Showchef Teppanyaki

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
You’ve probably passed by on a weekend night and looked through the glass walls to see jolly faces covered in egg and fried rice – and wondered what this restaurant is all about. At Showchef Teppanyaki, the emphasis is as much on the theatre of cooking as it is the food. Flying eggs, salt and pepper clicking tricks, flipping food – these good-humoured teppan chefs use the hotplates as their stage, much to the amusement of their guests. Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine which uses an iron griddle to barbecue food. Opened in 2006, Showchef Teppanyaki takes tabletop cooking to the extreme, providing the ideal night out for special occasions and group dining.

Up to 13 guests can be seated around each of the three teppanyaki cooking stations, hemming in the showchef and his sizzling hotplate. Choose from four set menu options; the most popular being the standard set, which may include miso soup, seasonal salad, prawns, calamari, fish fillets or teriyaki chicken, vegetables and fried rice – many of which may end up on your clothes rather than in your mouth. (Those lacking coordination are wise to bring a sense of humour!) Get into the fun and bring along a bottle or two, but keep in mind that the turnover here is high and those wishing to linger may be ushered to another table or the recently renovated waiting room upstairs. Those after a quiet meal away from the action can take a seat at a small side table and select from the a la carte menu, which covers a range of tempura, sashimi, Wagyu steak dishes and more. The black-and-red-clad showchefs complete the experience with a salt-scribed message on the hotplate, before their full and jolly guests go rolling out into the night.

Lauren Barker