Teppan Kenta

When I read there was a placed that served okonomiyaki Hiroshima style, my heart jumped with joy! Last year we visit Japan and had some pork okonomiyaki near the peace museum and it was amazing.
So we went to Teppan Kenta full of expectations hoping the taste would bring us back. We started with the combo of karaage + beer and that was great, then the pork okonomiyaki reached the table and that’s when things turned sad.
It had waaaay too many fish flakes that overpower the smell and taste, after trying to take most of the off, we decided to skip the top layer and eat the rest instead but we couldn’t because it was so tasteless. The noodles, the pancake, everything was meh. We didn’t even finish ¼ of it and left.

I’m glad some real Japanese places are getting in the game now hopefully displacing the Ayce «Japanese food» imposters and like.
The food was a bit on the pricey side and I would say a touch heavy handed with the salt. Otherwise though I thought it was excellent in terms of authenticity, variety, and service. I think the salty is supposed to compliment/​encourage drinking more as this looks to be izakaya-​style.
I loved the beef yukke tartare.

Our visit to Teppan Kenta was rather disappointing as we saw many 4+ stars reviews on Unilocal.The hype was too high :(Service was great though!
DASHIMAKI (⁴⁄₅)
(Fresh Seaweed Omelette with Japanese Broth)
This was the best pick out of all the dishes we ordered for the night. The broth that they cooked the omelette in, was delicious! The egg was so smooth, eat it while it’s sizzling hot! :)
AGEDASHI (¹⁄₅)
(Deep Fried Tofu in Seaweed Broth)
I’m a big fan of agedashi tofus but this dish just wasn’t good. The broth was not hot enough (it was room temperature — lukewarm: S). The tofus weren’t yummy either.
EBI CHEESE (¹⁄₅)
(Shrimp and Potato Cheese Melt)
This was probably the worst dish we ordered all night lol. It’s more like a stir-​fry of shrimp and potato without any taste of cheese. Both the shrimp and potato did not taste marinated. Very flat dish. Will not order this again.
GRILLED T-​BONE STEAK (¹⁄₅)
We asked for medium rare but it was way over cooked. Beef was hard to chew on and had no taste to it. On the bright side, they made it look pretty.
DX OKONOMIYAKI (¹⁄₅)
(Japanese Pancake with Pork, Squid and Shrimp)
There are way too much veggies in this! There’re two thin (very thin) slices of pancake and not enough pork, squid nor shrimp. I would prefer this if they added more sauce. Didn’t enjoy this dish — but on the plus side, it was very hot (unlike the agedashi).

I have been to many izakayas in Montréal and Toronto and this has been the worst one. The food was ok, but every time I was thinking I have had better. Guu Izakaya, Kinka Izakaya, Imadake, and Kinoya are all better choices.

Oh man this place was really hard to find! Turns out that it was tucked at the end of an alley, at the back of the building that also houses Rabba and Ali Baba’s… Who decided that it was a good idea to open a restaurant here???
As for the actual restaurant, the food seemed pretty authentic (there were a lot of Japanese patrons — I take that to be a good sign). I enjoyed the tako wasabi, okonomiyaki and French toast dessert (which was very popular that night). Just a warning that the tako wasabi has a fair bit of wasabi in it. I also ordered the ramen salad which was a little too bland since the sesame dressing really didn’t add much flavour.
All in all a pretty solid Japanese joint. I recommend sitting by the bar area if you want to watch the chefs cook teppanyaki-​style.

My third visit:
We ordered chicken karaage with beer, hot pot, takoyaki and grilled octopus.
Grilled octopus was amazing!
I don’t know how but it was a perfect dish, the only imperfection was it made me want more!
The hot pot was superb! The pork belly, soup and vege all went well together. Again, the portion was small. I could eat 3 of the hot pot! Okay I should stop now, my mouth is watering now.

Service is very good although a little slow (but I am not complaining since its reasonable for such a crowded place). Their french toast with ice cream dessert is both pretty to look at and yummy to devour :).

