6 Teppanyaki Spots in KL That Offer Next-Level Dining Experiences
When I say that Kuala Lumpur is one of the most exciting foodie destinations in Malaysia, it’s because of places like teppanyaki restaurants. There’s nothing quite like seeing fresh meat, vegetables, and seafood being grilled in front of you by a talented chef.
Luckily, KL features a variety of Japanese restaurants that offer this cooking method. Whether you want to enjoy an entertaining show or you want to grill your meat yourself, you’ll find something in the city to your liking.
However, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve tried some teppanyaki spots that didn’t make me feel like I got my money’s worth, so to help you avoid this experience, I’ve made this list. Discover your next fiery dining adventure here!
Kampai KLCC
– Media credit: kampaiklcc and suriaklccmall
Address: Lot 139, First Floor, Park Side
Contact details: +60 16-425 7100
Operating hours:
Cost: $$$
Kampai KLCC exudes classiness like we’ve never seen in a teppanyaki restaurant, featuring a zen-inspired interior as well as VIP rooms that’ll make you feel special while eating. Also, it features huge windows that overlook Suria KLCC Park and the rest of Kuala Lumpur’s skyline!
The ambience and lavish interior aside, Kampai offers an impressive array of meat sourced straight from Japan. One of the most perfect examples is their A5 Wagyu steak, which features spectacular marbling and amazing meaty flavours.
Aside from steaks, you can also enjoy their freshly grilled artisan vegetables, which help balance out the meaty flavours of the beef. Furthermore, they also offer Hokkaido sashimi if you’re looking for something fresher and healthier.
Pro tip:
While you’re here, check out the Petronas Twin Towers to hit two birds with one stone! You can either enter the tower itself and catch stunning views of KL or observe the Twin Towers from Suria Park.
Ishin Japanese Dining
– Media credit: ishin_kl and whatweieats
Address: 3 3, 202 Persiaran Kelang Off
Contact details: +60 3-7980 8228
Operating hours: Daily from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Cost: $$
Consider Ishin Japanese Dining if you’re a big fan of dishes that look straight out of cooking shows like MasterChef. They offer contemporary Japanese dishes like sushi, sashimi, and yakimono, but for this list, we’ll be focusing on their teppanyaki offerings.
One of our favourite things about this spot is that they offer tons of fresh seafood for their teppanyaki grill. For instance, they have tiger prawns, oysters, and salmon for you to grill along with the various veggies and mushrooms.
If you want our advice, however, don’t miss out on their lamb teppanyaki. If you haven’t had lamb meat yet, there is a slight learning curve, which you can easily look past once you start to appreciate its rich and savoury flavour.
Pro tip:
If you’re looking to save some money, we recommend ordering their teppanyaki sets instead of their à la carte offerings. However, keep in mind that these are only available during lunchtime!
Hanare Japanese Restaurant
– Media credit: hanare_kl
Address: Vista Tower, 182, Jln Tun Razak
Contact details: +60 3-2164 2133
Operating hours: Daily from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Cost: $$$
Hanare Japanese Restaurant is what you’ll most likely visualise when thinking about a teppanyaki restaurant. It offers an authentic Japanese dining experience, complete with an elegant, Zen-inspired interior and skilled chefs, who arguably are the highlights of this place.
These chefs flawlessly work once they get behind the teppanyaki grill, and you’d want to whip out your phone to capture their skill on camera. Theatrics aside, the grilled items they offer are pretty solid, often featuring the right amount of char and flavour.
From Wagyu beef cubes to rice, eggs, fresh veggies, and more, the ingredients they grill are tantalising, to say the least. Furthermore, you can watch them make your favourite sushi roll from scratch, which is an art form in itself!
Pro tip:
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get here is by taking the bus and departing at the KL1949 Intermark Mall bus stop. This will take you directly in front of the mall, where you’ll find Hanare Japanese Restaurant.
Kampachi EQ
– Media credit: kampachiofficial
Address: EQ, Equatorial Plaza, Jln Sultan Ismail
Contact details: +60 3-2789 7722
Operating hours: Daily from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Cost: $$$
Kampachi should be on your list if you want to enjoy a world-class cooking show before feasting on amazing food. These shows come in the form of master chefs showcasing their cooking skills on the teppanyaki grill, which is a surefire hit among people of all ages.
They present their freshly grilled dishes beautifully to top their performances off, so take tons of photos and videos. These dishes taste as good as they look, especially the Wagyu cubes, which feature the perfect char.
Aside from their teppanyaki series, we also recommend this place because of its fantastic selection of desserts. If you can only choose one, go for the black sesame ice cream because it’s also a great palate cleanser!
Pro tip:
If you want to try the perfect bite, we recommend putting a Wagyu cube on your spoon and topping it off with their thinly sliced fried garlic chips. The combined flavours of these two will blow your mind!
Torii Teppanyaki
– Media credit: toriitepanyaki and irfanazlan
Address: C.48.0, Concourse Level, The Exchange TRX
Operating hours: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Cost: $
Torii Teppanyaki is living proof that you don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket just to enjoy quality teppanyaki. You won’t get to see live shows of chefs grilling meat in front of you, but you’ll still get to enjoy authentic Japanese grilled pieces of meat!
Their lunch sets are some of their best-offered deals, as they offer mixed mushroom and chicken teppanyaki for less than RM10. You can pair these with either garlic fried rice or freshly grilled vegetables—don’t worry, there are no wrong choices!
However, please note that these value meals are only available on weekdays. Don’t worry, though, as you still won’t have to spend too much on their regular teppanyaki sets that come with premium ingredients like beef striploin, butterfish, and mixed mushrooms.
Pro tip:
After filling your bellies with grilled meat, you can burn those added calories by taking a lovely stroll at the TRX City Park. It’s also a great place to check out if you’re travelling with kids, as it features a fun playground!
KOBU by Wagyu Tavern
– Media credit: kobubywagyutavern and fkndeliciousness
Address: NO 46 , 48 Jalan Utar
Contact details: +60 12-931 1582
Operating hours:
Cost: $
KOBU by Wagyu Tavern is perfect for celebrations where you just want to enjoy a big feast. Although it’s on the pricier side, we can’t complain since it’s not always that we can get unlimited refills on A4 Wagyu beef cubes!
Their grade-A Wagyu beef virtually melts in your mouth after its time on the grill. Moreover, the best part about dining here is the variety of fancy sides you can accompany your meat with, like truffle caviar!
Aside from their Wagyu, you can also enjoy other grilled specialties such as smoked duck and lamb racks. Meanwhile, you can try their grilled beef tongue if you’re feeling adventurous, but don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds!
Pro tip:
You can save money on transportation by taking the MRT and departing at the Tun Razak Exchange transit station. From there, you only have to cross the street to reach KOBU, which is approximately four minutes away on foot.