If you're looking for a memorable dining experience in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Cardinal Teppanyaki (家蒂諾鐵板燒) is definitely worth a visit.
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This upscale teppanyaki restaurant offers a multi-course dining experience where skilled chefs prepare each dish right in front of you on the iron griddle. From silky steamed egg with truffle to premium meats and seafood, every course is cooked fresh and served one at a time.
The pacing of the meal is relaxed and interactive, making it feel both refined and entertaining - the kind of dinner you sit back and enjoy over the course of the evening.
Our Chef: 林新忠 (Chef Lin Xin-Zhong)
Our meal was prepared by 資深主廚 林新忠 Chef Lin Xin-Zhong, a veteran teppanyaki chef with over 20 years of experience.
He spent more than 10 years working in teppanyaki restaurants in the United States, which means he brings a unique mix of traditional Taiwanese teppanyaki technique and American-style hibachi performance.
Apparently he had already retired, but the restaurant brought him out of retirement, and we were lucky enough to get seated at his station.
Unlike many teppanyaki chefs in Taiwan, he also knows hibachi-style tricks and interactive cooking techniques, which made the experience even more fun to watch.
Our Delicious Meal
Our meal there follows a multi-course tasting menu format starting with appetizers and soup before moving into seafood and main courses.
Appetizers
- Steamed Egg with Truffle (法式松露蒸蛋) - Fantastic delicious start to the meal!
- Fresh Garlic Bread (現烤香蒜麵包) - This was so good and you can get refills! Recommend dipping it in your french onion soup or pumpkin soup.
The truffle steamed egg was incredibly smooth and fragrant - a great way to start the meal.
Soup (Choose 1 of 4)
- French Onion Soup (法式洋蔥湯)
- French Truffle Soup (法式松露濃湯)
- Pumpkin Soup (南瓜濃湯) - My fiance ordered this one as he hadn't tried creamy pumpkin soup in Taiwan before - also super yum!
- Grouper Consommé (石斑魚清湯) - I choose this one, because I wanted something light, plus the seafood in Taiwan is so fresh and tasty. It also had clams:
Seafood
As mentioned, seafood is SO fresh in Taiwan... so it is awesome that there are so many different varieties they provide for this meal!
Boston Lobster (波士頓龍蝦) - Yummmmm there's definitely some technique here to create such a tasty lobster and the chef nailed it. They also remove the crab meat from the claws for you so you don't have to work for it.
Hokkaido Scallop (北海道干貝) - So juicy and so tender! And huge too!
South African Abalone (南非鮑魚) - Something we normally don't get to eat fresh in the states - so this was a hit as well.
Seasonal Seafood (時令海鮮) - we had grouper when we were there, but it could be oysters, fish, prawns, etc. This time is the grouper:
Watching the chef cook the seafood directly on the iron griddle was one of the highlights of the meal.
Main Courses
The main course featured the Japanese A5 Wagyu Top Chuck Steak (日本A5和牛翼板), and it was SO good.
You also get to choose one additional main dish:
- Bellota Iberian Pork Collar (Bellota 伊比利梅花豬)
- Pan Fried Crispy Chicken Steak (脆皮香煎雞腿排)
Since we were dining together, we made sure to order both so we could try each other's dishes.
The Bellota Iberian pork collar was incredibly flavorful, with the fat perfectly rendered so it melted in your mouth while still having a nice sear from the teppanyaki grill.
The crispy chicken steak was also excellent - the skin was beautifully crisp while the meat stayed juicy and tender inside. It's one of those dishes that seems simple but is executed perfectly.
Unfortunately I already started eating before I snapped this picture (haha I couldn't wait!):
Side Dishes
- Seasonal Vegetables (時令鮮蔬)
- Teppanyaki Fried Rice (鐵板炒飯)
- Fruit Vinegar Drink (養生醋飲)
The fried rice is prepared right on the grill and always feels like the perfect comforting finish to a teppanyaki meal.
Dessert & Beverage
The meal concludes with dessert and a drink.
For drinks, I ordered hot green tea, while my fiancé chose hot cocoa milk. But there's also a lot of teas and coffees to choose from!
One nice touch is that dessert and drinks are served at a separate table after the main meal. After finishing the teppanyaki courses, the staff moves you to another seating area so you can relax, sip your drink, and enjoy dessert at a slower pace while chatting.
For dessert, we were served fried banana and pudding. The banana is coated in a light batter and fried directly on the iron griddle, giving it a warm, crispy exterior while staying soft and sweet inside.
The pudding in Taiwan is closer to a custard-style dessert, smooth and silky with a light caramel flavor.
It was a simple but comforting way to finish the meal.
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Restaurant Information
家蒂諾鐵板燒 (Cardinal Teppanyaki)
📍 No. 370, Longde Rd, Gushan District
Kaohsiung City 804, Taiwan
📞 Phone: 07-553-9999
🌐 Reservations: inline.app
Notes:
- Reservations required
- High chairs available
- 10% service charge added
Final Thoughts
Cardinal Teppanyaki was easily one of the most memorable meals we had in Kaohsiung.
Between the beautiful multi-course menu, premium ingredients, and the incredible skill of Chef 林新忠, the entire experience felt both refined and fun.
And if you happen to get seated at Chef Lin's station, you're in for something extra special - a mix of classic teppanyaki technique and hibachi-style showmanship that makes the meal unforgettable.
Got questions or comments? Drop them below!