Orca

To cap off our family vacation in Tokyo, I decided to splurge on a fancy teppanyaki dinner. I looked at several options but had a hard time finding a place where we could get a nice meal under $100 per person. I was excited to find Teppanyaki Orca, located conveniently in Shinjuku just a few steps... from the Isetan department store. The menu choices listed on their website (in English!) looked delicious and were within budget. I made a reservation online, which was a little challenging as there were a few questions in Japanese only, but I was able to successfully navigate the site by cut-and-paste into a translation app. I made our meal selection at the time of reservation and chose the “Orca Course” - steak and lobster - for all four in our party. We were greeted by name upon arrival and seated at the teppanyaki counter. The restaurant has cozy and charming ambience with just 8-9 seats at the counter plus 4 tables. The meal consisted of 9 courses served over 2 hours 15 minutes. The presentation and flavors in each course were extraordinary! Being from the United States where teppanyaki chefs put on shows like circus performers, it was enchanting to watch Chef Ishikawa create our meals as a skilled artisan, completely focused on his craft, with the beauty of his creations surpassed only by their taste. The total bill including two rounds of drinks was 39150 yen ($350), an amazing value! My 17-year-old son said this was the highlight of the trip. We loved it!

Visited April 2019

What a great great great place , the food and atmosphere are amazing . It’s brilliant and one of the best places I have eaten ever. You should definitely go to this restaurant in the heart of shinjuku .

Visited June 2018

Small, as are most things in Shinjuku, but perfectly formed. Delicious fresh seafood and vegetables prepared on the teppan in front of us and great sake served to your liking, warm or cold.

Visited August 2016

It was our first visit to Orca Shinjuku - no disappointment, amazing food, great atmosphere , friendly speaking English staff

Visited May 2016

I've been here once and it was below average. There is no wagyu which is why it's cheaper. Also there is no spectacular show on the teppanyaki and they just bring it to your table which is why -- again -- it's cheaper than alternatives. Why one star? The management are cynical and don't have any res...pect. My father booked the place a second time. He had to cancel because of an infection and still had the decent to call two hours before the meal to cancel. What was ORCA's response? They shouted "Oh my GOD!" down the phone and hung up. I am not joking. These are the people you will be giving your money to. They don't give a damn about you -- just your money. Avoid this place and go for a real wagyu teppanyaki.

Visited January 2016