Riverside Teppanyaki

Boasting what is perhaps the world’s most participatory way to dine, Japanese teppanyaki restaurants are spectacular fun. Here at Riverside Teppanyaki down at Melbourne’s Docklands, head chef Alberto Borja has created a number of set menus, with the option of throwing your personal favourites into the mix from the a la carte offering. Diners are encouraged to get involved and make their wishes known; part of the attraction when it comes to teppanyaki is the superlative personal service – the knife-wielding chef before you is also your guide to the world of Japanese cuisine. This Kobe Jones outpost down Siddely Street is a stunning example of a global favourite. Ideal for so-called casual dining (be warned, you have to stay on your toes here!), Riverside is even better if you book a group sitting for your next celebration.

Head chef Alberto Borja hails from the Phillipines and cut his teeth, so to speak, at the world-famous Benihana brand of Japanese teppanyaki restaurants. Coming from the real-world house of flying daggers, he knows a thing or two about knife-craft and the art of airborne cuisine. Curating Riverside Teppanyaki’s menus has been a joy for this born swordsman, with his signature Wagyu rolls a perennial favourite. This Melbourne member of the Kobe Jones family of Australian Japanese restaurants has set menus that aren’t simply paint-by-numbers affairs. Each menu is themed, with titles like Tsu Tsu Mi, Body & Soul, The Kobe, Deep Sea, The Beef Lover, Surf & Turf, Mountain To Sea, and Winter Obsession. All we can recommend is to book in at Riverside Teppanyaki’s Siddely Road restaurant at the Docklands’ WTC Wharf and choose your weapon!