The MICHELIN Guide has been in Hong Kong for over a decade now. In the prestigious red book's 2018 edition, 81 restaurants own the distinction of having Michelin stars. Of them all, only one teppanyaki, aka Japanese grill, restaurant has a star.
A Well-Padded Resume
This is IM Teppanyaki, an unassuming Japanese grill restaurant situated at ground level along Tung Lo Wan Road. Helming the restaurant is chef Lawrence Mok, whose resume includes a role as former executive chef at the esteemed Inakaya and Nadaman, and whose 30 years of experience has turned him into a seasoned hand at the grill.
This is IM Teppanyaki, an unassuming Japanese grill restaurant situated at ground level along Tung Lo Wan Road. Helming the restaurant is chef Lawrence Mok, whose resume includes a role as former executive chef at the esteemed Inakaya and Nadaman, and whose 30 years of experience has turned him into a seasoned hand at the grill.
The Art of Teppanyaki
Still, Mok is not one of those reserved chefs who sidle away as quietly as they appeared by your side. Instead, the veteran chef believes that the magic of teppanyaki comes down to the experience. Customers, he shares, come to visit the chefs they know and want them to personally cook their meal. This is why IM teppanyaki holds just 20 seats.
In this intimate space, chef Mok is able to serve his diners in a way he enjoys best, sharing stories of his experiences running a triathlon, and even his stint on television.
His staff is also trained to pay equal attention to diners — each one taking time to explain even the smallest of details, such as why pink salt is being served with a particular course.
“To me, teppanyaki is about being flexible and working with what your diner wants,” says Mok. “It is important that all my chefs build a relationship with the diners that come to my restaurant.”
Still, Mok is not one of those reserved chefs who sidle away as quietly as they appeared by your side. Instead, the veteran chef believes that the magic of teppanyaki comes down to the experience. Customers, he shares, come to visit the chefs they know and want them to personally cook their meal. This is why IM teppanyaki holds just 20 seats.
In this intimate space, chef Mok is able to serve his diners in a way he enjoys best, sharing stories of his experiences running a triathlon, and even his stint on television.
His staff is also trained to pay equal attention to diners — each one taking time to explain even the smallest of details, such as why pink salt is being served with a particular course.
“To me, teppanyaki is about being flexible and working with what your diner wants,” says Mok. “It is important that all my chefs build a relationship with the diners that come to my restaurant.”
Signature dish: amadai fish with sea urchin cream sauce
Staying Focused
On his menu, guests find traditional grilled items with a modern twist. Take the amadai with sea urchin cream. Rather than merely putting the Japanese sea bream on the grill, Mok adopts the Cantonese-style of steaming and frying the fish to achieve the perfect texture—crispy scales and sweet, succulent meat on a bed of umami uni cream.
And the one thing that keeps chef Mok inspired after 30 years? Exercise. Mok shares that when he has time off from the kitchen, running is a hobby that he enjoys most. Going to the gym, running and hiking gives him the space to clear his head and think. Sports pushes him to be better each time, a similar concept that he applies in his kitchen even until today.
On his menu, guests find traditional grilled items with a modern twist. Take the amadai with sea urchin cream. Rather than merely putting the Japanese sea bream on the grill, Mok adopts the Cantonese-style of steaming and frying the fish to achieve the perfect texture—crispy scales and sweet, succulent meat on a bed of umami uni cream.
And the one thing that keeps chef Mok inspired after 30 years? Exercise. Mok shares that when he has time off from the kitchen, running is a hobby that he enjoys most. Going to the gym, running and hiking gives him the space to clear his head and think. Sports pushes him to be better each time, a similar concept that he applies in his kitchen even until today.
