Tokyo Steakhouse in Lehi offers dinner and a show with combustible cuisine
Vegetables, noodles and Sukiyaki Beef are pictured at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
Onions flame and begin cooking with mushrooms and zucchini at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A grill is lit on fire before dinner is prepared at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
Fried rice and noodles, both upgraded sides, are pictured in front of grilling food at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A chef cooks Filet Mignon, Sukiyaki Beef and vegetables at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
Grilled vegetables, noodles and Sukiyaki Beef are pictured at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A chef cracks an egg for fried rice as dinner is prepared hibachi-style at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
Fried rice is made fresh and served at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A tower of onion rings is lit on fire as dinner is prepared hibachi-style at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A chef grills Filet Mignon and Sukiyaki Beef alongside vegetables at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
Filet Mignon and Sukiyaki Beef grill alongside vegetables at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
Grilled vegetables and Filet Mignon are pictured at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
Sukiyaki Beef, noodles and grilled vegetables are pictured at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A house salad is pictured as food is grilling in the background at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A house salad and chopsticks are pictured at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A chef cooks dinner in front of restaurant guests at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
A grill is lit on fire at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi.
The country of Japan may be smaller than the state of California, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for with unique and flavorful cuisine.
From sushi and sashimi to ramen, tempura and udon, the options are vast and impressive, but there’s just one style of Japanese cooking I can never get enough of, and it’s on full display at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Lehi. The style? Teppanyaki.
At Tokyo Steakhouse the menu option is dubbed “Hibachi,” but the vast stainless steel griddles lined with three sides of tables and seating each located along the right side of the restaurant are a quick giveaway.
Teppanyaki, in basic definition, is derived from the Japanese word teppan, meaning iron plate, and yaki, meaning grilled or pan-fried. Essentially it’s a variety of meat, fish or vegetables cooked on a hot steel plate that usually forms the center of the dining table. Though Tokyo Steakhouse has a series of booths along the left of the restaurant and tables and bar seats in the center, the quick focus of our group and quite a few diners was the incredible culinary display happening on the restaurant’s open grills.
As soon as we entered we were asked how we would be dining, and were soon seated at a grill near the back of the small restaurant — a perfect spot for our party of six, including two small children. Our drinks, high chair and booster seat were brought out almost immediately and our perusal of the menu quickly landed us toward the back where the “Hibachi Dinners” were listed.
Though Tokyo Steakhouse has an incredible selection of sushi and sashimi, we were most interested in getting to see our meal cooked on the grill in front of us as we dined, so we mentally filed away that note for another trip and dove in to the vast options for meat and vegetables fired up on the grill.
A basic hibachi dinner at Tokyo Steakhouse includes onion soup, a house salad and your choice of entrée, served with white rice and grilled vegetables. For $2 more, you can switch white rice for either noodles or fried rice, which everyone in our party decided to do, and not one of us regretted.
Grilled entrée options include Teriyaki Chicken, Sukiyaki Beef, Teppanyaki New York Steak, Teppanyaki Filet Mignon and Vegetable Delight with Shrimp, Salmon, Scallops and Lobster Tail as seafood options and an impressive series of combinations with prices ranging from $11.99 to $38.99.
We settled on shrimp, Filet Mignon and Sukiyaki Beef, which we were informed was similar to New York Steak, for the adults and Teriyaki Chicken for the kids, slightly impressed that the menu even included teppanyaki options for the little ones.
As we waited for our chef to arrive, we enjoyed watching the impressive show happening at the table next to us as their meal was cooked with flair and fire, all the while sipping on our onion soup. The soup had a rich, delicious flavor and was hot, but not too hot, loaded with noodles, mushrooms and green onions. Once the mushrooms were removed, our 3-year-old finished her entire cup herself, while the 1-year-old busied himself with small spoonfuls of broth and heaping fistfuls of noodles.
To be quite honest, I was beyond amazed that the restaurant’s recipe was one flavorful enough for all the adults to enjoy, but still something our little ones, who aren’t crazy for soups, would be willing to devour.
The house salad came next, basic but delicious, as our chef began preparing our meal with style and personality. It was a perfect palate cleanser to prep us for the fantastic meal to come.
To set the scene, the chef comes prepared with pre-cooked rice and noodles, but does all other cooking at the grill, which is surrounded by seating and a narrow table on three sides. Before getting started, the chef lit up the grill with an impressive wave of fire that sent a gust of warmth over our entire group and immediately drew our attention away from our soups and salads.
From there, he tossed his spatula, spun an egg and delicately broke it in half over the grill with the thin edge of his spatula. Moments later, white rice was evolving into fried rice and noodles were garnished with a series of sauces and served steaming to each of our plates.
The fried rice was a perfect texture and delightful flavor, not overwhelming, and perfectly punctuated with egg. Juxtaposed with the subdued sweetness of the noodles, the meal was off to an excellent start, and all six of our group members were eagerly eating as we watched vegetables chopped with flourish and a stack of onion rings lit on fire like a volcano.
As a side note, every time I concern myself with the price of a delicious teppanyaki meal, I’m quickly reminded of the fact that it’s not only dinner, but a pretty impressive show. Considering the cost of movie tickets and concessions these days, every once in a while, it’s beyond worth it to splurge on some live entertainment that you can literally eat right up.
Anyway, back to the food! As the beef and chicken began cooking, we were each served vegetables, which included zucchini, onion and mushroom. Though I’m not crazy for mushroom, the zucchini and onion had just a touch of crunch and were cooked to perfection: the ultimate final step before the meat was served.
I’m not sure how he did it, but our chef was great at serving with flourish, despite the fact he had to lean over a hot grill to reach each of our plates, and once the meats were dished, he prepped a few additional shrimp for tossing in the mouths of any willing victims.
Now this isn’t my first teppanyaki trip, but our chef had impeccable aim, and I caught one for the first time in my life, which was a fun experience in itself. If you’re not one for having food flung at your face, you’re welcome to opt out, but let’s be honest, it’s an integral part of the experience, and it’s worth losing a little pride over.
When it comes to flavor, nothing else we ordered can compare to the Filet Mignon, which was both tender and juicy — a savory taste experience I wish I could repeat on the daily (though I definitely couldn’t afford that).
The Sukiyaki Beef came in second, and though the kids had their own Teriyaki Chicken, they ended up eating a decent helping more of the beef and taking the chicken home for a later meal. It was good and flavorful, but if you’re a fan of beef and heading out for a teppanyaki experience, consider paying a little more and heading for the heavier meats. The flavors were hard to describe, but even harder to forget in the best possible way. Though my fellow diners agreed that the shrimp was also well-cooked and flavorful, there was no competition when it came to the Filet Mignon and Sukiyaki Beef.
We left Tokyo Steakhouse about an hour after we arrived, our wallets a little slimmer, but our bellies full and our beings fully entertained by the wholly engaging dining experience. Though the food is long gone, I’ll definitely never forget seeing my kids clap with delight and giggle at the flames, flipping and fun. There’s not much food I’d deem worth $15 to $20 an individual, but when it’s so vividly created in front of me, and is so beautifully flavored, I can’t help but plan my next excuse to head back, be it an anniversary, holiday, birthday or even just a happy dining splurge.
TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR
Where: 127 E. Main St. in Lehi
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily
Prices: Sushi starting at $5, $4.99-$12.99 for appetizers, $9.99-$12.99 for basic meals, $11.99-$38.99 for single hibachi dinners
Info: (801) 768-8875, tokyolehi.com