We found the service very friendly and accommodating. But they forgot a salad and served an entrée about 45 min after the others. We didn’t mind as we were sharing most dishes but there wasn’t much in the way of check-​in by the staff. Especially when the bill came. One star off for that.
That said the food was really good and reasonably priced.
Tried all the Unilocal recommendations. Gyu steak, avocado salad, okonomiyaki (ordered pork got fish), and fried chicken. As well the yellow tail and guacamole. All tasty and in good portions. The french toast and caramel pudding were also excellent.
Loved the décor and atmosphere. Will go again for sure and highly recommend for a unique dinner. Would be extra clear about our order next time. Fried chicken is the best there is and we had ours with a pitcher of beer as a special!

Oh man their fried chicken is awesome. I highly recommend it.
Also highly recommend the okonomoyaki. As close to the real deal as you can get. Takoyaki is also solid.
This place is pretty well located as its in the back of the building really giving it a cozy feeling.
Also relatively cheap!

I like the mystery with restaurants that are found tucked away on small streets and unfrequented squares. Teppan Kenta has that feel. As you enter, you find yourself in an unassuming place. The chairs are wooden rectangular blocks arranged around rectangular tables. The walls are chalked with the day’s specials and drinks. The teppan area is a wide open bar, and I’m pretty sure I’m sitting beside a regular whenever I’ve been.
The dishes that come out smell great, and taste great, but doesn’t look like they’re trying to be something they’re not. The chicken Karaage is probably my favourite of their offerings. It’s honestly the best Japanese fried chicken I’ve found in town. Their teppanyaki dishes have an excellent grill flavour to them, and they’re stuffed with a good helping of ingredients.
If it were closer, I’d definitely make this my local joint!

2.5 stars from me. I think it’s authentic but because of that it means super greasy and fatty as I’ve heard that’s what Japanese cuisine is know for; marbling of the meats. It was good but sure if I will return. I came here with a friend of mine during a cold night and the condensation welcomed us in.
Food: 2.5÷5, we got the okonomiyaki DX with the hotspot sukiyaki. The oknomiyaki was a bit too «falling off» everywhere and the soup was too oily for my taste. It wasn’t bad.
Service: 3/​5, the server was nice but a bit hard to understand. She was attentive but water service could have been better as the food was salty and we needed it.
Ambience: 1/​5, the condensation, the super small wooden seats and loud izakaya style is not great for dinner. It’s an acquired taste. I think they were being too authentic and not fitting North American needs.
Price: 2/​5, I think it was about $ 20 per person; overpriced for what you get.
It’s ok but I think there are better Japanese joints nearby.

I disagree with the negative reviews, this is a great place to eat. The food looks as good as it tastes, just look at the pics. Yummmm.
Watching the chef at work is amazing, really looks like he enjoys his work.
The complaints about food prep time is overblown. The waitress told us when we sat down it would be 30 mins for the Dx okonomiyaki. The other dishes came out within that 30 mins.
The service is decent just need to flag down one of the two waitstaff. But they were polite and helpful.
I would give it a 4 but because some of the other reviews were just brutal I will give it a 5 to offset those negatives.

My old roommate has a Japanese friend that used to live in the neighbourhood, and I asked him if he had had any good Japanese food since he’s lived in Canada. He said that Teppan Kenta had the best, authentic that he had tried, so I kept it in mind for my next visit to Toronto. Instantly loved the hip décor, and attentive, friendly service.
I’m accustomed to the all-​you-​can-​eat sushi joints, so I was looking forward to having new types of Japanese food. As my old roomie lived in Japan for year, I put my complete trust in her to order for us. We had the Ebi Cheese to start (shrimp, potato and melba toast tossed in a cheese sauce), followed by the Karaage (fried chicken) and DX Okonomiyaki (pancake with cabbage and seafood). All delicious and unique.
Few tips for you: The entrance of the restaurant is actually behind Wellesley, towards Phipps Street. While the food was very good, I was jonesing for a more savoury or spicy flavour, but it’s not actually a trait of Japanese cuisine, so if you’ve never explored Japanese food beyond spicy tuna roll, just a heads up.
Oh, and make sure you sit at the bar to watch your food being prepared!

