Yokohama Teppanyaki

Okay, I've read the reviews.  Actually, I've even heard from first-hand experiences about the mediocre food at Yokohama Teppanyaki out in Steveston.  So what prompted me to drive all the way out there (from North Burnaby) to have a questionable meal?  LOL, yes, it was the cursed Groupon.  Hey why not, it was cheap (there was a further discount) and I've never tried it out.  I think Nora scolded me about going there.  I don't blame her, but we need to try the crappy stuff so we can appreciate the good things more right?  Don't take things for granted???  I guess we were about to find out!

So similar to many other Teppanyaki joints, we were seated at a 4-sided station that had 2 grills.  Being a party of 2, we were with another group of 4.  So be prepared to be a bit social.  Otherwise, make a reservation of 8 and you will be will all friends.  So before we got to the cooked food, we were served a plate consisting of Miso Soup, Green Salad and Edamame.  There is not much to comment on this other than the miso soup was your standard offering from a non-Authentic Japanese restaurant.  The green salad was fresh and the dressing was a bit bland.  Edamame was well, edamame.  Next, we were presented with a plate that sported on Onigiri and 2 pieces of Sushi which appeared to be a form of BC Roll (we were never told what it was).  These were okay, nothing special. I found the rice in the roll to be too soft while the onigiri was better. 

Interestingly, for the teppanyaki, we were started with the Veggies and Fried Rice before the proteins.  Usually, it goes the other way around.  Not a man of many words, our chef was nice and tried his hardest.  That was about it as the entertainment value was below average.  A mix of zucchini, sprouts and mushrooms, our veggies were well-seasoned and had enough caramelization.  For some, this might've been a bit too salty, yet that is probably where the fried rice came into play.  The rice was pretty good where it was chewy and aromatic from the flattop fry.  Since there was a good amount of butter and seasoning used, it was blessed with plenty of flavour on its own.

Onto the meats of the meal, we were served a portion of Striploin with garlic.  With all things considered, the quality of the steak was actually quite good.  It was moist and tender despite the slight overcook (we would've preferred medium-rare, it was closer to medium).  Again, the chef was not shy with the butter and seasoning, so it did taste good.  It didn't look like a lot of steak (especially all cut up), but it was sufficient.  Our last 2 proteins consisted of Shrimp and Basa.  Not particularly large, the 3 shrimp were good but not very satisfying.  I wish we have at least 2 more.  There was a buttery snap and once again, very well-seasoned.  As for the basa, the fish is one of most inexpensive on the market, but at the same time, I don't particularly mind it.  It was soft and flaky (as it tends to be, very forgiving) while once again, aggressively seasoned.

For dessert, we were given the option between Green Tea or Mango Ice Cream.  We got one of each and well, they were pretty standard.  At the very least, they were creamy and not icy.  So at the end of it, I would say the Teppanyaki experience at Yokohama was exactly as expected - average at best.  Now with that in mind, it wasn't terrible either.  But given that Yokohama is located in Steveston, I wouldn't drive all the way there unless you live nearby and bought a Groupon.  However, this needs to be said - with the mediocre choices for Teppanyaki in the GVRD, it isn't as if there are many better ones too.

The Good:
- Inexpensive if you have a Groupon (which seems to be an ongoing offer)
- Decent service
- Acceptable food

The Bad:
- Meh experience all-around
- Low entertainment value