Misono Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

This is a budget Tepenyaki on a caviar Diet. I would never recommend nor repeat.

The chef we had was fantastic!

And being Tepenyaki, I could see they (the chefs) were all doing a great job entertaining.

The food was fine. Good quality but simple ingredients. The drinks were also good with a quality selection. This is what you anticipate for Tepenyaki.

The service was terrible... Rude. Bad. 1/10.

Half our party arrived at 5:55pm for a 6pm booking.

Once seated, we were ask to order without our guests... Waitress rolled her eye at my wife because she deferred to me due being made uncomfortable for requesting we delay ordering until our guests arrive... This was still before our booking time.

She then said to my wife "right, so he's going to make all the decisions" with aggression. Which was crazy because she simply wanted to avoid conflict of being asked to order before our group arrived.

I was then told to call our guests (at 6:03pm) to see what they wanted for dinner and to hurry them along... This is not an exaggeration it was very very strange. They arrived admittedly late at 6:04pm...

For $120 per head, on a table of seven, this is a bit of an off putting experience. Partly because I refused to order in advance of their arrival.

Drinks were slow. Despite the pressure to order, they didn't arrive quickly - but we're well received and delicious.

The menu is unnecessarily complicated given all ~20 'banquets' (mandatory) are a combination of about 5 ingredients.

But the worst was 2/3 through eating, after our chef finished his Tepenyaki entertainment, we were asked if we wanted takeaway containers and felt uncomfortable to leave.

One of my guests had just received his second beer and was eating a steak... He put it down.

The place wasn't overly full. Nor is there a 1 hour time limit (as far as I know). Which would also seem strange.

We had been there for just over 1 hour.

15 minute later the waitress asks how I want to pay... Which was also weird, as despite finishing my drink, I had $$ worth of steak in my chopsticks at the time.

We agreed it was time to go...

Worst Dining Experience Ever – Disrespectful and Dishonest Service！ I booked a 5:30pm seating last night. I arrived at 5:20, only to find the hotel car park had no signage for height restrictions – literally the first car park I’ve ever seen without a clearance sign. I called the restaurant, spoke to Erin, and she didn’t even know! Ten minutes later she called back confirming my car wouldn’t fit. I told her clearly that I would be about 10 minutes late because I needed to park on the street and walk back. She said “no problem.” When I arrived, I waited 20 minutes with my 2-year-old child only to discover that Erin, without informing me, had unilaterally changed my booking from 5:30 to 6:00pm! Who gave her the right to change my reservation without my knowledge or consent? I specifically booked 5:30 because my toddler gets hungry early. Instead, we were forced to sit around hungry and frustrated. To make matters worse, no one apologised. Three different staff came to give excuses, but not a single one said “sorry.” This kind of arrogance is absolutely unacceptable – is it your standard practice to treat customers like this? Or is this discrimination against certain customers? Either way, it shows a shocking lack of basic respect. And if that wasn’t enough, the chef didn’t even show up until 6:40pm – that’s 1 hour and 10 minutes after my original booking time and 40 minutes late than the 6pm they said! Yet the excuse given was that I was “10 minutes late.” What a joke. The other customers on the same table were also 10 minutes late, yet their bookings were not changed. So why was mine altered? The hypocrisy and double standards are ridiculous. Finally, part of my set menu was never served – one salad was missing, and one steamed rice was only packed for takeaway at the end after I told the staff. I booked for dine-in, not for sloppy takeaway service. If you enjoy being disrespected, having your time wasted, paying for incomplete meals, and watching your hungry child sit and wait I for long time – then by all means, dine at this restaurant. Otherwise, avoid it...

Misono Japanese Steakhouse – A Disappointing Experience

Recently, I visited Misono Japanese Steakhouse at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, expecting a premium teppanyaki dining experience. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite disappointing, especially considering the high price.

Sashimi – Lacking Freshness

We ordered a sashimi platter, but the seafood was far from fresh. The scallops lacked sweetness, and the fish had very little flavor. A high-end Japanese restaurant should at least ensure fresh and high-quality seafood, but this place failed to deliver. The sashimi tasted no better than what you’d find at a regular supermarket.

Teppanyaki – More Show Than Quality

Teppanyaki is meant to be a combination of entertainment and great food, but this experience was underwhelming. The chef’s performance was average at best, lacking the skill and flair you’d expect from a professional teppanyaki chef.

As for the food, the flavors were overwhelmingly salty. The seasoning relied too much on sauces and salt, masking the natural taste of the ingredients rather than enhancing them.

Overcooked Beef & Low-Quality Seafood

One of the biggest letdowns was the beef. I specifically ordered it medium-rare, but it was cooked to nearly medium-done. This resulted in a loss of juiciness and tenderness, making the meat dry and less enjoyable.

The seafood was equally disappointing. The scallops had a noticeable frozen taste, lacking the fresh, plump texture you’d expect. Other seafood items also lacked natural sweetness and tasted bland and unimpressive.

Final Verdict – Not Worth the Price

While the service was acceptable, the overall dining experience did not justify the high cost. A Japanese steakhouse should deliver fresh, high-quality ingredients and precise cooking, but Misono Japanese Steakhouse fell short in both aspects.

If you’re looking for a teppanyaki experience with rich flavors and fresh ingredients, this is not the place. There are better options elsewhere for a true Japanese...