This place was very cool. Not really any other way to describe it.
Our staff was very nice and answered all our questions. It was the first shift for one of waitresses but she was great. She’d always check to make sure she gave us the correct information instead of trying to make it up, which we all appreciated.
The food choices were great too, it’s a tapas place, so you’ll definetly get to try a few things off the menu. They had chicken and pitcher specials for $ 20-​$ 25 (depending on the beer you get) which is a terrific deal. And pretty killer sangrias (made from white or red wine)
My only complaint is that it was pretty nill on the vegetarian options, there was maybe one or two things that you can get if you don’t eat meat or seafood.
All in all, a great experience

I really wanted to like Teppan Kenta, but there were too many problems to make it enjoyable. Compared to other izakayas, this is above average. But when you put it next to other Japanese restaurants, the cooking is not good enough.
On the bright side:
+ Staff are nice.
+ You can sit at the counter and watch the cooking.
+ Quieter (yet still lively) atmosphere.
However:
— The food was mediocre (more details below).
— Hostess got our order wrong. Then chef misunderstood another part of the order.
My friend and I went on a Sunday afternoon, and ordered:
1. Two okonomiyaki DX, one for each of us. When we realized the chef only prepared a single one on the griddle, we had to ask if they were making 1 or 2. The hostess knew we ordered 2, but the chef thought it was only 1. As for the taste, there isn’t any. There is a total lack of flavour. Yes, the chef did squeeze some okonomi sauce on it, but it tasted like unseasoned stewed cabbage and boiled pasta.
(Side note: the Osaka-​style okonomiyaki at Ramen Isshin is a lot more flavourful.)
2. Takoyaki. Very below average, and over-​priced. They just re-​fry frozen takoyaki, in the same frier as all the other food. If you thought they would use a takoyaki grill and cook it, you’d be disappointed.
3. Chicken Karaage. Not bad. At least for this, they bread the raw chicken on the spot, so this is freshly cooked. Comes served with a small portion of salad and squirt of mayo.
So overall, the food was below expectation.
As for the mistakes in ordering:
1. Beer that I didn’t order. Only my friend ordered an Asahi, but the hostess thought I also wanted one. After I explained to her I didn’t order any beer, she took it back with no problem.
2. Water. I thought the hostess would bring me a glass of water after I told her I didn’t order beer, but no. I had to ask her for some water before I got any.
(Ironically, after we paid and were ready to leave, another hostess came around the filled both our glasses just as we were about to get up…)
3. One instead of two okonomiyaki, as mentioned above.
4. Asking for the bill. When we finished eating, we told the hostess «We’re finished.» She smiled and nodded, but didn’t bring us the bill. So I rephrased, «We are ready for the bill.» This time, she said, «Ahh yes.» But still didn’t bring us the bill. We tried another few times, until the Chef actually helped tell the hostess to bring us the bill.
The staff was super nice, but just keep in mind there may be language barriers. So if you go to Teppan Kenta, you should learn some basic Japanese to help it along.
At a price of $ 22.60 after tax for me, and $ 28.30 for my friend, this was not worth the money when I consider the food quality and ordering mistakes.
I will not be returning, but that being said, this can still be a great spot for those who value the izakaya atmosphere more than the quality of the food. (and definitely, this is still much better than Guu.)

