I ate at the restaurant where chefs laugh in the face of fire

I'm not a fan of "dinner and a show" experiences. I prefer to be left to my own devices and chat with my company at the table. In my past experiences, the quality tends to sway heavily between the entertainment and menu leaving the overall experience unbalanced.

However, sitting atop Duke Street is Sapporo Teppanyaki, one of the few restaurants I've experienced that strikes a great balance of both. The Japanese venue is far from a new arrival, it's been around for more than two decades, and yet, nothing in the city has directly rivalled its primary selling point.

Teppanyaki is derived from teppan, the metal plate on which food is cooked, and yaki, which means grilled, boiled, or pan-fried. Sapporo Teppanyaki prepares diners' food directly in front of their tables on teppan plates for the quickest kitchen-to-plate experience money can buy.

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As a lover of Japanese food, I decided to take the plunge. My partner and I booked a table for a typical Thursday at 6pm and promised to accept everything at face value.

A quick glance at the menu struck an immediate response. "Why haven't I come here sooner?" There's everything you could possibly want from sushi and yakisoba noodles to wagyu and katsu curry. My eyes scurried around the menu but I eventually opted for the gluttonous Emperor tasting menu for a little bit of everything.

The Emperor tasting menu is delivered in several steps. First to arrive is a classic bowl of miso soup. I paired it with a lychee martini whose proper name I regrettably no longer recall. Regardless, they were both tasty, simple choices to begin the evening.

The true start to the menu arrived and I was taken aback. Pictures may not do them justice but the portions were impressive. I've dined at many places where you'd pay a fair deal for just one-third of this plate. Making my way from left to right, we begin with barbecue ribs. They were filling for a starter and all meat. No fatty parts or bones to worry about. Drenched in a delightful sticky, smoky sauce, they disappeared just as quickly as they arrived.

Taking centre stage was a chicken dish similar to a spring roll but with the thin coating of a won ton. It was full of flavour and felt light on the stomach despite the numerous mouthfuls required to finish. Two pieces of nigiri, salmon and seabass, rounded out the starter. They were a great palate cleanser, especially thanks to the accompanying pickled ginger.

I was thoroughly impressed by how the meal began. Everything was full of flavour and generously portioned. This did send alarm bells ringing since several items in the main were still to come but I didn't care. The more the merrier. I loved Sapporo Teppanyaki so far.

Up until this point, dishes were brought out from behind the scenes. As we approached the main course our teppanyaki chef arrived at the table, with a smile, and several plates of his own ready to cook. We were immediately taken from a fairly demure atmosphere to one filled with personability and laughter.

As our chef prepped the mains, we were treated to tricks, practical jokes and a generally good time. The banter wasn't cheesy or forced, it was authentic enough for two grown men to enjoy. We were asked to pull our seats away from the teppan so he could heat things up. In seconds, flames enveloped his cooking station but we were perfectly safe from our seats. The explosion was the undisputed highlight of the evening.

After the flame was quelled, our chef stuck his head down and finished preparing the mains. As soon as they were ready, we each received an entire sea bass, a beef filet cooked to our preference, a generous portion of seared chicken, and a handful of king prawns. There was also egg fried rice, stir-fried vegetables and sauteed potatoes as sides.

My advice would be to come on an empty stomach because neither I nor my guest could finish a substantial amount. Everything on offer was delicious, so believe me when I say we tried our best, but we were defeated. However, we left promising to return and try more as soon as we could.

I can see how Sapporo Teppanyaki has stood the test of time. There's nowhere else like it capable of delivering great food and a show in equal amounts. During my visit, it catered to a couple, a group of lads presumably on a stag do, and a large family. It has mass appeal and it's all down to the incredible menu and phenomenal chefs.