Imari Japanese Restaurant at JW Marriott Surabaya — Restaurant in Surabaya

My first visit at Imari. This Japanese restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of the hotel. As we were seated they gave us salad and chawan mushi which were complimentary I suppose. We came for their ala carte menu this time. For teppan set you need to prebook your seat in advance. Our choices came to these: (1) Imari Mori. This menu set came with all types of protein. Salmon sashimi, grilled beef, butter prawn & scallops, assorted tempura, and egg tofu. Served alongside rice, miso soup. and tsukemono. I must say each component of this dish is exactly like how I like it. Worth every penny. A must-get. (2) Imari Sushi. When you don't know which sushi to get, get this. Different kinds of sushi in one plate varying from yellowtail, salmon, maguro, saba, and tako or octopus. You get one whole ebi roll with jumbo shrimp as well. The type of fish may vary based on availability. Freshness level were amazing. Except for their saba, smells a bit pungent. Definitely an acquired taste. Octopus was a bit too chewy but there's no fishy smell. (3) Purin Caramel Their version of Japanese Caramel Pudding served alongside sake. Sweet, creamy, fragrant, with a kick. Caramel sauce was a bit too much, but still good. A must try. Overall experience was very good. We arrived a bit late nearing their closing time, yet they still took our order in. Even when we were the last customers to leave, we were given the time and space to enjoy our meal comfortably. We even overheard the restaurant manager instructed the cleaner to not go near our table just yet. Shoutout for the kind hospitality. Will...

Imari at JW Marriott Surabaya offers excellent service and a refined setting — but the teppanyaki experience is a big NO if you’re expecting anything close to traditional Japanese dining.

Everything around the grill looked premium, but the concept execution was confused from start to finish. Courses arrived in odd order — ochazuke before the end of course, side dishes overlapping, pacing completely off. Even the Japanese chef himself, to his credit, acknowledged that what’s being served here is “not traditional teppanyaki” and has been heavily modified (I spoke with him in Japanese).

The service team did their best, and they were genuinely attentive, but the product itself doesn’t justify the very high price tag. If you appreciate authentic teppan craft — the rhythm, sequencing, and interaction — you’ll find this version disjointed and frustrating.

To be fair, the staff are gracious and professional, and the atmosphere is pleasant. But for teppanyaki purists or anyone seeking the real Japanese balance of fire, timing, and intimacy at the counter, this isn’t it.

Beautiful hospitality; completely misplaced culinary direction. We won’t be returning for teppanyaki here — and that’s a shame, because everything else could have...

My first time eating at Imari and that's because a friend's birthday. They booked for the 10 pax Teppan Chef set menu. It was a unique experience. Not just because you see the chef cook in front of you, but also you it them right away. The ingredients was so good and fresh, and with the right heat and timing, voila.. and even the garlic was cooked nicely. I love the egg tofu and salmon soup.

If you order the banana flambé as the dessert, you'll watch a live-fire show in front of you. The ogura and matcha are the recommended ice cream flavour to accompany the banana flambé.

The atmosphere as you come in feels warm, fine Japanese dining style, and the staff hospitality of course was so good because it is part of JW Marriott Hotel.

So grateful for the treat and experiencing Imari for the first time. Hopefully can come back and try another menu from Imari. The sushi and sashimi...