If you’re looking for authentic Japanese food that won’t break the bank, and/​or you’re tired of Chinese abominations of Japanese food such as McSushi Monster Truck Rolls dunked in Yoda bath, McTeppanyaki, AYCE ordered by tapping photos on an iPad, etc, look no further than Teppan Kenta. To find it, take the alley that goes behind the Rabba supermarket, then turn left. Go in, sit down, and prepared to be amazed by the food, and the bill at the end!
If you’re not familiar with Izakayas, basically it’s Japanese «tapas», with most dishes suitable for sharing among a table of 2 – 4 people. I highly recommend the Hiroshima-​style Okonomiyaki, which is difficult to find in Toronto. We have tried the Okonomiyaki served at Momofuku Noodle Bar; Kenta’s was actually larger and more flavorful. Seafood yakisoba as well as the seafood doria impressed us; they did not skimp on the seafood at all, with large pieces of prawn, octopus, and squid incorporated into these dishes.
Given the cold weather (–10 C) the night we visited, they had the 20% discount on the hotpot. This is cooked on a portable gas stove in the center of your table. The heat (from the gas flames as well as the spice mix!) were definitely welcome in the cool dining environment — the restaurant is enclosed mostly by glass and concrete/​brick on three sides, so it is poorly insulated. Portable gas heaters were placed in strategic locations throughout the restaurant as clearly the forced-​air heating system was inadequate for Toronto winters (or was not working at all?). Currently they offer the hotpot discount if it is snowing or the outside temperature is below –5 C.
At least a week before going, definitely «like» their Facebook page and «follow» them on Twitter, as most of their specials are advertised through those channels on short notice and are not listed on their website. They had a steak/​grill special at the time, so I ordered the grilled Wagyu, which was grilled perfectly (lightly charred on the outside but very rare in the center). This was served on a rectangular piece of slate with a line of coarse sea salt, as well as a dollop of freshly grated wasabi root.
Given the large groups dining that night, this is a popular spot for celebrations and they did not disappoint us on my birthday. The final bill was much lower than our group would have spent at any number of chain restaurants, which was a very pleasant surprise indeed. I can’t recommend this place enough. We will be back, guaranteed.

4.5*
It’s seldom that I am encouraged to write a review within a week of visiting an establishment, but Teppan Kenta has done enough to inspire this rare event.
Ever since trying my first okonomiyaki in NYC some 6 years ago, I have been on a quest to replicate the complex, delicious taste. The hastily prepared Osaka style Okono is readily found in several of the well known Toronto Izakayas, but Teppan Kenta is the only spot that serves the Hiroshima style (to my knowledge). The process of making this dish is quite long and somewhat laborious, but you are invited to watch exactly what goes into your meal if you take a seat by the bar. The layers of cabbage, egg, crêpe, scallion, fish flake, noodles, Okonomiyaki sauce,… are expertly and patiently assembled only to be devoured in a matter of minutes. The only question that remains is whether you will try to micro-​disect the layers/​flavours or get as many ingredients as possible in one bite.
The restaurant did feel a bit cold, but this was somewhat made up for by the fact that my cup of tea was never left empty during our entire visit. Outside of the okonomiyaki, the ricotta/​plum tart was also delicious and worth a try.
Overall, credit to a good friend who pointed me to this spot. I have a new go-​to place in an area that is otherwise somewhat of a culinary vacuum.

This is a really cute Izakaya tucked away on Wellesley, at first we couldn’t find it because it’s behind a building but there are a few parking spots available if you’re driving.
We were greeted with a warm welcome right when we walked in. There’s one large teppan (which is a hibachi grill) with two chefs manning the station with seating right in front of it if you like watching food being prepared.
We ordered the salmon w/​ponzu which was grilled just to the right temperature so it was very tender and juicy. The mentai mayo tofu salad which is a spicy cod roe mixed with mayo, yum! And finished off with the Okonomiyaki DX since that was the one that came with pork, squid and shrimp… which was also really good.

My family and I visited Teppan Kenta just to eat their Hiroshima-​style okonomiyaki, but ended up loving else on their menu as well!
Some menu highlights:
— Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. I don’t think you can find this anywhere else in Toronto
— the fried chicken was a pleasant surprise. The chicken was so moist and tender inside the crunchy batter!
— steak. Grilled to perfection.
— hot pot! This is part of their daily special, but I hope it will stay for the whole winter.
Try to grab a table by the bar to see how the chef cooks on the grill. He is very precise with the cooking and we were very impressed with how delicately he treats the ingredients. Great skills!
This is not to slight Guu (which I really like!) but I think I would prefer to make Teppan Kenta my new go-​to izakaya pick given the quality of food and service. Overall, we had a fantastic dining experience.

I am very pleased to see the lunch menu is expanding. Now, some of my favourite items such as Karaage don, Katsudon, Karaage chicken, Takoyaki (octopus balls), deep fried Chicken wings, Chicken Doria (rice gratin with chicken) are on the regular menu.
The chef will always surprise you with the «Today’s Don». Just ask when you get there.
Now Teppan Kenta becomes my regular lunch spot every week. That’s clear enough how I love this place!