Yasaka Teppanyaki

Classic Teppanyaki with a View in Kyoto, Japan

During a massive thunderstorm today, it was impossible to leave our hotel, so we managed to get bookings to Yasaka, the teppanyaki restaurant at the Park Hyatt in in the historic Higashiyama district.

We dropped by Kohaku, the bar next door for a few drinks while watching the sunset, but the view was marred by a massive thunderstorm that slowly subsided as the night went on. We met some friendly brothers at the bar, and struck up a conversation with a very friendly bartender (Joshua) and the rest of the patrons over the next hour.

Come reservation time, we left the bar, and coincidentally, the only other reservation at our side of the restaurant was the two brothers who had similar thoughts as we did, trying to avoid leaving the hotel grounds.

The restaurant was up the hillside with the patrons seated around a long Teppan grill manned by two chefs. The entire back wall is a glass window overlooking the hillside and the Yasaka Pagoda.

Teppanyaki is a meal, as well as a show - watching your food prepared live in front of you on a flat steel grill. Often, you get to interact with the chef, and watch the ingredients come together to form your delicious meal. The flat metal Teppan grill is a relatively recent invention, an offshoot of the more traditional hibachi “open grate” style of cooking.

Teppanyaki became popular after World War 2, starting in Kobe, where it became popular with occupying American soldiers. One of the classic ways Kobe beef is served in Kobe is cut into small cubes on a Teppan grill, cooked medium rare and served with freshly-grated wasabi and sea salt flakes to add a crunch.

There were three menus, largely similar in nature, and we went with the middle one, the Seiryu menu. The upgrade to the most expensive menu was adding caviar in the first dish and changing the scallop dish to conger eel. The menus ranged from 22k-35k JPY/person, and offered a wine pairing for an additional 14k-22k/person, or non-alcoholic pairing for 5k-9k/person.

The first dish was uni (sea urchin) with a finely minced avocado guacamole, a calamansi (yuzu-like citrus fruit) jelly, topped with a cucumber granita. I was not expecting this to be a good combination, but it was light and refreshing.

The second dish is an Cacho Caballo cheese, grilled on the teppan until crisp and browned, served on top of summer vegetables, with a dehydrated tomato crisp.

Torching a scallop for the next dish.

The highlight of the night, two giant scallops lightly torched, still translucent in the center, served with eggplant, Chinese kale and topped with a ginger and yuzu sauce.

Super crispy tilefish, with the skin diagonally cut in a way so it puffed up during cooking, served with a ground sesame encrusted fig slice, served with a tangy sabayon sauce.

Wagyu tenderloin, before grilling.

Fresh wasabi root

A palate cleanser in between courses, a light granita with yuzu zest

Medium rare wagyu tenderloin, served with homemade cocoa salt, fresh grated wasabi applesauce, a slice of shitake with fresh chives, and a small piece of potato. Rich, juicy, savoury, delicious. Wasabi applesauce missed the mark and the sweetness and added liquid introduced by the apple diluted the pungency of the wasabi.

Hairy crab rice, served with with pepper leaf and yuzu. A bit of a miss, wasn't a lot of crab meat or crab flavour.

The crab flavour was condensed into a shot of ultra-concentrated crab juice.

A choice of teas to go with dessert (clockwise from upper left): lemongrass, japanese green tea, oolong, earl grey, hōjicha and peppermint tea leaves

Flambéing some white peaches with cherry liquor

A white peach flamed with cherry liquor, with raspberry coulis and tangy frozen yoghurt, topped with sliced almonds.

Petits fours - mini matcha macarons, a fruit jelly and chocolate truffles, with choice of tea.

Parting gifts in a beautiful wood box.

Black truffle chocolate stuffed brioche buns to be served with coffee for breakfast tomorrow.

The food was high-quality, and well executed, but not particularly exceptional for Japan. There was no standout - "This is amazing and you have to come here for this" dish, and while worth a try, it would not be a place I would return to for a repeat experience. Nonetheless, great view, good company, and a good teppanyaki experience in the heart of the historic Higashiyama district in Kyoto.