Although a very young member in the history of Japanese cuisine — the concept of cooking Western-style ingredients on a hot iron griddle was only introduced after WWII — teppanyaki has become a mainstay in countless Japanese restaurants worldwide.

 

The nature of teppanyaki cooking, where chef and diner interact around the hot iron grill, calls for elaborate showmanship and occasionally a deft hand at juggling ingredients and utensils. Flavour is (or should) never be sacrificed for spectacle. At Mikuni, we found excellent showmanship tempered with utmost reverence for quality and flavour. The restaurant is divided into three sections, comprising a sushi bar, a teppanyaki counter and a robatayaki section. Each is individually headed by a masterchef and overseen by Executive Chef Moon Kyung Soo, whose culinary pedigree has seen him at the helm of various Japanese restaurants in Dubai before assuming his current post.

 

Mikuni’s cuisine, said to be an eclectic blend of modernity and tradition, is reflected in the restaurant’s settings — blue nori curtains, sexy lighting, dark wood and leather furnishings, and deep earth tones contribute to a sense of mysterious intimacy.

 

If you are worried about oil splatter and funky odours getting into your hair and clothes, there is no cause for concern — seats at the crescent-shape teppanyaki counter are arranged some distance from the grill.

 

Contrasted with teppanyaki meals elsewhere and the quality offered, Mikuni’s teppanyaki set meals (priced at $70 and $80) are value for money. There are three teppanyaki set lunches on the menu; all come with chawanmushi, pickles, vegetables, rice, miso soup and fruits.

 

Uminosachi offers prawn, scallop, and cod; the Australian beef steak set  has tenderloin or sirloin; and Australian beef and ebi ougon sauce set straddles the two, offering prawns with golden sauce alongside an option of Australian tenderloin or sirloin.Plump and flavourful teppanyaki prawns come blanketed in a slightly heavy and unctuous “golden sauce”, made from egg, mustard, sesame and shoyu, topped with crunchy tobiko. We had our steaks rare and medium rare — both were flawlessly executed, and the exquisite quality of the meat clearly stood out. The chawanmushi is remarkably silky and delicate, and the Japanese rice perfectly cooked.

 

Like the rest of Mikuni’s cooking, the teppanyaki here offers bold, assured flavours. Service is prompt and friendly, although it could get a little delayed when the restaurant is crowded (and it often is) — but that’s not something we could complain about.

 

Level 3, Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road. Tel: 6431 6156