Review: Nejibee, an after-work destination for griddled meats and slurping udon


Nejibee ★½
24 Wellesley St. W., 647-748-2882
Nejibee, tucked furtively behind a Rabba on Wellesley, focuses on iron-griddled Japanese meats, also called teppanyaki. Cooks grill, fry and sear dishes that range from minimalist (a strip of firm, torch-crisped cured mackerel with sinus-clearing horseradish mustard) to massive (a heaping plate of highly slurpable, soy-sautéed udon loaded with pork belly, scallions cabbage and bonito flakes). Nikumiso, a Japanese take on poutine, brightens up the classic with a creamy miso sauce, but the fries underneath are limp and the crumbled pork on top is too salty. The place is quickly becoming an after-five destination for the area’s office workers, who crowd around the communal tables or perch at the counter, where cooks chat with diners while working the grill.
Best yakiudon in the city. They also have $4.50 pints of Sapporo. I was surprised how empty it was considering the quality and value but I suspect that won’t last long.