Where's the beef? At Ukai-Tei!

This famous teppanyaki restaurant along a quiet side street in Ginza was actually a recommendation from my dad, who knows a thing or two about good eatin' in Tokyo. He suggested Ukai-Tei for their "amazing value" set lunch, which, priced at 9000Yen, was more on the expensive side of normal.

We were greeted by the maitre'd as we walked through the main entrance with the odd shaped glass door, and were shown to our table in a labyrinth-like room with period furniture, art deco lighting and a mosaic-tiled open circular kitchen where all the diners were seated. Odd place, overall. I started to worry about the quality of the food after sitting down in this bizarre setting.

The lunch presentation started with a demitasse of steamed foie gras and truffle, which was presented in a beautiful china cup over an earthen plate. The eclectic tableware continued with a glass plate of fresh blowfish sashimi and pesto sauce. This had to be one of the freshest plates of blowfish I've ever tasted!

The chef serving our section of the table started preparing the radish, while the next course of crab bisque was served to us, accompanied by some focaccia bread. By this time, the pan fried radish was ready to be served, and this was presented with a dark sauce (couldn't figure out what it was, but the taste was beefy, like Marmite).

The main course was our matsusaka sirlion, which was cooked right before our eyes as the fat melted away and leaving behind pieces of crispy edged beef cubes that smelled wonderful from across the table. A bite into this sent me to gourmet heaven. We adjourned to the adjacent room where dessert and coffee were to be served. Dessert was either a fruity sorbet or a chocolate mousse, both equally delicious, accompanied by cookies and coffee.

The service at Ukai-Tei was top notch, and so was the food. So, in the end, the 9000Yen lunch tab was actually truly worth the experience. The decor was just too eclectic for my taste, and borderline bizarre. Only in Japan, I guess.