When looking for a Teppanyaki place in Tokyo to have some good wagyu beef, decided on Ukai-Tei because of the good rating on Tabelog and also among reviews from foreign visitors. The top Teppanyaki place in Tokyo, Kawamura, was practically unbookable so that wasn’t even in my consideration. After all, there’s so many good food choices in this city and I’ll just opt for the ones which do not take too much stress and effort to book. Ukai-Tei has an online booking system (I love that!) and I was lucky to secure spots for lunch just days before my arrival!

This meal was to happen RIGHT after I landed in Tokyo, after a long overnight flight (with no food and water, thanks to Scoot) so I was pretty much famished and tired. But the whole wait was so worth it. This was very well my best Teppanyaki experience so far. In Japan, Ukai-Tei is known for not only great tasting food, but for the finesse of the whole restaurant. It’s not your circus like Teppaｎyaki experience where they pull tricks and juggle eggs – it’s totally opposite here. Everything was presented so impeccably and classy. They have several restaurants, two in central Tokyo and this one in the Chanel building within Omotesando is beautiful. They have several private rooms at no extra charge as well if your party is of 4 pax and above.

Lunch menu has really good value starting from ¥7020+ with sauteed Wagyu sirloin, ¥9720+ for Wagyu beef steak.  For Omotesando’s restaurant, they have a special ¥12960+ menu which features the same beef steak, but with premium selection of starter courses. For dinner, their set menu ranges from ¥19440 – ¥29160+, so I’d recommend having lunch here for sure!

The meal I had was the ¥12960 Special Lunch Course and everything was so good. The pictures will explain it all.

Even non sashimi eaters can take this. This is Tokyo, where all the freshest raw fish in the world is.

Oh I love foie gras! Digressing, foie gras can be found for quite cheap in some hawkerprenuer stalls in Singapore but after having this at Ukai-Tei and having that when I came back to Singapore, I could immediately tell how different it tastes and the satisfaction level is miles apart.

 

 

 

They only mentioned lobster on the menu so the seasonal mushrooms came as a surprise! It’s matsutake season in Japan right now. Between the two, I found the maitake even better for this cooking style. The lobster bisque sauce was so flavourful too, I finished everything I could.

 

Now for the main point of the meal – the wagyu! I was told that the beef came from Tottori prefecture, which is next to Kobe.

By the way, the white stuff in the background is not radish – it’s ONIONS! I don’t know what magic Japanese farmers did on their onions, but the texture was crunchy, the flavour was not pungent and it definitely was not stingy for the eyes. The garlic chips was also another level of thin and crispy.

The last time I had Teppanyaki in Japan was in Gifu, having their local Hida beef, which was just as good. However, the cooking there was more unpolished, messy and not super consistent – some pieces tasted better than others. The garlic chips are also different as you can tell from the pictures. I suppose Ukai-Tei has taken over the throne now, to be my best Wagyu experience!

 

Garlic rice is a must for every Teppanyaki meal. You could also choose cold somen but garlic rice anytime for me! Especially when they’re using Niigata Koshihikari rice, you do not say no.

 

On the lunch menu, dessert course was simply termed as “Dessert” without further explanation. I expected it to be a simple jelly, pudding or a slice of melon. They told us we’ll be shifted to another room for dessert, but it took me by surprise when I realise it was an actual tea lounge, and the dessert selection was a proper plated dessert to be selected from this menu!

Coffee or tea is served with petit fours selection from this trolley. This whole dessert segment felt like an afternoon tea session on it’s own. I always get excited when I see such trolleys.

It’s a shame I’m always stuffed by the time it comes to this!

Ukai-Tei うかい亭
5F Omotesando Gyre, 5-10-1 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001