Kobe Teppanyaki Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

Revised: I've revised my star rating and updated with a photo showing me & my friend visited this restaurant on 29/12/24 as proof after the restaurant owner now accused me of lying and making fake review. I've other proofs as well. If you made a mistake with booking, made the customers waited 45 mins, didn't enforce your own time restriction policy and then accused the customer of lying, you should apologise instead of making the accusation. I've no reason to lie and make a fake review. Your behaviour is unacceptable, go and reflect on your mistake.

First time to Kobe Teppanyaki last night as it's a last minute decision to take my high school friend there who just came back to Australia for a short visit. I should have read the reviews beforehand.

Around 5.30pm, I made an online booking for Teppanyaki at 8pm (missed out on the 7.30pm session as my friend took a little while to decide the time). At 5.40pm, a lady from Kobe called and asked whether I would like to change the booking to 7.30pm instead and I gladly accepted it as that's what we originally wanted. She said she would change the booking for me.

At 7.28pm, I arrived at the restaurant and took 5 mins for a waitress to approach me. I told her I've a booking and my name. She looked at her list and said I was early as my booking was 8pm. I stopped her and said no, someone called me and said I could have a 7.30pm booking and it would be changed. She went and talked to someone and came back telling me our table wasn't ready and asked me to sit at the normal dining area and wait there. I asked her why and who was the person called me earlier. She gestured to me it was the other lady near the kitchen (wasn't sure which one she was talking about). I sat down and waited, another young waitress came over with menus and asked me which menu would I like. I've to repeat to her of what happened and asked her to get someone to explain to me what's going on. The Manager walked pass and apologised and told the waitress to get a drink menu for me first. The young waitress came back with a glass of cold water instead. My friend arrived at 7.40pm as she was having trouble finding a parking spot. She asked for a hot tea but the young waitress said we would need to pay for that lol...what a joke. So my friend opted for a hot water.

Around 7.50pm, we were still waiting and the first waitress came with the menu and said we could order the food first and they could bring the entree over for us to have it at the normal dining area. I asked her again how long did we need to wait and why the Manager didn't come and explain what happen. The Manager finally came over and told me the table before us had stayed over time and it was a big group. I asked her why didn't she call me to notify me if it was going to be late. She just apologised.

At 8.10pm, we were still waiting. I asked my friend how long should we wait and we agreed for another 10mins. The Manager finally came over at 8.15pm and said the table was ready. There were a family of 5 (including 2 kids and one teenager) already at the table.

The chef was funny and entertaining. I wasn't in the mood after the long wait, being hungry and tired. Food was fine but it's definitely not worth the price. Portion was small. With the seafood in the Standard set, there was only one king prawn and two small scallots. Assorted vegetables were just stir fried bean sprouts with a bit of carrots lol. Eye Fillet Steak was cooked really nice and tender. We had green tea ice cream for dessert and it was 1/3 melted. We finished the meal at 9.25pm.

Overall, it was a very disappointing experience. The online booking clearly stated that the dining session time for teppanyaki was 90mins. If you have the policy in place, then stick to it especially since our booking was changed as per your suggestion. We waited 45mins to be seated. Useless policy if you aren't going to enforce it. Other restaurants do, why couldn't you? I didn't take any food photos this time. Also, this is not an authentic Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant as it...

FAKE JAPANESE CHEF AND RESTAURANT. Have to be clear, the waiters were really nice except for the Chinese chef named John.

I ordered a wagyu beef set for my birthday. Today really disappointed me.

IMPOLITE When he asked us if we want spicy mayo, I said no spicy. Then he asked my friend 'spicy mayo?' My friend thought he would squeeze it directly on the lobster on the griller (same as me) so my friend asked 'can we do half?'. The chef said 'YOU WANT IT OR NOT?'

2.Treating customers like targets He was joking about catching the fried egg with mouth and my friend said he will tried. After 2 trials of failure my friend said enough but the chef still did it one more time when my friend said no with hand gesture and still failed.

UNPROFESSIONAL When the chef was making fried rice, he chopped the egg on the griller really hard on purpose and hit my arm, that was burning hot and he was like 'Where is it?' with some laughs. he didn't even apologies for that. My friend said maybe he was targeting the plate to show off his skills but FAILED.

I THOUGHT I WAS AT A CIRCUS He was making stupid jokes like 'hungry yummy mummy' with other aussie customers and told them to shut up. He thought he was funny because they WERE LAUGHING! When a woman asked him where to visit in Japan because she is going soon, John said 'I don't know, you tell me mummy' and continued with his jokes 'you are my mum', 'I love my mum'.

FOOD IS NOT GREAT The garlic was overcooked and tasted bitter, beef dice in the fried rice was burned. Only thing that was fine was the seafood.

Can this restaurant don't ruin the fame of Japan?...

I had been eager to experience a Teppanyaki dining experience in Melbourne, and after perusing reviews, I decided to celebrate my birthday at Kobe Teppanyaki. Welcomed by a warm smile, we were promptly escorted to our table. Though I didn't catch the chef's name, their politeness and exceptional culinary skills, coupled with entertaining techniques like food and plate tossing, added a delightful touch to the evening. The open kitchen allowed us to witness the culinary magic unfold before our eyes.

Opting for the Wagyu dinner set menu priced at $116 per person, we were pleasantly surprised as the dishes arrived in a seamless flow. Kobe Teppanyaki's commitment to using only the freshest, high-quality ingredients was evident, and the meat and seafood were impeccably seasoned, rendering additional sauces unnecessary.

The diverse selection of drinks provided a nice complement to the meal. A thoughtful gesture came in the form of a plate adorned with a candle and a "Happy Birthday" message, enhancing the overall experience. The attention to detail transported me back to the authentic Teppanyaki experiences I enjoyed in Japan.

While acknowledging that Kobe Teppanyaki is on the higher end in terms of pricing, the exceptional quality and the added elements for special occasions make it a worthwhile investment. I left with the intention of returning for another memorable dining experience.

Food Quality: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambience: 4/5 Value for Money: 5/5 Cleanliness and Hygiene: 5/5 Innovation and...