review

Oka Teppanyaki

oka-teppanyaki---chef-cooking-up-a-storm

Parap is turning into quite the foodie destination, the latest addition to the mix is Oka Teppanyaki which opened at the beginning of last month. The owners have restaurants in Singapore and Melbourne and it was only a matter of time before they turned their attentions to Australia's greatest capital city.

oka-teppanyaki---spring-roll-sushi-entree

Teppanyaki for those not in the know, is where you have a chef cook food right in front of you on a griddle all the while flipping tools, shaking spices from a grand height, throwing bowls of rice to squealing patrons and telling the occasional joke on the side. It's great entertainment value if you're with a group of friends or have visitors to impress.

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oka-teppanyaki---flame-grilled

Do not try this at home, you will probably crap yourself.

We had William working the griddle on both nights we visited. He has quite the mixed  history, originating from Melbourne with work stints in Japan and various other Asian destinations, he has thankfully kept his Australian sense of humor and hasn't been corrupted by the Food Darwinisation Syndrome that is rampant in these parts (you want black bean or sweet and sour sauce with that!?!). The guy says he doesn't tell jokes but I put him on the spot and he delivered a couple of good ones. Watching a skilled chef slice and dice right in front of you is quite the experience, and also a reminder that most of us amateur Masterchef wannabes have a long way to go.

oka-teppanyaki---tempura

There are 6 sets from the teppanyaki menu you can choose from, ranging from $50 all the way to $100 per head, with a $20 option for the kiddies. Not particularly cheap, but I'm told the ingredients are the best they could find and you're basically hiring a personal chefertainer for the 45 or so minutes that your meal lasts for. If you go early in the week like we did when it's not as busy and you've got your own VIP party. The later half of the week is it's chock a block full I'm told so you'll be dining with the plebs. Now if teppanyaki isn't your cup of tea, or you can't stomach the price, you can always go the à la carte menu for lunch, dinner or takeaway.

Prices range from the mid teens to mid twenties which is much more my style usually, but one does not simply go to a teppanyaki restaurant without reviewing the main attraction. I didn't see any shabu shabu or sukiyaki on the menu, I reckon these could be a nice special of the day thing if they catch on. On to the food! I'll review the items we had on both nights together to save time, so don't be thinking that I'm a pig or anything. The mixed tempura was light and crispy, the prawns big and juicy. The sashimi was devine, devoid of the fishy smell low quality product often comes with, you wouldn't even know it is raw. There is a big ball of wasabi, but I hate that stuff personally. The sushi entrees were quite nice and well presented, I'd like to see some more avocado however. A couple of my all time favourite Japanese street foods, takoyaki, would sweet as well. It's a shame you can't get a home made one anywhere in Darwin, I'll make an effort to hunt these down when travelling in Asia.

oka-teppanyaki---pan-fried-dumplings

The home made pan fried dumplings are also top notch, no complaints there. In fact, everything at Oka Teppanyaki is made on site, including the dipping sauces, I'm guessing this doesn't apply to the soy sauce though.

oka-teppanyaki---inside

Normally I'd be well on my way to rolling over for a digestion nap after the entrees, but I had starved myself in advance so that I could fit the main course in. The scallops are fat and tender, the prawns cleaned, carved and sizzled just right. The steak is top notch, I'm told they spent a lot of time searching for the holy cow and it shows. The meat just melts in your mouth, helped along by the fact that it was cooked 10 seconds prior to entering your digestive path. The wife is not much of a red meat eater but she loved it, much to my dismay as I was hoping to eat her portion :(

oka-teppanyaki-feast

The fish of the day on our second visit was a big chunk of sword fish. I've never had it before and evidently I've been missing out. It has a firm yet moist texture with bright white flesh, I'd call it the cow steak of the ocean because I thought I heard mine moo. Except for the teriyaki chicken, the items are mostly lightly seasoned with just the essentials (salt, pepper, butter) and a splash of sauce here and there. It might sound boring but it's just the way I like it – simple, pure flavours that let the ingredients do the talking. We ate a few more things, but this review is already getting super long.

oka-teppanyaki---sake

To wash it all down, there's a large selection of sake on offer. I had a tasting set with three different grades, ranging from "I can only afford cheap stuff" to "fancy pants", I'm sure there's a proper way to classify it. Basically the more polished the rice that was used during production, the smoother the taste. Even a non drinker such as myself  could certainly tell the difference between the three. It'd be nice to have some quality teas as well, but William says he is an alcoholic and didn't think about that, maybe in the future hey? Some cold  brew Japanese iced coffee would be awesome too.

oka-teppanyaki---sushi-entree oka-teppanyaki---black-sesame-ice-cream

For desert we had a house made black sesame iced cream which was quite nice – not too sweet with a dose of savoury, really interesting concoction. There was also a sake jelly thing which we didn't try.

oka-teppanyaki---social

The service is prompt and friendly. Frank, who is the friendly older Asian guy with an English name, and one of the other part owners, wonders around with the sole mission of making sure that the diners are all happy. This man understands the importance of good service.  The rest of the service team deliver and take away dishes in a timely manner. Finally, special mention to the guy in the purple sleeved shirt. He doesn't speak much English, but he established I ran a food blog (probably because of the 5 million photos I took) and asked if I was the Darwin Foodies guy. After 4 years of running this blog, I have finally become world famous. Thank you friend and thank you teppanyaki for bringing us together. TLDR: quality ingredients, great experience, great food, great service, great location.

Contact details

Address: Parap Village, 11/34 Parap Road, Parap
Phone: 08 8941 5453
Opening Hours: Lunch (Mon - Fri, 11.30am - 3.00pm)
Dinner (Mon - Thu 6:00pm - 10:00pm, Fri - Sat 6:00pm - 11:00pm)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.okateppanyaki.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/okateppanyaki