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.