Teppanyaki on the PEARL

[Luv2cruisewithtwins]

What is your opinion on the restaurant Teppanyaki? It could be pricey for a family of 4 to eat dinner there, do you think it is worth it?

[JColquhoun]

I would like to find out also

 

Thanks

[deckedout]

That would depend. How old are the extra 2? My husband and I enjoyed it very much. I believe my children would as well; however, the youngest is 18. It is possible that kids younger than 12 may not enjoy it as much.

 

We thought the food was fantastic and loved the entertainment value. Also, everything was nice and hot. And, they were able to make changes to the menu based on what you liked. My hubby doesn't like veggies at all, and he was able to have all his food made without it even touching an onion :eek:

[johnql]

Worth and value are so incredibly subjective. Some people don't feel they should have to pay anything extra for a meal on a cruise. On the other end of the spectrum are those who argue that the specialness of the meal justifies the added cost.

 

I have dined in Teppanyaki on the Dawn, Star, Spirit, Gem and Jewel and enjoyed all of my meals, along with the show. Over the years, however, they have gotten a little skimpier with the portions (e.g., reducing the number of shrimp by one in the filet & shrimp combo).

 

Bottom line, I think the current $25 surcharge is the absolute limit to what it's worth to me, but would be a much better value at $20.

[JColquhoun]

Thanks for the info

[Duff Man]

There is nothing special about the food, it's o.k. You are there for the "show", and the social aspect. DW & I love it and plan it once or twice each trip, as we have always had a great time meeting new people. The set up is very conducive for having a fun time while meeting a new group of people. :)

[johnql]

There is nothing special about the food, it's o.k. You are there for the "show", and the social aspect. DW & I love it and plan it once or twice each trip, as we have always had a great time meeting new people. The set up is very conducive for having a fun time while meeting a new group of people. :)

I have to disagree. The food is prepared on the spot and custom-cooked to order and served hot. That, to me, makes it special. Most, if not all, of the food in the MDRs is prepared in advance, not nearly as fresh by the time it reaches your table. But I do agree that the show can be lots of fun.

[newmexicoNita]

What is your opinion on the restaurant Teppanyaki? It could be pricey for a family of 4 to eat dinner there, do you think it is worth it?

 

My personal opinion which might not be worth much: no, you can get the same or better on land for a similar price. Until a few years ago they had various pricing, then it was worth it, now I think it is the one specialty dining room on NCL ships that is over priced.

 

Nita

[havoc315]

That would depend. How old are the extra 2? My husband and I enjoyed it very much. I believe my children would as well; however, the youngest is 18. It is possible that kids younger than 12 may not enjoy it as much.

 

We thought the food was fantastic and loved the entertainment value. Also, everything was nice and hot. And, they were able to make changes to the menu based on what you liked. My hubby doesn't like veggies at all, and he was able to have all his food made without it even touching an onion :eek:

 

My 3 year-old and 5-year-old loved it. The 5yo was especially mesmerized the whole time (though he also is a fan of Top Chef). I do think most young children actually would like it, and it would keep them entertained enough to get them to sit still.

 

In terms of food quality, I found it to be on par with any of the specialty restaurants. In terms of simple food value, $25 is high. The food certainly is no more expensive than Bistro. But you are paying for the entertainment, and because of the high demand. It fills up faster than any of the other specialty restaurants.

[newmexicoNita]

My 3 year-old and 5-year-old loved it. The 5yo was especially mesmerized the whole time (though he also is a fan of Top Chef). I do think most young children actually would like it, and it would keep them entertained enough to get them to sit still.

 

In terms of food quality, I found it to be on par with any of the specialty restaurants. In terms of simple food value, $25 is high. The food certainly is no more expensive than Bistro. But you are paying for the entertainment, and because of the high demand. It fills up faster than any of the other specialty restaurants.

