Tanaka of Tokyo Central

Every single tepanyaki chain, just like Benihana's, suffers one issue. Every single dish tastes exactly the same. This is because the way they are cooked is exactly the same - garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and butter. Tanaka is no different. Whether it was the lobster, scallop, ribeye or even the wagyu, everything was pretty much cooked exactly the same. The food has no character and each "dish" really isn't a dish. Just some fancy stir fry portioned on your plate based on what meal package you ordered. I do commend Tanaka for running the stations very efficiently, the way they group and seat you, and all the job is divded and conquered like a pipeline. Our chef Eric did a great job entertaining us, some jokes banal, other jokes original. However, just as I suspected, everything cooked including veggies to wagyu all tasted similar. And this entire thing is worsened with the two sauces in front of you - ponzu and ginger - which you endlessly reach out to dip because whatever comes out of the grill lacks diversity. I really hope that Tanaka and future tepanyaki joints treat this less as a show and more as a "cooking in front of the audience". Where is the artistry in culinary excellence? Fire shows are fun but add no flavor or impact to the quality of the food served. Reason why I still maintain 3 stars is because of the overall experience. We had a decent time and the Australian wagyu was indeed tender. Don't go for the Shogun - just too much of the same. Just go for one of their regular meat choices. Won't be returning as there's so much Waikiki has to offer than eat stirfry tossed in grease. Go there for entertainment and fun, just not the food.

John was our chef and the laughter came the entire time. It was such a great time will def come back again! The food was great, drinks was delicious, and the atmosphere was all a 5 star time.

We have booked for a dinner 3 days before and nobody told us on mail or on website that apple pay is not allowed. We discover that only when we arrived for the dinner. I cannot rate the quality of the food because we didn’t try it. The service for me wasn’t professional or respectful. They also told us:”isn’t possible to use apple pay cause is possible to retire the payment after the transition”. An impossible thing with apple pay cause is directly linked with the credit card. I was sad cause the food looks good but the service wasn’t inclusive. In response to what you wrote I must say that it is not a defamatory comment as I am recounting the experience that was for us which could be reflected in someone else in the future, with my comment I explain what happened to me. furthermore, going to their website or open table of which I attach images, nowhere does it say that Apple Pay is not accepted, in fact they write that they accept all the cards that we all had on our phones so as not to carry cards or cash around. we were also honest to say it immediately at the entrance because if we ate and then it turned out that we couldn't pay it would be worse (although I'm sure a way would have been found). with this I leave my experience which was not positive.

Our chef, John, was. just. amazing. He provided such an amazing service, entertained us thoroughly (with his dad jokes), and was generally so amazing. The only complaint that I have was the wagyu steak was cooked a little too well.

John our chef and was absolutely fabulous. The service was great, the food was amazing, and John was very entertaining, funny, and one of the best hibachi chefs I have ever experienced. The scallops were cooked to perfection.

It’s a great teppanyaki eatery. The dinner was delicious, and everything was well-cooked as we requested. The presentation was interesting and very entertaining for children.

It’s our 22nd wedding anniversary and we decided to visit this place. We been to Hawaii thousand of times, but we haven’t had a chance to visit and dine at Tanaka ! Wow , we enjoyed it! The lightning is perfect , romantic lightning, service was great, chef was funny, food was great … and we got an ice cream with a candle because it’s our anniversary! We travelled a lot and been to teppanyaki often but Tanaka of Tokyo is a winner! Thank you for making our 22nd wedding anniversary a memorable one and you’re part of it😀

1. The names of the Ala Moana and Waikiki locations are unclear. 2. The Ala Moana location informed the Waikiki location about us. I also personally called the Waikiki location on the way (spoke to Megan). However, the staff at the Waikiki location acted as though she had not received any calls. She was extremely rude and arrogant. 3. When I called to ask if we could get in first, except for one person parking, she said yes. However, upon arrival, the same server, “Megan,” said we could only check in. 4. Even after everyone gathered, we were told we had to wait 15 minutes 5. Even after waiting for 15 minutes, the chair was filthy, as shown in the picture. A used towel was left on the floor, and crumbs remained on the plate.🤮 6. She claimed that we were late, but we had to wait an additional 20 minutes for them to take our order. Of course, when they are late, it’s no big deal, but customers cannot be late. 7. Even another server was also rude and arrogant. Only the chef, “Young,” made the Christmas dinner special and enjoyable.