DIY Teppanyaki at Aka Teppan

Aka Teppan

Location: 3235 Hwy 7 (First Markham Place)

Access: Along Viva bus route, Public Parking Available
Price: Avg $11-$30
Blogsters' Rating: 4/5

On a rainy evening after a long day of work, Janet and Joyce decided to have something special for dinner with their friends. What's special about Aka Teppan is that their main course is served uncooked on a sizzling hot plate and we have to toss and cook it ourselves before the plate cools down!

Aka Teppan is a small Japanese Fusion restaurant located in one of the largest Asian mall / plaza in the area. The restaurant has around 12-13 small tables and does get busy after 7pm. Luckily we immediately got a table when we got there.

There are quite a few items on the menu with a vast selection of appetizers, mains, desserts and specialty drinks. This is not the first time we're visiting this restaurant and we all came here for the teppanyaki rice which is our favorite item on the menu and also the most popular dish. Other mains include Teppan pasta, Teppan steak and hotpot which are also served in a similar style.  

The teppenyaki rice dishes are flavored with corn, green onion, teppanyaki sauce, lots of ground pepper and your choice of meat. We ordered the supreme beef, ox tongue and house special chicken. Unlike the beef and ox tongue dishes that came raw, the chicken had been pre-grilled since it doesn't cook as quickly as beef does. Beware of the extremely hot plate and sizzling oil as you're 'cooking' the meal!

Joyce's favorite dish is the chicken as it doesn't easily overcook compared to the beef. The savory teppanyaki sauce is balanced with sweetness of the corn and a proper amount of ground pepper gave it a nice kick yet it wasn't too spicy. Janet added a raw egg to her supreme beef which gave the dish more texture and moisture. The ox tongue was tender yet not too soft and was flavored perfectly.

Service was good as the wait staff were very friendly and filled up our tea quickly several times without us having to request for more.The restaurant was well-lit and felt clean in general. Seats were comfortable and there was adequate space for customer and staff to maneuver through the restaurant. 

It was a hearty meal that warmed us up on a rainy and cold evening and we would definitely return again to try other exciting items on the menu!