Long time:::
I've been stopping through for 20+ years when…read morethe enthusiasm and food draws me. They have changed a bit over the years, all steel table grills now with bar chairs around. Settings for 8-20 with high chairs and groups settled together but somewhat by pairs or groupings. An hour wait line starts almost at opening and allows time to settle in the rather large (50?) bar area for appetizers, sushi rolls and a wide variety of drinks while waiting. (Without waiting for the tables, it has been suggested the bar with sushi, etc is available first come first serve as group seatings and bar/app service cycle through.
*The spectacle is well done by the chef, bouncing and spinning food parts and knife work with visual panache. Basic core meal is veggies grilled in shifts, salad and soup, and the different meals are your selection by meat/fish type. Each person gets their selection and are served up when each item is cooked on the sequence. This gives continual feed, not accumulating to pile up a whole plate to eat later. Upcharge for fried rice, but good flavor and inclusions and about double the amount of the white steamed rice.
*Emperors Plate has most everything, beef, shrimp, lobster, and the full round of veggies with soup and salad. Quite a good quantity. And a scoop of orange sherbet to finish.
*Most meals have enough for some take home pack with bean sprouts, rice, some of the main.
*Meals have enough for a couple small appetites to share, or a full meal with an extra plate will get the added soup, salad... with the servings split to smaller quantity for the extra plate. Seems that is done frequently, especially if appetizer or sushi rolls are added on from waiting time or startup at the table.
Flavors: several sauces are provided as cooking and as dipping sauce, one garlic tamari(?), and a light ginger dip sauce. There are 2-4 flare up sessions on the grill as start of next portion starts to cook. This removes some of the moisture, gives a surface flavor and texture, as well as burns off the alcohol (brandy?) leaving a bit of caramelized flavor as retained on the grill that is cleared between courses. Thus a flare of fire, and a poof of steam. Seeing these at your own table as well as scattered around the room is impressive.
** Good flavor, good selections, great spectacle, always worth coming back and waiting time. Don't come before another event because this can easily be 2hr+ from arrival to exit, but you are there with the ones you brought for company in the first place. It's worth it. Japanese palace is a place that calls me back sporadically, not as costly as a core steakhouse, but lots more pomp and show.
$$$ 20-50pp, additional depending on selections, drinks and apps...