With its exceptional quality, presentation and service, Sushi Ginza Onodera has become a trusted destination for sushi aficionados in spite of its $160- to $250-per-person omakase dinners. If there were any doubts Honolulu was ready to pay this sort of price, well, the company’s success has led to a second concept.

I still had some doubts when I heard the company was opening a teppanyaki restaurant with similar price points. Many of us are acquainted with the idea of the high-price sushi bar. But when it comes to teppanyaki, the American experience is most closely associated with Benihana of Tokyo and its founder’s emphasis on entertainment, making it a sort of Chuck E. Cheese’s for adults.

In Japan, teppanyaki is taken much more seriously. Even so, I couldn’t fathom a $250 teppanyaki meal when I still imagined itty-bitty morsels of beef and shrimp.

Well hello, consider me a believer in Teppanyaki Ginza Sumikawa. All my doubts dissipated with each mouthful there, and it was with a spirit of reverence and awe that I watched the chefs work their magic.

There are no knife tricks here, no turning a chef’s toque into a basket for catching flying morsels of shrimp. There is only the clean, deft grilling of meat, seafood and shellfish, and the preparation of sauces in just the right measure, before your eyes.

Sumikawa’s MEALS are priced at $200, $225 and $250. They start out similarly. The difference between the $200 and $250 versions when I visited was that on the lower end, diners were given a choice of Kona abalone or lobster. At the higher price they got both. The menu changes every few weeks.

Of interest to the gourmand is the focus on quality of ingredients, such that sauces or dressings don’t distract from the essence of the meat and seafood.

At Sumikawa the staff is able to produce the certificate and medal that confirm the authenticity of the A5 Kobe beef, for which no seasoning is necessary.

We were given ponzu and a dish formed from pink Himalayan salt to flavor teppan-grilled sirloin and tenderloin. While I enjoyed the steak plain, I also liked dragging the pieces across the salt dish, while wondering about the sanitary aspects of presenting it to subsequent guests. Not to worry. The dish is washed and given to guests to use at home and bring back on a return visit.

On my visit the $250 menu comprised 15 courses presented over four hours, and the time flew by. Dishes were brought quickly, starting with an amuse of prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella and sweet potato mousse with caviar served on crostini. Next we watched blinis take shape on the grill, to be filled with minced A5 Omi wagyu. As I posted pictures to Facebook, someone asked if the Kobe was really superior to the Omi, but in the different formats it was difficult to compare without a vertical tasting in which each cut is given equal preparation.

Next up came Kagoshima A4 wagyu carpaccio with a touch of light curry mayonnaise, Parmesan and topped with a minisalad of amaranth, radish and arugula. Beautiful to both eye and palate, it could only be upstaged by the decadence of teppan-grilled foie gras served over daikon with pepper sauce.

This was followed by a delicate corn vichyssoise that showcased the natural sweetness of white potatoes from Japan. Although every attempt is made to use local products, in some instances there are no substitutes.

Veggie sticks were offered as reprieve from the richness of beef. These were delivered standing upright in a glass of iced water. Following the green break, a box was presented to showcase the lobster, abalone and snapper to come. The Kobe beef was presented later, as well as a basketful of vegetables from which we could select a couple to accompany our beef. These ranged from green papaya to onions, mushrooms, eggplant and okra.

Itoyori snapper from Nagasaki was served over saffron risotto and surrounded by pools of Hokkaido sea urchin cream sauce.

Those who pick the lower-priced menu and have to choose between the abalone and lobster, I’m afraid I can’t help you. I thoroughly enjoyed both. The abalone was served with a coat of olive tapenade. This may be best if you’re squeamish because of the way the lobster legs continue to move on the grill, even after it has been split.

By the time you finish all of this, and the steak, which could also be enjoyed topped with jumbo chips of elephant garlic and freshly grated wasabi, you will be quite sated and not particularly enthused about squeezing in garlic rice, but this was so delicious we took it home.

I imagine there was dessert. The menu says so. But my brain was on sensory overload, and I could not remember another piece of information.

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Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.