Teppanyaki isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and more often than not you’ll find that an evening in front of the Japanese BBQ plate will leave both your stomach and wallet feeling a little empty. My most recent teppanyaki experience was at Kabuki which is heralded as one of Brisbane’s best Japanese restaurants. Following my March 09 escape to Osaka, I doubted that it would cut the mustard. However, as I waddled out of the said venue earlier this week, I concluded it was worthy of its title.
This visit to Kabuki was a corporate affair sponsored by one of my business partners, so I must admit there was little concern about the price tag for the evening. However in the interest of BNE: HOT OR NOT readers, I ensured one eye was kept on the menu and wine list for those who may have to dip into their own bank account to eat there.
At 6pm on Tuesday evening the large restaurant, decorated as you’d expect for a Japanese venue, was empty with the exception of the wait staff. They kindly offered my party of three a seat at the end of a large BBQ plate which caters for ten patrons in total. With nothing but chirping crickets in the background, I wondered if we would be experiencing teppanyaki by ourselves and to be honest I didn’t think it was going to light us up. By the time we had selected a bottle of Stella Bella Sav Blanc ($40) from the tidy and slightly over-priced wine list, our BBQ plate was surrounded by two other couples and a party of three.
As the group settled, our Japanese chef Tommy stealthily appeared and started the show with a brief display of knife wielding and spatula spinning before launching into the BBQ-ing process. The BBQ we selected was a good compromise between quantity and price per head ($60). The ‘Botan’ option provides ample portions of cooked-to-order salmon fillet, teriyaki chicken pieces, as well as prawns in soy and garlic. For the more adventurous foodies, the prawn heads are of course squashed and pan fried for consumption – worth doing, if you can block out the fact that you’re eating eye balls and legs. As 7.30pm ticked over our table was only half way through the culinary delights (my party of three was well into the second bottle of wine) and the venue was pumping and packed to the gunnels with a good mix of clientele. As I scanned the room I couldn’t help but snigger at the other patrons who were cleaning fried rice or egg from their clothes and faces whilst trying to avoid singed eyebrows. If you’ve done teppanyaki before, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
Also on the serve were melt-in-your-mouth cubes of marinated eye fillet as well as fried rice and mildly spicy stir-fried mixed veggies. There was a trio of dipping sauces to accompany the tastymorsels, as well as a garden salad with a tangy, creamy dressing and a warm bowl of miso soup.
Although I quite enjoyed the company I was dining with, the conversation didn’t last long as Tommy’s antics held our attention and I was never quite sure what might get thrown my way if I took my eyes off him. He also entertained us with Japanese renditions of River Dance and Queen’s We Will Rock You and regularly took the mickey out of his clientele as well as himself.
As the evening drew to a close almost three hours after we first sat down, the punters at our table were akin to a bunch of old mates and showed reluctance to be removed from the venue they were now settled into. The sizzle from the other BBQ plates in the room, along with the shrieks of laughter from the entertained clientele ensured the vibe didn’t end too abruptly. As Tommy powered down the BBQ and said his goodbyes, he cleverly signed off with thanks with some ‘salt art’, which was a nice touch.
Kabuki is definitely a worthwhile experience, especially if you’ve never sampled teppanyaki before. If you’ve got a group of mates who appreciate well crafted food and entertainment, I wouldn’t look past Kabuki.
- Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, Stamford Plaza Brisbane Hotel, Cnr Edward and Margaret Sts, Brisbane +61-7 3221 1999
Great restaurant for teppanyaki food. Brisbane over the last few years has really grown as a city and now offers a number of internationally renowned restaurants. Melbourne has competition now.
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Hi Van
I agree – the dining scene has certainly grown up a lot in the last five years in Brisbane (although Kabuki has been around for a while). I think the fact that Matt Moran chose to open his other Aria restaurant in Brisbane is testament to that.
Jetsetting Joyce
matt moran opened his other restaurant in brisbane because ARIA is simply not good enough to make an impression in melbourne. Very disappointing experience and ridiculously priced when so many of this country’s great restaurants are way better and way cheaper.