Teppan Edo? Really?

[NYDisneyGal]

We ate here on Christmas Eve for the first time and were very disappointed. The food was pretty bland, my steak was really inconsistently cooked (some well done, some almost raw), and there were very few choices for dessert (green tea pudding, ginger cake, and soft-serve ice cream). The tables and chairs looked worn. Our server did a good job and was friendly enough but we've seen better "show" cooking at our local Japanese steakhouse (where the food is much better as well, for a lot less money).

I didn't expect to pay less at Disney, I just expected a bit more attention to detail and a good meal. I'd rather have had a good burger for dinner.

We had to try it, I guess, but we certainly won't go back. Anyone else feel the same?

 

[daisyduck123]

No. We enjoy Teppan Edo every trip....great food, service, and atmosphere. Looking forward to having dinner there in less than two weeks.

Sorry your visit was disappointing.

 

[Colleen27]

We've always had good meals there, but we also don't have a local Japanese steakhouse to compare it to. The show isn't as good in some ways as the one we go to near another frequent vacation spot, but it is definitely more kid-friendly (the oil-fire parts of the show scare my DD2; the steam TE uses doesn't).

The menu at TE does tend to draw a couple of obvious complaints - the lack of fried rice and the limited dessert options. Neither bothers me because I don't eat fried rice and understand that it isn't authentic Japanese, and because I really enjoy the ginger cake.

I can't honestly say I'd notice if the tables and chairs looked worn, but I do seem to recall the menus looking a little ragged on our last visit which was rather incongruous with the rest of the experience.

 

[asdfghjkl13]

I love japanese hibachi restaurants locally, but I was disappointed eating at Teppan Edo. More expensive, gives you less food, and the food tasted plainer.

 

[MinnieTink]

I agree. It's not that I hated it. It's just that our local sushi and hibatchi place blows this away.

 

[toonaspie]

I think it's typical for those who frequent Japanese restaurants in their own hometowns to be not as thrilled with Teppan Edo as it's pretty much a Benihana. My family is in the Japanese restaurant business so I'm no stranger to this kind of food but it's a restaurant that will definitely appeal to those who aren't from big cities or don't have access to Japanese cuisine where they live.

It didn't stop my mom however from wanting to eat strictly in this pavilion when we were in Epcot. She's Korean and rarely eats any American food.

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

We ate at Teppan Edo for Christmas Eve as well. We enjoyed it. I thought that the show of the cooking was better than other similar places we've been too. The food was probably not as good, but still good and it was more expensive, but that's to be expected at Disney. We really liked the green tea pudding. We would eat here again.

 

[Finally08]

Our first time there was really good...it was enough to make us look for local hibachi places, and fall in love with them. Very expensive habit, btw.

A year later we returned to TE and had the most HORRIBLE food ever. It was completely unseasoned, rubber textured...barely even edible. My daughter who loves this stuff more than anything in the world (she never ate steak or shrimp before coming to love it hibachi style) tasted it and refused to eat anymore.
We will never eat there again....and had it been that way our first visit, we would have never known just how good it could be. We frequent the local places!

 

[DisFan10]

Our first time there was really good...it was enough to make us look for local hibachi places, and fall in love with them. Very expensive habit, btw.

A year later we returned to TE and had the most HORRIBLE food ever. It was completely unseasoned, rubber textured...barely even edible. My daughter who loves this stuff more than anything in the world (she never ate steak or shrimp before coming to love it hibachi style) tasted it and refused to eat anymore.
We will never eat there again....and had it been that way our first visit, we would have never known just how good it could be. We frequent the local places!

Did you tell the chef? Or did he/she notice you guys stopped eating??

 

[DaisyLynn]

I agree. It's not that it was bad, but it was bland. We had eaten at Tokyo Dining on a few occasions and enjoyed it, so we decided to try Teppan Edo. I'm glad we did, as the service was excellent - but we won't be back.

 

[Eastern]

I hear a lot of 'bland' comments but I wonder if people are using the sauces they provide on the side. We used them (even asked for extra when they ran out) and they were very good.

I am not surprised that Disney food is bland in general. They have to serve a lot of people, lots of kids, and bland is probably the taste preferred by many.

 

[Kay1]

We prefer Kobe when in Orlando. Not cheap, but yum.

 

[DAZY3BYZ]

We really loved our dinner at Teppan Edo! We had a large party of 9. The chef was wonderful and the meal was delicious. No one left any food on their plates. So delicious! The dipping sauces were wonderful. Did you use those? Sorry you did not have a good experience. Our meal there was one of our group's favorites of our trip!

 

[Luv4Disney]

Our local hibachi place uses garlic...we love it. Disney doesn't that we noticed. We don't bother going to Teppan Edo anymore.

 

[Colleen27]

I hear a lot of 'bland' comments but I wonder if people are using the sauces they provide on the side. We used them (even asked for extra when they ran out) and they were very good.

I am not surprised that Disney food is bland in general. They have to serve a lot of people, lots of kids, and bland is probably the taste preferred by many.

I'm a fan of Teppan Edo but I've noticed that too - at the other hibachi places we've tried the food was so well seasoned that it stands alone without needing the sauces, while at TE the food is a little too plain without adding the sauce.

I agree that's probably the "Disneyification" of it to appeal to a broader audience. I never really thought about just how many picky eaters there are in the world until I started reading the DIS!

 

[Cisco]

For the amount paid, I expected more. Won't be going back.

 

[Mrsjvb]

having lived in Japan, we find TE distinctly LACKING in many aspects but we understand that it has been diluted/Americanized.

No biggie, we just choose to eat elsewhere in EPCOT.

although my BIGGEST complaint by far: the absence of both Pinky and melon soda in the gift shop. I'd even settle for Frisk but they don't even have that.

 

[Rantybaby]

I agree. It's not that it was bad, but it was bland. We had eaten at Tokyo Dining on a few occasions and enjoyed it, so we decided to try Teppan Edo. I'm glad we did, as the service was excellent - but we won't be back.

Are these TWO separate restaurant?

 

[Mrsjvb]

yes.
TE is full TS with tableside show.

TD is more CS style with more casual presentattion

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I really enjoyed my dinner there when I went solo. I did the steak and shrimp and the ginger cake was great.

When I booked it for my husband, DD and I later on, my husband really didn't like it. He felt like the food was so-so, didn't like sitting with strangers and isn't interested in returning.