 

One of the reasons it does fill up is limited seating and only 3 presentations per night. The first time we went there (on the Sun) we had to depend on the Concierne (spelling) for reservations. The second time we made them early (during the days when you could book all restaurants when boarding) The third time, again, we depended on the concierne..Now we choose other restaurants for our special treats.

 

Nita

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

My personal opinion which might not be worth much: no, you can get the same or better on land for a similar price. Until a few years ago they had various pricing, then it was worth it, now I think it is the one specialty dining room on NCL ships that is over priced.

 

Nita

 

Completely agree. Paid less than $25 for the same exact meal at a restaurant called Shoguns here in Michigan.

 

I love the specialty restaurants but this is the one I would pass on. I can go to Mambos and LaCucina both for the price of one visit to Teppanyaki.

[pcl_cruiser]

I will be sailing our first NCL cruise next year, do you get all the food you want for the upcharge. I know in the MDR you can order multiple items if you wish, can you do the same at the specialy restuarants?

[BaltimoreChickadee]

It is a neat concept but they do have restaurants like this all over the place. Here by me you can get the filet mignon/shrimp combo (and that is a BIG portion) for around $20. So the $25 isn't a great "value", but if you want something different on the cruise it's a reasonable option.

 

It is fun to party with others and have a blast with the chef as he does his little tricks, throws eggs in the air, etc. I've probably been a dozen times to this type of restaurant.

 

My worst experience however, was once we had some lady at our table who was allergic to shellfish. So because of that, none of us "were allowed" to have the shrimp appetizer. Those of us that ordered the shrimp appetizer didn't get it until the end of the meal, after this woman's chicken & steak were cooked. Then we all were "allowed" to have our shrimp. :rolleyes:

 

What really sucked was that while some people had their "appetizer tasting" of steak, chicken or pork, those of us that ordered the shrimp appetizer had to sit there and eat plain rice while we watched the rest indulge in their appetizers. :confused:

 

And when her entire meal was finally cooked and the chef was allowed to start cooking the shrimp, well the look of disgust on her face were as if we were chowing down on roadkill. And when the chef was throwing the shrimp so we could catch it in our mouth (one of those things the chef does to include the patrons in the fun) well she was holding up her napkin like a shield with a scowl on her face even though the shrimp was no where close to her. Talk about a downer at the table!!!!!!

[luddite]

Teppanyaki is a fine show for those inclined. I get dragged into them under duress. There are certainly better meals available, at a lower cost.

[darrengs]

Completely agree. Paid less than $25 for the same exact meal at a restaurant called Shoguns here in Michigan.

 

I love the specialty restaurants but this is the one I would pass on. I can go to Mambos and LaCucina both for the price of one visit to Teppanyaki.

 

 

Agreed for $15/person I would do it. But for $100 for my family of 4 I can eat at my local Teppenyaki style restaurant at any time.

[havoc315]

Agreed for $15/person I would do it. But for $100 for my family of 4 I can eat at my local Teppenyaki style restaurant at any time.

 

It was half price for the younger children. So it was $75 for our family of 4.

 

And yes, it is no bargain. You are paying extra, simply because of the high demand for it, on the cruise.

[jdvmd]

Children 12 and under are half price. This is one of the highlights of our NCL cruises and we always make the reservations for Teppanaki first. Our son, who is now 12, always asks "does this ship have the chef who does the tricks?" Is it the same show every time? Yes. It is very popular -- look how many more tables are going to be on the Epic.

[CanadianTwosome]

This thread reminds me of some 'drink price' threads - in that I (sadly) really don't notice a difference in what I'm paying on board and what I pay here at home. :(

 

To me, Teppanyaki is definitely worth it on board for a couple of reasons. First, the $75 bill for the three of us is less than what we pay for the same meal here at home (and the NCL chefs have a better show), and second, we LOVE the food and the experience. In my opinion (which I know is shared by my family but I can only speak for me), the sooner you can eat a meal after preparation, the better it tastes - which is why our teppan grill restaurant here at home is our family favourite.

