Teppanyaki is Norwegian Cruise Line’s hibachi-style specialty restaurant, offering an interactive dining experience where chefs prepare your meal right at the grill in front of guests.
Unlike a traditional specialty restaurant with private tables, Teppanyaki features several communal grills, each seating up to eight guests. The setup creates a lively atmosphere and gives diners the chance to interact with both the chef and fellow cruisers throughout the meal.
During our sailing aboard Norwegian Pearl, Teppanyaki carried a cover charge of $60 per person. However, we had Free at Sea dining credits, so this was included as one of our specialty dining options.
Because seating is limited, I highly recommend making reservations as soon as they become available. We booked a 6:00 p.m. reservation and were seated at a shared table with two other couples.
Like most teppanyaki restaurants, you’ll be dining alongside other guests while the chef prepares the meal. If you’re an introverted cruiser or prefer a more private dining experience, that’s something to keep in mind before booking.
The experience itself is exactly what you would expect from a traditional hibachi restaurant. The chef prepares every course directly on the grill while performing tricks and entertaining the table along the way. It was fun and interactive, but I’m not convinced that it’s the best specialty dining on Norwegian Cruise Line.
Take a look at NCL’s Teppanyaki Menu with a detailed, honest review of everything we tried on our Norwegian Pearl cruise.
NCL Teppanyaki Menu (2026)
Signature Cocktails
- Shaku-Shaku: Sake, Drambuie, Sambuca, cucumber, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup
- Wasabi Cocktail: Sake, lychee liqueur, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, grenadine
Soup and Salad
- Miso Soup: Mushrooms, dashi, tofu, wakame
- Seaweed Salad: Ginger dressing
Entrées
Select one teppanyaki classic or combination, each served with garlic fried rice, Teppanyaki grilled vegetables, onion and creamy mustard dipping sauces.
Teppanyaki Classics
- Chicken Yaki Udon: Chicken breast, udon noodles
- Vegetable Yaki Udon: Seasonal vegetables, udon noodles
- Seafood: Jumbo shrimp, sea scallops, calamari
- New York Strip: Beef striploin
- Vegetable Teriyaki: Seasonal vegetables, teriyaki tofu
Teppanyaki Combinations
- Yamato: Chicken breast, jumbo shrimp
- Asuka: New York strip, jumbo shrimp
- Kamakura: New York strip, chicken breast
- Edo: Sea scallops, jumbo shrimp
Dessert
- Green Tea Cake: Cashew nut brittle
- Fresh Fruit Sashimi: Sliced exotic fruits
Cover Charge: $60 per person
Everything we ordered from NCL’s Teppanyaki menu
For our meal at Teppanyaki, we ordered a mix of steak, shrimp, and chicken along with the restaurant’s traditional accompaniments, including miso soup, salad, garlic fried rice, and vegetables.
As expected, the experience was just as much about the entertainment as the food, with our chef preparing everything tableside while performing the classic tricks and interactive routines teppanyaki is known for.
Signature Cocktails
We tried both the Shaku-Shaku and Wasabi Cocktail, two signature drinks unique to Teppanyaki. Both were colorful, refreshing, and a fun change from the standard cocktails found elsewhere onboard. If you’re dining here, I’d recommend trying one for something a little different.
Miso Soup
The meal began with miso soup. It was a basic broth with mushrooms, tofu, and wakame. The soup was warm and comforting, though fairly salty and nothing particularly memorable.
Seaweed Salad
The seaweed salad came with a light ginger dressing that added a nice amount of flavor. It was fresh, refreshing, and a pleasant starter before the heavier dishes arrived. The serving size was just a few bites though.
Teppanyaki Sauces
Before the cooking began, we were served two dipping sauces. The creamy mustard sauce quickly became my favorite. It was rich, flavorful, and paired wonderfully with almost everything on the plate. I actually asked for extra because I enjoyed it so much!
The second sauce was an onion-garlic style sauce. It was good, but I found myself reaching for the creamy mustard version throughout the meal.
Teppanyaki Vegetables
The grilled vegetables were delicious. They had a delicious garlic and soy sauce flavor that made them far more flavorful than the typical hibachi vegetables you often receive. I found myself finishing every bite.
Garlic Fried Rice
The garlic fried rice ended up being my favorite dish of the entire meal. It was buttery, packed with garlic flavor, and perfectly cooked. Guests receive a bowl to start, but the staff happily brought additional servings when requested. I definitely took advantage of that.
Chicken
The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. Out of all the proteins we tried, this was actually my favorite. Combined with the garlic fried rice and creamy mustard sauce, it made for an excellent bite.
New York Strip Steak
I ordered the steak medium-well. While the flavor was decent, the meat was a bit chewy and not as tender as I had hoped. It wasn’t bad, but it was my least favorite of the proteins we sampled.
Shrimp
The shrimp was excellent. It was cooked well, tender, and packed with flavor. In fact, Rosina preferred the shrimp over the chicken. If you’re trying to decide between proteins, the shrimp is a very safe choice.
Green Tea Cake
Dessert options were limited to just two choices. We tried the green tea cake, which had a subtle matcha flavor and a very yummy frosting. The cake itself was a little dry, so I mostly ate the frosting.
Fresh Fruit Sashimi
The fresh fruit sashimi was beautifully presented and felt authentic. The fruit itself was fresh and sweet, and it came with lychee and ginger-based accompaniments. There was also a mango sauce and glaze served alongside it, though I personally didn’t use much of it.
Is NCL’s Teppanyaki experience worth $60?
Would I dine at Teppanyaki again? Probably, but it wouldn’t be at the top of my list. And I’d only dine there with a Free at Sea specialty dining credit.
The interactive cooking experience was entertaining and the meal was enjoyable overall. However, some of the meat dishes were cooked a little longer than we would have preferred, leaving them slightly tough.
And while I absolutely love butter, the chef was very generous with it. As such, a few dishes ended up feeling heavier and greasier than I would have liked.
If you’re looking for a fun, social dining experience and enjoy hibachi-style cooking, NCL’s Teppanyaki is worth trying at least once. But when it comes to Norwegian Cruise Line‘s specialty restaurants, there are other venues I’d prioritize before booking Teppanyaki again.
