Ukai-tei: Welcome to Food Heaven

How to be a Native - Step Five

Dine like a native.

Shrimp Boat

My previous posts have all featured outdoor activities so if you’re ready for a break then I recommend treating yourself to some very fine dining at Ukai-tei (うかい亭) in Hachioji (八王子市).  You can find luxury with amazing food.  There are several Ukai-tei in Tokyo but Hachioji’s is the most appealing to me.

Cup of Everything

Ukai-tei is a restaurant offering superior service and quality.  It’s located atop a wooded mountain ridge, overlooking Hachioji. 

Marilyn Langlois and her friend
admire the chef's Mt. Fuji made from
salt.

I was struck by the massive and beautiful building. 

It is over 200 years old and originally the home of a very wealthy pre-Meiji family. 

 

Cooking steak on the teppan.

Ukai-tei is known as a Teppanyaki steakhouse.  Teppan refers to the metal griddle they cook on.  Diners are given private rooms with their own chefs who cook on the teppan right in front of them!           

Ingredients

While their specialty is Kobe steaks and grilled foods, they don’t really have a set menu, meaning guests are offered a variety of choices prepared as they desire. 

Their steaks are the most mouth-watering I have enjoyed because even the cattle are treated like royals.  They are massaged with oil and given beer to keep them extra soft and tender.

Another delicious dish.

Desert is served upstairs where one can enjoy the view of the mountainside and Hachioji below.

Dessert anyone?

The interior architecture is simply amazing.  They have seamlessly blended European baroque with traditional Japanese styles, and antique art is displayed throughout.  

An old-fashioned record player:
the kind with holes all over the
disc.

I felt like it was a cross between a temple, mansion and museum.  Being surrounded by the ultra-luxurious and grand scale of design made me want to spend all day there.

Dining there might be pricey (6,830 - 16,800 yen / about $70 - $200) but it’s also a wonderful, unforgettable experience. 

Temple like architecture displayed
outside.