Narita Teppanyaki, Haymarket

EDIT 20/11/07: Narita Teppanyaki is now closed

Despite our eyebrow-punctuated trillings about the wonders of teppanyaki, Miss Six was still clamouring for McDonalds across the road.

"But teppanyaki is fun! You'll get to watch him cook in front of you," we exclaimed.

"...And he'll throw things in the air like Tom Cruise in... nevermind."

Miss Six countered: "But I want chips! And a toy! Do they give you toys?"

McDonalds costs money, and only adults have wallets. She followed us reluctantly, before suddenly racing up the red-carpeted stairs of Narita Teppanyaki.

We reach the top of the stairs to find her staring fascinated at the carp-filled rockpool. A little Japanese-style footbridge adds a touch of the Orient, and a giant neko lucky cat beckons us closer to the dining room.



There are plenty of island grills surrounded by bench seating and I've been told the place gets packed on weekends. But it's Wednesday lunchtime today and there's nary a soul here.

"What would you like to eat?" we ask Miss Six.

"Chips", she answers.

Argh.

We opt for the $13.80 Yasaka menu of:

• crispy salad served with Japanese dressing
• miso soup
• teppan king prawns
• chicken teriyaki
• steamed rice
• assorted vegetables
• Japanese green tea.

Crispy salad served with Japanese dressing and miso soup


Chicken and prawns waiting for the grill


The teppanyaki chef in action


Teppanyaki prawns

Miss Six watches worried as hot oil starts skittering across the surface of the grill. She scrapes her chair back uncertainly. Unfortunately we're not treated to much of a performance. Barely a peppermill toss, nor the mid-air slice of a raw prawn's head from its body.

The prawns are juicy and the chicken is drenched in a sweet teriyaki sauce with a splash of rice wine. The fried prawns legs are definitely a hit, basted with oil and dried to a crackling crisp crunch.



Teppanyaki, that reliable venue for hens nites, 21st birthdays and office Christmas parties, is never about the food. It's about the spectacle, the performance and the theatre of a chef in action right before your eyes.

Thankfully we weren't forced to catch our fried rice, or catch a raw egg in a bowl (I've survived both before at a different establishment) but a little more fun at today's lunch wouldn't have gone astray.

Or they could have at least given us a toy.


Narita Teppanyaki (CLOSED)
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour St, Haymarket, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9282 9838

Open 7 days:
Lunch 11.30am-2.30pm
Dinner 5.30pm-10.30pm