There’s something different about the teppanyaki at Nikuland. The sizzle of meat on the grill and the rhythmic clack of metal spatulas are still there. But at this CBD restaurant, there are no flying prawns, theatrical onion volcanoes or terrible (excellent) dad jokes. The casual restaurant brings a quieter take on teppanyaki that goes against the high-energy culinary performance many think of when they hear the word.

Marketing manager Yvonne Lee says Nikuland’s concept was partly designed for diners who are put off by the social pressure of traditional teppanyaki’s showmanship. “We noticed that nowadays, there are many introverted people. They may not like the traditional way of teppanyaki where they do the show,” she says. “So maybe they can just finish [cooking] their food by themselves without any show, without any socialising.”

This approach is a welcome one for extroverts too, and feels timely in a post-pandemic dining landscape where people are more conscious of personal space and less enthusiastic about communal dining experiences.

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But the dramatic flair hasn’t disappeared entirely, it’s just redirected. Chefs move primarily to deliver the signature wagyu hamburg – a Japanese take on a hamburger, which embraces the philosophy that rice, not bread, is the ideal companion for a well-crafted meat patty – from the charcoal grill station to diners’ personal teppan grills. You can eat your hamburg steak as served or cook it further on your grill, adding any of several specialty condiments, all of which are made by head chef Jack Beck. The charred green pepper sauce is a highlight, as well as the matcha salt and chili powder.

Beck, who initially came to Australia from Korea to study English, spent almost a decade perfecting his grill skills in the crucible of Teppanyaki Inn, a 50-year-old restaurant on Collins Street. He also worked at Kumo Izakaya before joining Alleyway Group as head chef at Waku Waku and now Nikuland.

“Normally, hamburgs are made of fine mince. But our hamburg is quite chunky. So it feels like a steak,” he tells Broadsheet. The hamburg’s outer layer is charred from the charcoal grill, but when you pick it apart, layers gradually fall away to reveal a rare core – it’s like a steak you can slice with a chopstick.

The small wagyu hamburg set, which includes miso soup, rice, pickles and a salad topped with fried enoki mushrooms, is $15.90. Other set options pair the hamburg with either an Australian M9 wagyu steak, Japanese A5 wagyu, or wagyu stew. The menu also extends beyond the signature hamburg with options like black truffle wagyu katsu, a mixed yakitori platter with grilled chicken thigh and chicken gizzard, yakitori don with an onsen egg and Hokkaido soft serve for dessert.

There’s an impressive drinks list with saké, cocktails including Hojicha Tiramisu, a range of highballs, as well as peach, lychee and other fruit liqueurs.

Nikuland
Level 1/258 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
0447738952

Hours:
Daily 11.30am–10pm
@nikuland.au