Teppanyaki restaurant TAIEN — Restaurant in Osaka

There were 5 of us and my son suggested eating teppanyaki beef.

We googled and found this underground little restaurant.

We read the rave reviews about knife show was good, the service was excellent and the food was supposed to be nice. So we went on a Tuesday evening around 7.30pm for dinner. Without a reservation, worrying we will be turned away with a long queue.

To our greatest surprise, there was not a single customer at all. There weren't even anyone (I mean staff) at all. We thought it was closed!

But after some time, one guy came out to speak to us. Showed us immediately the menu and told us the price. 8000yen or 10,000yen sets...🤷

At that time, we were really craving some grilled beef so we went forth with it, thinking that 8000yen could be a good portion dinner. We ordered that, some scallops and lamb.

Taste was fairly alright, beef was nice, the scallops were tasty but I reckoned the price doesn't match up. The portions were really small and the sides was meagre.

Service...., 🤔🤔, I didn't think there was anything special. The chef just quietly cooked and did his thing with little to no communication at all. Ohhh..., we didn't come across any"knife works" too?? He wasn't unfriendly, but you could see he was surely not in the mood.

Ambience, the restaurant had only 5 of us and it looked cold. Nothing fantastic. Decor was normal really...

If you asked me, I didn't think it was worth the price. I have visited many parts of Japan for the past 30+ yrs. This teppanyaki restaurant is by far one of the lesser ones. For $8k yen per pax, I'm certain one could get more mileage at many...

We visited twice - once in February and September 2024. Both visits were the best teppanyaki in Osaka!

5 stars service started from reservation till we say thank you at the end of the meal!

We reserved online in advance and was asked to place orders for food first. They were able to customise our meal for some in the family don’t take beef.

Will let the photos talk about the food. Starter was on point, salad was also great! When it came to our main/meat, the meats were amazing!!! A little more meat would be nice but that was a filling meal! Dessert (apple sorbet) was also superb!!

For kids, they customised a meal for the kids. My son enjoyed his hamburger!

It’s just a waste we don’t speak Japanese so we are losing out on some chats with the chef coz he is very friendly!

Tip: ask for their toast. It’s not in the menu but it’s gonna make your day if they have it available. My mum say it’s probably the best toast in Osaka.

P.S. the assistant was...

We came here for our anniversary dinner and had the full course set. The food was excellent! The special wagyu beef was tender and flavorful and a perfect match with the vegetables. The other courses included excellent fish with a really interesting creme that was a surprise - unusual and tasty. The mushroom soup was rich and even our son who is usually picky about mushrooms enjoyed it and ate it all! There was also a really rich curry as a course that was easily one of the best curries I ever had. Five stars all across!

The staff was very friendly and helpful and our chef who prepared everything in front of us was making sure that we had a wonderful time.

The restaurant is hidden in the basement of what looks like a small office building and from the street it's easy to miss. Once inside, it is cozy and intimate with a beautiful counter with tasteful lighting - a great spot for a quiet dinner away from the hustle of...