I’m a big fan of teppanyaki.

Around this time last year I was in Osaka for a feast at Misono, the originator of the teppanyaki-style steakhouse in Japan since 1945. As we cannot travel nowadays, let’s find some high-quality teppanyaki this year in Hong Kong.

It’s actually quite a debate over who created the cuisine of teppanyaki in the 1940s. The American will say teppanyaki has been no stranger to them since it’s quite similar to the way how American-style BBQ is cooked. Just putting meat on fire, right? The Japanese may argue teppanyaki only became more artistic when it was born in Japan — to be more specific, in Kobe, which is of course famous for its wagyu.

Outside Japan, there have been also quite a number of good teppanyaki restaurants in Taiwan, which was under Japanese rule for decades before the World War II ended. One of my favorite teppanyaki restaurants in Taipei is called Da Wan (大腕), which can be translated as VIP or “big brother”. I highly recommend.

It really needs a lot of courage to open new restaurants in the crazy year of 2020. Crown Super Deluxe at the heart of Lan Kwai Fong did so. The new teppanyaki restaurant, a member of Black Sheep, which is also a local catering vendor of Cathay Pacific, opened its door in July, positioning it as the best (and a bit pricy) wagyu teppanyaki you can find in Hong Kong.

Crown Super Deluxe is led by Chef Toru Takano. Originally hailing from Niigata City in Niigata Prefecture, known for its rice, sake and cold, snowy winters, Toru first fell in love with hospitality while still in high school and working part-time at a local cafe. He found joy in both cooking and also in meeting new people across a counter. 

In Japan there is a term with its roots in tea ceremony called omotenashi, it roughly means to wholeheartedly look after guests. This is a sense that goes beyond the customer always being right but rather a deeper understanding that there are no menial tasks if the result is a great experience for your guests. That’s Chef Toru’s belief. Indeed, that sounds very Japanese.

The wagyu here is all imported from Kagoshima, which offers very soft and fresh taste. For both “meat and sea” lovers, adding lobster and scallop will definitely make your culinary journey feel more completed.

The restaurant also has an in-house magician / mentalist whose name is Stuart. That’s really a highlight, seriously. He can see through your mind. Try him.