Restaurant Review: Teppan Edo

While this blog is primarily about trying new things and having new experiences at Walt Disney World, sometimes you just want to go and revisit an old favorite.  Besides, menus change, decor is renovated, and time passes on - so, in the spirit of re-exploration, I, along with a group of family and friends, decided to revisit one of my favorite Disney dining experiences: Teppan Edo at the Japan Pavilion of Epcot.

Checking in

Teppan Edo is a traditional teppanyaki house - not to be confused with hibachi (a term by which teppanyaki is frequently referred to), which is both a small vessel used for heating and a coal-fired cooking stove (the more you know!).  More than likely, if you live in a relatively metropolitan area, you have a Japanese steakhouse much like this one, where the chef prepares your food in front of you with a significant amount of added flair for entertainment.

The atmosphere inside Teppan Edo can get a bit noisy, with people talking over the sounds of sizzling food, and the chefs' rapidly chopping blades, but there is a certain serenity that also comes from the minimalist decor.  The restaurant is separated into several individual dining rooms, each of which features four tables around which diners are seated, family style, to watch their food be prepared.  If you don't like dining with strangers, this may not be the place for you, although for the most part, unless you happen to be eating with a very friendly group, people usually keep to themselves.  I always encourage people to take advantage of opportunities to talk to new people, find out a bit about where they're from, how they're enjoying Disney, etc, if their fellow diners are interested.  Disney is about bringing people together, after all, especially Epcot with its themes of unity between the different peoples of the worlds: it is, in fact, a small world, after all.

Once we were seated around our grill, we placed our drink orders (I ordered iced green tea, while my girlfriend Tabby and my sister's boyfriend Winston ordered hot tea.  I wanted to be somewhat traditional, but didn't particularly relish the idea of hot tea in the Florida heat.)  The teas were enjoyable - very earthy tasting with a cloudy translucence that most American restaurant teas tend to eschew in favor of sweet, relatively transparent teas.

'Cause you're hot, then you're cold.

Tabby and Ashley (my sister) both ordered miso soup as appetizers, which they quite enjoyed.  For those not in the know, miso soup is traditionally made with a broth of fermented soybeans and has a very simple flavor - definitely good to get the taste buds awakened, but not necessarily my cup of tea (I said as I sipped on my actual cup of tea.)  Tabby said that the broth was good, but the soup could have used some more solids, which were in the form of bits of tofu and seaweed.

A peek at things to come

After spending a little bit of time with their appetizers, everyone was quite ready when the main event showed up.  Our chef immediately went to work, showing off displays of knife handling, culinary prowess, and cheesy jokes (as he sliced up a hidden Mickey shaped selection of onion slices, he cried, "Maybe you should have given me a raise, Mickey!")  Three sauces are presented to you: a ginger sauce, mustard sauce, and what they called "yum yum" sauce, which I have heard referred to as "Japanese ranch."  I was particularly fond of the nice, bright flavor of the ginger sauce, though they were all good in their particular way.

Ginger, mustard, and "yum yum," respectively

Each order came with udon noodles and seasonal vegetables (onions and zucchini on this particular outing), as well as a bowl of sukiyaki beef rice, which was quite good, though I tried not to eat too much, at risk of being full by the time my protein was finished cooking.  At the mention of that, I should note that you should eat your meal as each individual item comes out to you, since the chef cooks the dishes in the order of what takes the most to least time cooking, so if you want your veggies and noodles hot, dig right in!

Mickey - and "mini"

Sukiyaki beef rice

For my protein, I ordered the swordfish steak.  It had been quite some time since I'd had swordfish, and the chef certainly didn't disappoint my memories of the sharp-nosed seafood.  The swordfish was very rich and flavorful, with a texture not entirely unlike a nicely marbled piece of beef.  There was a hint of citrus that brought some lightness to what could have been a somewhat overwhelmingly umami party.

A little lacking in the color department, but certainly not in flavor

Tabby ordered the scallops, which were cooked perfectly (in our opinion, at least) - soft and with that perfect hint of sweetness that comes with good shellfish.  Winston and Ashley rounded out our party with steak and shrimp and chicken, respectively, and though I did not get a chance to taste the steak, it looked perfectly cooked, as was Ashley's chicken and shrimp.  We quickly headed outside after our meal and caught the end of IllumiNations, wrapping up a very nice meal with some spectacular fireworks (which may or may not have made me a little misty-eyed... hush, you.)

If you are a fan of Japanese steakhouses, I'd definitely recommend heading over to Teppan Edo on your next trip to Walt Disney World.  The experience might not be extremely different from your neighborhood teppanyaki place, but it does have a particular Disney flair that can't be reproduced.

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