Teppanyaki Chinatown Manchester

Teppanyaki Chinatown Manchester is not a big spot and the main thing that strikes upon entering is how cosy you need to get with diners outside your party. However, it’s all part of the teppanyaki experience and has the added bonus of letting you check out your neighbour’s food before ordering your own.

I hate to say that I’m a girl of habit, but I really am. Every time I go, I order the same thing but I decided to branch out a bit on Sunday. I got the unagi nigiri to start, as I usually do, but then opted for the king prawn okonomiyaki.

The unagi nigiri was absolutely delicious as always. The thought of eel may put some people off, but the flavours of sweet and salty in the sushi are perfectly balanced and the grilling of the eel brings out a really nice smokey flavour. My friend had the soft shell crab nigiri and much as I loved my dish, I need to confess to a couple of envious glances in her direction. She’s not a sharer apparently….

Next up were the mains. I had the king prawn okonomiyaki while my partner for the evening had the sirloin yakisoba noodles. As the dishes are cooked in front of you, you can see that everything is made completely fresh and the skills of the chefs are a thing of beauty. On previous visits, the making of the teppanyaki has been much more showy but this was a touch more refined with less throwing and showing off with the food. I’ve seen a few people online lamenting this change but to me, it actually improved the experience: with food this good, you don’t need to put on a cabaret to make people have a great time.

And the food here at Teppanyaki Chinatown Manchester really doesn’t disappoint. As I said, everything is completely fresh and that’s evidenced in the taste. My king prawns were plump and juicy, and the spice in the dish set off their sweetness perfectly. My non-sharing friend’s sirloin melted in her mouth and she claims the yakisoba sauce was one of the best she’s ever had.