Similar to a Mongolian barbecue restaurant where patrons cook their own food, New Kingswood’s Teppan Steakhouse has teppan chefs cook and serve the food right in front of the patrons. This establishment located on the second floor of the Valley Boulevard plaza is a teppanyaki steak house, sushi bar and hot pot spot as well. If you love to over-indulge in good food, New Kingswood is definitely the place to go.
On my first visit, I chose to go the teppan route. The teppanyaki meals vary from combinations of steak, shrimp, calamari, scallop, filet mignon, salmon, and lobster that can all be cooked in your choice of garlic or black pepper sauce. Soup, salad, vegetables, dessert and your choice of white or fried rice accompany the meals. The grilled vegetables include zucchini, onion, and bean sprouts and the soup is a mushroom and onion broth.
I wasn’t sure how long I would have to wait for my food, so I did the usual and ordered a starter. My server persuaded me against ordering a spicy tuna roll and suggested that I order their Victoria roll instead. She said that at the same price I get much more of the roll, so I figured that I might as well. She wasn’t kidding when she said I would get more for my money! New Kingswood’s “The Victoria” is a giant monster of a sushi blob that at first glance looks like a combination of yesterday’s sushi scraps. But when you cut into, you’ll see that’s it’s really an entire spicy tuna roll stacked on top of another spicy tuna roll, topped on top of another, and so on and so on. The layers are about 5-6 spicy tuna rolls high and it easily serves a party of five or so. It’s light enough (when shared amongst friends) to be ordered as an appetizer and is delicious enough to serve as a teaser for what the rest of your dinner will entail. Luckily, I was amongst friends so I didn’t have to devour the sushi wall on my own. One serving was enough to have me day-dreaming about the monstrous wall of tastiness for about a week or so, no joke.
Once our teppan chef took to the grill, I was ready for more deliciousness. The chef performed an amazing routine of the blazing volcano of onions to the heart shaped fire presentation, to the egg tossed in the air that lands centered on their knife. As entertaining as the show was for my party and I, we can tell that he’d done the routine one too many times. So I highly recommend that you show enthusiasm and encourage the chefs by clapping and doing the occasional “ooh” and “aah”. It’s the least we can do for them since they’re the ones cooking over a flamed grill!
Anyhow, they start you off with the house soup and salad. The mushroom and onion broth serves as a warm waker-upper and prepares your stomach for all of the other tastiness to come. For your salad, you have a choice of either thousand island or a ginger sauce, but their ginger sauce is the best and wins over the typical Thousand Island dressing any day. I especially liked the slice of hard-boiled egg that topped the salad. It’s an extra detail that can go without but that is truly appreciated.
Once the teppan chef places the food on your plate, you can dip it in a ginger based dip, a garlic-teriyaki sauce or soy sauce. I ordered the filet mignon and salmon teppan dinner with garlic and fried rice. The filet mignon and salmon looked and tasted incredibly fresh and was heaven when dipped in the garlic-teriyaki sauce. You can actually dip everything on your plate into the garlic-teriyaki sauce and I’m sure it would taste incredible.
New Kingswood offers a birthday special for those who choose to eat there on their actual birth date. Whatever dish you order, New Kingswood gives you a coupon for the same dish. You have 1 month to redeem the voucher and it does not include drinks, appetizers or any added desserts.
I highly recommend New Kingswood when you’re ready to get your grub on and have the appetite of an animal. Although I do not recommend it, I’ll probably starve myself for the entire day next time that I visit this place. No joke, this place is de-li-cious and worth the sacrifice!
250 W Valley Blvd Ste L
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 289-0589
$9.fo + for dinners; sushi priced individually
