Review of Tanaka of Tokyo Central

So happy to find a Japanese hibachi restaurant that is so sensitive to the needs of my celiac daughter, as well as another vegetarian daughter! The staff was very good about letting us know which parts of the meal were not gluten-free. So no miso soup or pickled eggplant for her. The salad dressing was not gluten free so they brought out a small sauce bowl with GF soy sauce, one with sesame oil, and another with lemon wedges so she could create her own Asian dressing.

They did not recommend the chicken for gluten free, but the steak and shrimp were fine. Our hibachi chef Chris was fantastic, friendly, and also sensitive to all the dietary needs. He used gluten free soy sauce at the hibachi table for all the meals. And he cooked all the vegetarian items first so that they would not get contaminated with the meat. They offered tofu “steaks” for the vegetarians (basically large slabs of tofu), which was great! At most places, it’s just veggies. And before adding each item to the grill (butter, garlic, eggs, etc), he checked with each of us to make sure it was fine for us and within our diets.

Our server Cody was very attentive and informed us of the gluten content or gluten-free content of each item he brought to us, and always made sure our drinks were refilled.

With covid precautions, our party of five was seated by ourselves without any other small group, so we did not have to worry about sharing close space with another unknown family of unknown covid status. And the staff all wore masks, as do the guests on entering and exiting.

We felt very safe dining here, the service was top-notch, and the food was delicious! Be sure to make a reservation because it fills up!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent