Shock absorber
Today is my son's 20th birthday. I had always dreamed of celebrating my child's 20th birthday by toasting at a teppanyaki counter and helping him climb the stairs to adulthood. In Hachioji, there is a well-known teppanyaki restaurant called U***itei, so I was thinking of making a reservation there. However, my son himself said, "I'm busy, but I can make time during the day" and "I prefer somewhere in the city because I'm going out drinking with friends at night." So, I hurriedly started looking for another restaurant. About a month ago, I found a restaurant on Tabelog called Kagurazaka Teppanyaki Himawari and made a reservation. The name of the restaurant was perfect for my son, who was born in summer, so it caught my attention!
Located about a 5-minute walk from Kagurazaka Station and Iidabashi Station, on the 3rd floor of the Kagurazaka building, a little off Kagurazaka, the restaurant offers a simple and modern interior with 6 counter seats, 2 table seats, and 1 semi-private room, totaling 20 seats. The spacing between seats is wide, and all seats seem to be able to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, like a hidden gem in Kagurazaka.
It was Sunday at 12:00. The restaurant quickly filled up, and the customers were mostly couples and a mature age group. Unusually for a teppanyaki restaurant, the chef and staff, all in their twenties, were fresh but attentive and provided polite service, leaving a good impression. When I asked for permission to take a picture of the chef at the counter, he kindly agreed and even offered to take a group photo of the three of us, providing chasers without us asking, which was a thoughtful gesture.
We ordered the Himawari course (13 dishes in total) with a choice of 3 drinks, including champagne. They asked about food allergies or dislikes, and I mentioned my shellfish allergy. We started with a toast with champagne. Happy 20th birthday to my son!
We had a salad with snow crab and a salad with grated daikon. The snow crab salad was made with fresh Hokkaido snow crab, with plenty of crab meat and a delicious crab miso dressing. The chef, who was in his mid-twenties, skillfully grilled the dishes in front of us, just like my son.
We also had grilled conger eel and scallops with seaweed. The conger eel was fluffy and delicious with a touch of spice, while the thick scallops were wrapped in seaweed from Ariake and were very tasty.
We enjoyed grilled shirako from Toyama, which was creamy and melted in the mouth. The mini steak burger, made with Sendai beef sirloin, was a taste test of the day's meat. The delicate and exquisite flavors were evident in the homemade truffle soy sauce and mustard.
We also had grilled anago with cream cheese, which my son found so delicious that he closed his eyes to savor it. The restaurant pays attention to ingredients and seasonings, sourcing mini buns from a bakery in Kyushu. We also had white wine, Domaine Angst Chablis Chardonnay from France.
Overall, it was a delightful dining experience at Kagurazaka Teppanyaki Himawari, and my son enjoyed his 20th birthday celebration.