Tabelog ratingTeppanyaki Sawafuji (鉄板焼さわふじ) cooks only Okinawan produce on the iron griddle in front of you. Its signature course sets Ishigaki beef against a second Okinawan beef. It adds yanbaru agu pork fillet seared medium or rare, Kume Island prawns and island vegetables. It closes with teppan rice, often an Okinawan jūshī, and yushi-dōfu in aosa seaweed dashi. The restaurant was named to the Tabelog 100 list for Steak・Teppanyaki WEST in both 2024 and 2025.
Meat dominates the reviews. Guests describe the Ishigaki sirloin and fillet as melting yet surprisingly light, and the agu pork keeps surprising Japanese diners. The seafood course earns particular praise: grilled fish and prawns finished in a sea-bream or aosa broth. Reviewers also single out the prawn-head minestrone and the appetiser trio, especially the house mortadella. Foreign guests consistently mention friendly chefs who explain every dish in English. Several reviewers recommend the by-the-glass wine pairing and the awamori.
The criticisms are specific. Some guests found the meat overcooked: in 2026 a medium order arrived well done, and one diner found the beef hard. Some find the 80g of beef in the entry course small. One guest felt rushed through a one-hour dinner, with dishes arriving early. Others mention stuffy, smoky air, and plain chopsticks and tables for the price.
The restaurant serves dinner only, with no lunch service. Between 2024 and 2026, reviewers paid around ¥8,800–9,900 for the Ishigaki and Okinawan beef comparison course and ¥22,000 for the foie gras and chateaubriand course. One couple spent ¥26,000 including four glasses of wine. Late in the evening there is à la carte, where reviewers paid:
- hamburg steak: ¥2,750
- agu pork fillet: ¥2,750
- appetiser trio: ¥1,430
- teppan rice: ¥1,650
- Orion draft beer: ¥880
The listing gives a typical dinner spend of ¥10,000–14,999, while reviews suggest ¥15,000–19,999. A service charge of ¥550 is added.
On value, Japanese and foreign reviewers agree. They call the sub-¥10,000 course unusually reasonable for Ishigaki-beef teppanyaki, and say the generous rice course makes up for the modest meat portion.
- Getting there: 2 minutes on foot from Miebashi Station on the Yui Rail monorail, about 9 minutes from the Mutsumi Bridge end of Kokusai Dori.
- Booking: walk-ins are unlikely to work. Book a few days ahead, as same-day seats are scarce. One visitor found Tabelog booking restricted for foreigners. Phoning (098-860-8803 or 050-5868-4190) or booking in person worked.
- Children: counter seats at the griddle are for guests of middle-school age and above. Groups with children below elementary-school age are seated only in a private room.
- Payment: cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners), iD and QUICPay, and QR payments (PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, Alipay, WeChat Pay).
- Seating: 28 seats (7 at the counter, 21 at tables). Private rooms seat 2, 4, 6 or 8, and the whole restaurant can be booked for up to 20. Wheelchair accessible.
- Smoking: entirely non-smoking.
- Dress code: none, but avoid heavy perfume.
- Parking: none on site. There are many coin car parks nearby.
- Language and menu: an English menu is available.
- Lobster: can be pre-ordered two days ahead.