 

That being said, I think this question is impossible to answer for anyone else. It's absolutely worth it for MY FAMILY, for the reasons I've listed, but I can't make that call for anyone else. Fortunately, there have been some very informative posts in this thread that I think should help anyone interested make a determination for themselves. :)

[newmexicoNita]

I will be sailing our first NCL cruise next year, do you get all the food you want for the upcharge. I know in the MDR you can order multiple items if you wish, can you do the same at the specialy restuarants?

 

you are mainly paying for your entree thus you can get all the appitizers, salad etc you want but only the one entree..

 

Nita

[mkad1109]

My two cents.... We LOVE Teppanyaki! But I did not realize how much it had gone up... I think the first time we took our family it was $15 per person back in 2006...our children had such a great time! We went on the Spirit also and had a blast. That said, we are travelling without the children this time and I do not think I will spend the money! I would prefer to go to Le Bistro a second time!

 

Either way you are all good! Enjoy your trip!

[snorklinbarb]

It is a neat concept but they do have restaurants like this all over the place. Here by me you can get the filet mignon/shrimp combo (and that is a BIG portion) for around $20. So the $25 isn't a great "value", but if you want something different on the cruise it's a reasonable option.

 

It is fun to party with others and have a blast with the chef as he does his little tricks, throws eggs in the air, etc. I've probably been a dozen times to this type of restaurant.

 

My worst experience however, was once we had some lady at our table who was allergic to shellfish. So because of that, none of us "were allowed" to have the shrimp appetizer. Those of us that ordered the shrimp appetizer didn't get it until the end of the meal, after this woman's chicken & steak were cooked. Then we all were "allowed" to have our shrimp. :rolleyes:

 

What really sucked was that while some people had their "appetizer tasting" of steak, chicken or pork, those of us that ordered the shrimp appetizer had to sit there and eat plain rice while we watched the rest indulge in their appetizers. :confused:

 

And when her entire meal was finally cooked and the chef was allowed to start cooking the shrimp, well the look of disgust on her face were as if we were chowing down on roadkill. And when the chef was throwing the shrimp so we could catch it in our mouth (one of those things the chef does to include the patrons in the fun) well she was holding up her napkin like a shield with a scowl on her face even though the shrimp was no where close to her. Talk about a downer at the table!!!!!!

 

Imagine if you had that woman at your table all cruise with set seating!:eek:

[darrengs]

It was half price for the younger children. So it was $75 for our family of 4.

 

And yes, it is no bargain. You are paying extra, simply because of the high demand for it, on the cruise.

 

 

Ahh, that does make a difference. What is the half price cutoff?

[Luv2cruisewithtwins]

Wow! Thank you all for your responses! I really appreciate it! My twins are under 12 so they will have the reduced price which is great! My family loves to eat hibachi style japanese food at home. My kids love the food and enjoy the show. It sounds like the food is good and fresh but on the small side, which is fine. Thank you all for your quick responses!

[manderson2228]

We were just on the pearl and simply couldn't justify the price for hibachi style food. We live in Atlanta and have these style places back home and we normally pay 30 - 40 tops to eat there.. I don't mind an up charge.. But 50$ per couple is more then I would pay at home walking into one off the street, I already paid for the cruise..

[BaltimoreChickadee]

Imagine if you had that woman at your table all cruise with set seating!:eek:

 

I know, I know! She just really took the fun out for the rest of us. I think if you have an allergy to a food they are cooking "group style" on one big grill, you'd be better off to just avoid going altogether as to not disrupt the meal for others. Sure, I understand having a food allergy requires some special attention, but to be seated with a stranger who has a food allergy then to be told by that stranger (after you ordered your shrimp appetizer) that you could not eat that shrimp appetizer until ALL of her food was cooked and on her plate, well, uh, that just sucked. And to have to sit there with a plain bowl of rice as my appetizer while she licked her lips and slowly indulged in her steak appetizer, well that just sucked even more. :o