Kabuki Teppanyaki

I'm still undecided about whether I'm a fan of teppanyaki. I mean, what's not to like about freshly cooked meats and vegetables with Japanese sauces? What's not to like about a crazy, almost-theatre like show of cooking as a half clown-half chef prepares the meal? Well, on this occasion more than one diner wore their dinner so maybe that's a point in the cons column, but generally it's a pretty delicious meal.

We'd bought a groupon for Kabuki Teppanyaki in the Stamford Plaza Hotel a few months back, but it had taken us this long to find ourselves in town, hungry, and on evening when the rest of town wasn't also feeling like Teppanyaki.  We only had a short time, as there was a beer tasting to get to, so the theatrical setting worked just fine and we got through just in time to make it down the hill for a drink.

The meal was seven 'courses', starting with salad, omelette and miso soup, before moving onto stir fried veggies, veggie fried rice and then our choice of proteins. Wil chose the chicken and salmon, and I the salmon and beef. Each was cooked to perfection - well cooked for chicken, medium for the salmon and rare for the beef, on my request. Paired with the sauces that make Japanese so food so irresistible we wolfed these down in record time, but enjoyed them no less.

I have to say, that being set just off the lobby of the hotel makes Kabuki feel a little sterile and lessens the atmosphere that such an 'event' style meal has. Of course, our clock-watching wouldn't have helped.  Regardless of lack of atmosphere, or lack of time, the food was of exceptional freshness and cooked perfectly. And you can't beat that.

I'm still undecided as to my feeling about Teppanyaki overall, but if you're in the mood, or you find yourself in the neighbourhood you could do worse than Kabuki. 

Kabuki Teppanyaki is in inside the Stamford Plaza Hotel, 22-26 Albert Street, Auckland