fan of the pea shoots used for garnish. They weren't trimmed enough and were difficult to chew and swallow.
The takoyako was crispy and chewy and and better than expected.
I really liked them. I've had octopus balls at other places, but I really liked the texture of the ones here.
The Gyu Steak was a popular item. I found it a bit bland and slightly overcooked. It does come with wasabi and soya sauce, but I still expected some more flavours.
The Hiroshima styled okonomiyaki was one of the better items we ordered.
The bonito flakes danced around and the cabbage added some wonderful texture. We ordered the pancake with shrimp and pork. They shrimp were plump and fresh.
I ordered the karaage, it's one of my favourite snack foods. The chicken was juicy but nothing super special. Actually it could have used more salt...
As we were finishing up, it took awhile to get the bill. The restaurant started getting busy and the service was noticably slow.
Overall, I liked eating here, but there was nothing that would make me want to return.