On a normal dine-out kinda day, you order from a restaurant, eat the food you’re served, step out after paying the bill, and go on living your life. How safe and mundane. And then there are teppanyaki days (cue eye widening and hyperventilating).

Think extraordinary times when entertainment and Japanese food deliciously combine. You won’t mind waiting for your food; you’ll be too distracted by the chef’s ninja skills, balls of fire suddenly up in your face and the mouthwatering aroma of what you’ll soon devour.

Ready to heat up your usual dining?! Here are 8 places sure to give you the full teppanyaki experience.

Akira

Locate the branch nearest you here | Facebook
Budget for two – P1200

“The art of sushi and teppanyaki” is one restaurant motto hard to resist. So if you love sushi just as much as the delicious experience teppanyaki provides, Akira is a place you must definitely visit. They’re famous for their aburi sushi and sizzling rolls drowned in cheese.

Teppanya

2F Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari Road, Almanza, Las Piñas City
(045) 499 0353 | Facebook
Open daily from 11am to 10pm
Budget for two – P1200

This is Teppanya’s first branch in Manila (the original being in Clark), and it’s a very good reason to finally check out beautiful Evia. Teppanya promises their diners a full-scale teppanyaki show, along with topnotch grub, of course.

Don’t leave without trying their Usuyaki Beef Roll—thin cuts of beef stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables, topped with a secret sauce. And if you’re willing to spend, Teppanya also offers world-class Kobe beef.

Wafu

GF Greenhills Shipping Centre, Greenhills, San Juan City
(02) 570 3364, 0916 495 5103 | Facebook
Open daily from 11am to 10pm
Budget for two – P3000

Foodies all over were going crazy over Wafu’s teppan-all-you-can promo—a valid reaction from 12 courses of fantastic teppan, followed by an unlimited dose of your favorites from the set. Definitely watch out for that!

Wafu is perfect for special occasions; you’ll get a sense of that as soon as you enter its modern and elegant interiors. For all you teppanyaki lovers, head straight to the second floor!

Kimpura

Locate the branch nearest you here | Website | Facebook
Budget for two – P2000

Even after four decades of existence, Kimpura remains to be one of the top fine-dining picks for teppanyaki and excellent Japanese food in general. Consider them one of the OGs. Kimpura offers six awesome sets, so you can skip the tedious menu scanning and go straight to the glorious feasting.

Ogawa

2F Fort Entertainment Center, 5^th Avenue corner 28^th Street, BGC, Taguig City
(02) 886 4994, 0917 856 4292 | Facebook
Open daily from 11am to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10:30pm
Budget for two – P1350

Stepping inside Ogawa is almost like leaving Manila. Its beautiful ambiance will transport you straight to Japan, and the traditional Japanese food they serve will sustain the charade. Make sure you get seats at the teppanyaki bar, so you can marvel at their chefs expertly grilling your dishes. You can watch your sushi being prepared as well.

Ogawa only uses premium and fresh ingredients, so you can look forward to meal you won’t soon forget.

Ogetsu Hime

Locate the branch nearest you here | Facebook
Budget for two – P1500

Ogetsu Hime is from the same genius makers of Dads, Saisaki and Kamayan. But this time the spotlight is on teppanyaki. Here, you can try the best beef in Japan—the Matsusaka Beef. This variant holds the highest grade, even better than Kobe and Wagyu. Seafood-lovers won’t be disappointed as well. Look forward to rare finds like the elusive Chutoro sashimi.

Yurakuen Teppanyaki

Diamond Hotel, Roxas Boulevard corner J. Quintos Street, Malate, Manila
(02) 528 3000, (02) 305 3000 | Website
Open daily from 11am to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 10pm
Budget for two – P2500

Diamond Hotel’s dining room is one of Manila’s most captivating sights. As you eat, you’ll be surrounded by cherry blossoms, glass walls and a gorgeous garden. They offer a teppanyaki buffet, which is perfect if you want to get the full experience.

Inagiku

Makati Shangri-La, Ayala corner Makati Avenue, San Lorenzo, Makati City
(02) 814 2580 | Website
Open daily from 11:30am to 2:30pm, 6pm to 10:30pm
Budget for two – P2500

Inagiku is known for their excellent, world-class Japanese cuisine. The expertise of their Japanese Chef Wataru Hikawa is unmatched—something foodies must try at least once. Go for their Utage buffet for unlimited servings of top quality Japanese grub. This includes a teppanyaki station, of course, where you can drool over your food being freshly prepared.

Which one are you planning on going to? Tell us about it below!