Dazzling dine-in spot

Seafood Combination ($63.50)

This month, Tanaka of Tokyo celebrates 46 years of showcasing performance teppanyaki with a unique Hawaii twist. Guests can enjoy high-quality steak and seafood skillfully served on a tabletop grill at three locations — Ala Moana Center, Waikiki Shopping Plaza and OHANA Waikiki East Hotel.

From the freshness and high quality of the food to the friendly attitude of the staff, the fine-dining establishment is the ideal place for diners to unwind and enjoy entertainment. The restaurant specializes in certified Angus beef sirloin, imported lobster tails, shrimp and scallops. Other popular options are king salmon, filet mignon and teriyaki chicken.

Executive vice president Alison “Bo” Tanaka and second chef Scott Hathaway express their gratitude to the local community and fans from around the world that have supported them over the years.

DO: How would you describe the atmosphere?

AT: The atmosphere in our restaurants is exciting, upbeat and fun. Our chefs (like Scott) love to entertain and we have the friendliest, most welcoming staff around.

Scott has been with the company for six years and was promoted to kitchen manager this past year. You can check him out in action at our Tanaka of Tokyo Central location in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza.

SH: We are an upscale Japanese steakhouse that specializes in high performance teppanyaki cooking. We prioritize the freshness of our food as well as the quality.

DO: What type of cuisine is served at this establishment?

AT: For cuisine, we serve high-quality steak and seafood. All our steaks are certified Angus beef. There is also something about food prepared with flair, hot off a teppanyaki grill, that is just that much better. You simply can’t get that kind of perfect sear any other way than with a 500-plus degree teppanyaki grill.

DO: What are some unique items that can be found on the menu?

AT: Of course, any meal at Tanaka of Tokyo is not complete without our famous Garlic Fried Rice ($5.75). Our fried rice is so good! Definitely my favorite! As a bonus, you get to see the chefs perform amazing bowl-and-egg juggling tricks as they prepare it for you.

We also recommend our Blackened Ahi ($18.25) appetizer to start off the meal. It’s seared with our house blend of spices and served with our signature mustard sauce for just the right amount of kick. Also try our Poke Appetizer ($17.75) blended with a house-made sauce.

All of our sauces and dressings are prepared fresh in-house daily and each meal comes with housemade salad and miso soup, grilled shrimp and vegetable appetizers, rice, pickled vegetables, green tea and dessert. Additionally, our dessert is a choice of five flavors of ice cream from the popular local creamery Dave’s Ice Cream.

SH: We offer a variety of prime beef, fresh seafood and local produce. For meat lovers, I recommend either a 10-ounce Super Size Filet ($56.50, 10 ounce; $47.75, 7 ounce), or our Steak and Teriyaki Chicken combination ($46.50 super size, $41.75 regular), which is an 8-ounce cut of certified Angus beef sirloin paired with (a) chicken thigh tossed in housemade teriyaki sauce and our usual veggies, sides and dessert.

We offer keiki meals too, and even vegetarian or vegan options, featuring tofu or Beyond Burger, and many veggies.

DO: What is your favorite dish at the moment?

AT: My favorite would be the 10-ounce Super Size Filet. For seafood lovers, we have a Seafood Combination ($63.50) featuring a generous 8-ounce salmon, scallops and a Maine lobster tail, all cooked on the grill and finished with lemon and butter. This is very tasty with our dipping sauces and fried rice.