TEPPANYAKI TAKUMI InterContinental Tokyo Bay - Fire Up The Gourmet Teppanyaki

A real good teppanyaki meal can somehow hard to come by, even in Japan, not only because the premium quality of the selected meat differs from various Prefectures, but also having the exact know-how on handling it cautiously and applying the masterly culinary skill by turning it into a most sumptuous and delectable teppanyaki meal to remember. TEPPANYAKI TAKUMI at The InterContinental Tokyo Bay is a hidden gem in more ways than one. mylifestylenews writes.

Quite often when you look at the photos of any teppanyaki restaurant you are easily being carried away by its polished and edited images that tempt you by walking in or to make the prior reservation at once but eventually end up to a situation that what-you-pay-is-not-what-you-get and having wasted your supposed satisfactory quota while dining out. Hotel’s juicy marketing and promotions are front and centre trying to grab your attention the moment you step into a hotel that offers multiple dining options. Despite the actual locale of TEPPANYAKI TAKUMI was not that obvious until we asked one of the frontline staff where it was located and found ourselves walking to the back of the lobby lounge down a corridor which then opened into this intimate and off-the-beaten-tourist-track Japanese restaurant.

The restaurant is not big and the interior is pretty much straight forward with the TEPPANYAKI TAKUMI wooden sign crafted in both Japanese and English highlighted by the illuminated lighting that welcomes every diner through its narrow entrance. Upon entering the restaurant, the main teppan grill set in the middle of the entire dining area is the main focus and in bare minimum with counter seating that could comfortably sit no more than ten people. Dim lighting to set the mood of coziness was adorned with two framed tile artworks hung on the wall on one side of the restaurant. A small private dining room is also available to intimately host a maximum of six diners in one go upon request.

Being recognized as the Global Winner of Best Japanese Cuisine as well as the Best Teppanyaki-style Cuisine in East Asia at the World Luxury Restaurant Awards in 2024, as a recognition of sustained commitment to excellent and outstanding achievement in the international luxury restaurant industry, TEPPANYAKI TAKUMI not only just  has a stellar reputation and hosted many VIP’s from around the world but offers a gourmet teppanyaki dining experience. The uniquely Japanese elements with their five senses can be experienced through the passion of the producers and the their artisanship.

The source of the finest produce and ingredients are meticulously chosen and some are exclusively provided only in the restaurant. Hence the name TAKUMI (匠) - literary translated as master artisan or craftsman which it is being named after. The menu concept is based on a unique, healthy and fresh teppanyaki sensation that is cooked with only the finest olive oil, created by Head Chef Mahara.

We may not have the opportunity to meet Chef Mahara but our dedicated and experienced Chef Ide who has been in this role for three years does know how to fire up a gourmet teppanyaki during our visit. The seasonal and exclusive KIKUSUI Wagyu Dinner menu was recommended for the lucky few that manage to get a prior reservation and we were totally in for it.

 

<Peeled Beef Tomato with Grand Marnier>

Who would have thought the humble tomato and Grand Marnier could go so well together?! The liqueur was ignited with fire and then lemon, salt, a local rocket lettuce, garlic and a thin slice of bread with Italian olive oil was put together to create our first taste to savour for the evening. Do not judge the book by its cover as the presentation is basic, placing each ingredient and condiment on the large charge plate, let the freshness of each bite to be delighted as every ingredient was so piquant.

 

<Mini Beef Hamburgers Done Two Ways>

Chef Ide cooked one hamburger with a rare red beef from Aso and the other with black beef from Kumamoto, both Kyushu island superior meats that were so delectable, different in texture, rich yet creamy, lean yet tasty and a touch of the homemade mustard was heaven. This seasonal TAKUMI style appetizer may well be the best mini burger ever? We thought it was!

 

<Sea Bream, Eggplant, Ponzu & Rice Cracker>

The sea bream was perfectly pan-grilled keeping the moist, tender flesh and had a hint of sweetness to it on the palate. A red wine cream sauce was prepared and added to serve along with edible flowers for garnish. We were impressed on how the red wine sauce could work with the fish, creating such a harmonious dish with the sauce perfectly complimenting the fish. The seasonal egg plant was harvested at the perfect time to enjoy the ripeness which was equally enjoyable.

 

<Shimane Beef Sirloin (100g) & Beef Tenderloin (80g)>

This main course gives you two different cuts of beef from the Shimane Prefecture and they were both cooked with the sweetest and crunchy bean sprouts, with the addition of other vegetables – Japanese spinach, rice leaf, sweet potato and shitake mushroom. The premium Shimane Beef comes from Japanese black cattle that are raised with traditional methods and is known for its rich flavour, fine marbling and high oleic acid content.

Each cut of beef is completely melt in your mouth that delighted our senses with a sophisticated umami taste. Condiments were also presented to enjoy – onion and red wine jelly, ponzu jelly, black pepper and white sesame jelly, soy sauce, wasabi, plain salt, macha salt and ginger salt. It sounds like overkill, but they are all in small portions and it is imperative that you try a little of each and everyone, as the flavours combined with the beef seem symbiotic. Not one condiment could be ignored and without over-indulging, to dip a morsel of beef in a condiment was to elevate the taste of the beef and this was such a premium and unforgettable experience!

<Garlic Fried Rice with Pickles & Miso Soup>

This wasn’t just any ordinary fried rice, but the “Origiri” rice which was sensational, with a premium smoky flavour and texture due to being deliberately burnt on the teppan grill – this may sound sacrilegious but when you taste it it all makes pure sense. The crunchy and not too salty radish pickles added a cold counterpoint, a good contrast to the hot fried rice and then followed by the miso soup that offers a natural, mild sweetness flavour. A comfort food done best and well delivered.

<Fig & Grape Semifreddo>

The semifreddo topped with a sprig of thyme didn’t seem like it was adding any value to the palate but just a delicate garnish, so were the fig and grape which was a little underwhelming in flavour.

<Soy Sauce Ice-cream & Japanese Citrus Sherbet with fruit Assortment>

In all honesty, it was little disappointing, as the ice-cream was pleasant enough but not specific to the main soy sauce description and with the sherbet didn’t give a discernible distinctive citrus or fruit taste much. While the desserts were the only let down, the overall dinner was rather quite enjoyable with many moments that we marvelled at the little details on the palate. Wada san, together with the front of the house team looked after us the whole evening by giving multiple input from the food front as well as the pairing beverages to compliment the moreish meal - the 2015 vintage Dom Perignon and the 2013 Goutte d’Argent Pinot Noir worked more than just fine. While enjoying the gourmet delights cooked a-la-minute on the teppan grill and personalized service, we left feeling sated and thrilled by knowing this hidden gem is being discovered. We couldn’t have asked for more!

Tried & Tested:
Location: 4/5
Design & Decor: 3/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Value For Money: 4.5/5
Experience: 4.5/5
 

TEPPANYAKI TAKUMI InterContinental Tokyo Bay 

1-16-2 Kaigan, Minato-Ku, 

Tokyo, Japan

Tel: +81 3 5404 2222

Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.