Disney Restaurant Review: Teppan Edo at Epcot in Orlando, Florida

If you are a fan of Japanese Hibachi-style restaurants, you will enjoy a visit to Teppan Edo at the Japan pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. Teppan Edo employs master Japanese chefs, who serve up delightful dishes of steak, chicken and seafood. Here is a restaurant review of Teppan Edo at Epcot in Orlando, Florida.

Teppan Edo is your typical Hibachi-style Japanese restaurant, in which you sit around a large table with other guests, and the food is cooked right before your eyes. If you have been to such a restaurant before, you already know its cons. First of all, it's hot, real hot. And, of course, you may not care for the guests you are seated with. (Okay, maybe that's just me). But Hibachi-style restaurants also have their pros. For one, you get to watch the chefs cook right before your eyes. And it's more of a performance than a lesson in Japanese cooking.

The chefs at Teppan Edo, unfortunately, are not terrific performers. In fact, they all seem rather unenthusiastic. And the food is not quite as good as I've had at other Japanese Hibachi-style restaurants. Still, the overall experience is fun, and certainly worth the money. You might want to steer clear of the specialty drinks, however. They are delicious but expensive, and contain very little alcohol. Stick with the beer, enjoy a Japanese Kirin with your meal. Just don't spill any on the Hibachi, which a guest at my table did. (See why I don't like eating with strangers?)

As for food, the filet mignon is cooked to perfection, and you get a lot of it, and for $29 you should. The chicken and sirloin is a little less expensive and also very good. The service is not what you would expect at Disney. It takes quite some time to secure a drink, and getting your check at the end of the meal is a project in and of itself.

Another downside is that Teppan Edo does not accept the Disney Dining Experience card, so you cannot save your twenty percent, even if you are a club member. Fortunately, Teppan Edo is one of the few Epcot restaurants that you might be able to get into without a reservation. Still, I recommend making one by calling 407-WDW-DINE well in advance. If you have to wait for a table, you can do so anywhere in Japan. But take note, Teppan Edo does not have a bar where you can sit and have a relaxing pre-dinner drink.

Enjoy your dinner at Teppan Edo at Epcot in Orlando, Florida.