Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan｜鉄板焼･ステーキTarond~タロン~

Up market teppanyaki which was exactly what my partner and I were after for our last night in Japan. Venue is small which accommodates up to 15 - 20 which keeps things intimate. We ordered the Kagura course and asked the chef if we could add abalone and he switched out the "today's seafood" option for abalone at no extra cost. Appetisers were nice, smoked salmon, cream cheese & Japanese pickles and cold corn soup. The abalone was grilled perfectly, the meat paddy was very soft but the highlight was definitely the wagyu beef steak which absolutely melted in your mouth. The chef also kept some of the steak for the garlic fried rice which shortly followed. Was completely satisfied and would definitely come back.

My mom had come to visit for the first time since before Corona and we chose to celebrate by experiencing Teppanyaki for first time together! It was easy to make reservation through the website and the staff emailed confirmation within a business day or two. Very easy to get to from Iidabashi station, the atmosphere is cozy and inviting! The staff spoke English, were warm and attentive and very accommodating for both my very poor Japanese and my mother's feeble attempts at using chopsticks, as well as our general unfamiliarity with Teppanyaki. The menu is a set courses with English and Japanese, however the staff were happy to tell us what we were eating because we did not recognize some of the vegetables (lol) as well as explain customary ways to enjoy what was served, and I really appreciated it. Their friendly demenor and the yummy cocktails helped us to feel at ease and relax! Each course was skillfully prepared and arranged beautifully on the plate, it compelled me to try things my American palate was scared of! But stepping out of my comfort zone was well rewarded with delicious, complex and well-balanced flavors. I really appreciated Chef Abe's fresh twists on some classic Japanese dishes like the hamburg steak and fried rice, but he also was very skilled at allowing his ingredients, like the wagyu and prawn, to really shine in a simple and classic way too. Overall highly recommend Tarond to anyone wanting to relax and enjoy cozy Teppanyaki with skilled chef and great service!

4.5 stars. We wanted to introduce a visitor from Toronto to the pleasures of fine dining Japanese style, and we were not disappointed. The food, the atmosphere, and the show (if you enjoy watching a master chef do his thing) were all wonderful. Although not cheap, you could easily spend much more in Tokyo for a similar teppanyaki experience. (¥120K for 5, including a ¥6K bottle of sparkling, and ¥8K corkage fee for the 2 bottles of red that I brought to the restaurant.) We will definitely look forward to returning. Highly recommended.