Appreciating the culinary art of teppanyaki at Akira

I have eaten in restaurants with open kitchens where I saw chefs cook through a glass window, but I have never experienced sitting in a counter across an iron griddle and having a front row seat to the culinary art of teppanyaki. Though not a new concept, it was my first time to go through this kind of dining experience where not only the food matters, but its preparation as well.

Teppanyaki used to be exclusive to luxury hotels and hole-in-the-wall Japanese establishments, but it has now gone mainstream, as diners can simply go to the malls to see how this personal dining experience could turn into an art form. One Japanese restaurant that specializes in such is Akira, which has a number of branches around the metro.

The one in Shangri-La Plaza Mall had a minimalist and postmodern design with its interesting lighting fixtures and wooden furnishings that were accented with touches of Japanese culture through prominent Japanese icons and prints. The dining area had a pretty decent size but I highly suggest you get a space in one of the counters where you can get a nice view of the chef showcasing his mastery of the flame in his teppan or iron griddle.

Feasting with my eyes first

From my seat, I saw that all the raw ingredients were placed near the cooking area where the chef had easy access to it. I spied some vegetables, rice, poultry, shrimp, and the pièce de résistance, Wagyu beef. The cast was complete and the show was about to start; my taste buds were excited.

The chicken sizzled as the chef put it on the griddle first. While waiting for it to cook, he started with the fried rice and even did some exhibitions with the eggs for the dish. He whirled it in the grill, tossed it on top of his toque, and finally cracked it with the edge of his metal spatula after all the tossing and turning. It was so fast and entertaining that I almost forgot about the miso soup that came along with the set meal. We were also given a set of three-way sauce—steak sauce, honey-miso sauce for the chicken, and ponzu sauce for the seafood—to add more zest to our meal.

The chef incorporated the eggs in the fried rice and even shaped it into a heart, which I thought was an interesting touch. As he was busy cooking, he accommodated our questions and answered everything to his knowledge.

While waiting for the flavors to meld, he turned the chicken over, and then started with the beef. He placed two hefty slices of meat on the griddle and then asked us how we wanted it cooked. Medium rare was the consensus—the perfect choice for this top-grade meat. As he seasoned the beef with salt and pepper and chopped it into bite-sized pieces, he splashed some brandy into it, which flamed up the griddle and amazed me and my fellow diners.
 
We were given individual servings as soon as each dish was done cooking. I first tasted the Wagyu, which had good marbling. It was so tender that it practically melted in my mouth! As much as I wanted to eat everything on my plate, I rationed the beef so I would have it as my last bite.

The chef then gave us a bowl of fried rice that was made tasty with the addition of vegetables and seasonings. After the carbs came the chicken, which was cooked in butter and soy sauce and topped with browned garlic bits according to the preference of the diners. Everything was hot off the grill and I appreciated it because that is how I prefer my food to be served.

As I ate my chicken and rice, I watched the chef show off his skills while cooking the vegetables, a mixture of sliced cabbage, carrots, bell peppers and bean sprouts. It was similar to the stir-fry vegetables in other Japanese restaurants but instead of cooking it in a wok, it was quickly prepared on the teppan. It only took a couple of minutes for the chef to cook the veggies and when it was served on my plate, it still had a vibrant color and had a crunchy texture as well.

Next came the shrimps that were already peeled and deveined. It was seasoned just right—I could still taste the flavors of the sea. I dipped it in some ponzu sauce that was a good complement to the seafood. After I finished the last bites of shrimp, rice and veggies, I went back to the Wagyu slices that I saved, which were actually still fork-tender.

I really enjoyed my teppanyaki experience because of the Wagyu and the showmanship of the chef. For first-time goers, I recommend that you order the set meal so you would have all the food groups in your plate. Also, eat slowly. Savor each bite while you wait for the chef to serve the other dishes as they cook.

Aside from teppanyaki, Akira offers a la carte dishes such as sushi, sashimi, maki, ramen, tempura, tonkatsu and bento sets are available, too. I highly suggest that you get these as accompanying dishes and not as main courses—save that for the delicious teppanyaki. — BM, GMA News

Akira is located at the 5th level, East Wing, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Shaw Blvd. corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City; tel: (+63 2) 654-3920. Other branches: Alphaland Makati Place, Burgos Circle, and Robinson’s Magnolia.