MAI Teppanyaki at Fiesta Resort reopens

MAI Teppanyaki’s bestsellers are its $95 Wagyu beef and seafood combination and its $55 seafood set. (Contributed Photo)

Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan’s teppanyaki restaurant reopened last month with a promotion giving 20% off to local residents.

Das Krishnan, Fiesta Resort Food & Beverage director, said MAI Teppanyaki reopened last June 25 with a special promotion for CNMI residents.

“We do not charge service charge of 10% and provide CNMI residents 20% off on food,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Krishnan is also proud to say that MAI Teppanyaki is the first teppanyaki restaurant on island to reopen since the CNMI recorded its first case of COVID-19, which resulted in all dining places shutting down.

“There are no teppanyaki outlets open on island at present except us at Mai Teppanyaki,” he said. Fiesta Resort closed MAI Teppanyaki due to the coronavirus last March 24.

He also said that Fiesta Resort green-lit the opening of the outlet as soon as the government moved the islands’ Vulnerability Level to “Code Blue.”

Fiesta Resort Food & Beverage director Das Krishnan said MAI Teppanyaki chefs regularly perform “fire shows” to the delight of their customers. (Contributed Photo)

“Easy to manage with the requirement from [Bureau of Environmental Health] with 50% seating capacity and limited staffing,” said Krishnan.

Before the semi-lockdown, Mai Teppanyaki earned praises from tourists and locals alike not only for their food and presentation but also for the creativity of its teppan chefs.

“Our MAI Teppanyaki chefs have their own creativeness like the ‘fire shows’ they regularly perform for customers. Our teppan chefs also have their way of treating our customers like they’re someone very special and important. It’s something we call their own personal touch,” said Krishnan.

As far as the food goes, MAI Teppanyaki’s bestsellers are its $95 Wagyu beef and seafood combination and its $55 seafood set.

On safety measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Krishnan said they implemented a slew of protocols at MAI Teppanyaki to keep not only customers but also their staff protected.

MAI Teppanyaki is the first teppanyaki restaurant to reopen on Saipan after the semi-lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

“All of our staff went through COVID-19 testing and SERVSAFE precautions training before we reopened. We also take our staff’s temperature before they’re allowed to go on duty and are mandated to always wear face masks and gloves and wash their hands for at least 20 seconds.”

For customers, staff are instructed to log down their names and contact numbers and take their temperature while keeping tabs on the table they’re seated on.

Social distancing of 6 feet apart and two separate doors for entrance and exit are also in full effect at MAI Teppanyaki, Krishnan assured.

After being closed for more than three months, MAI Teppanyaki staff are ecstatic to welcome back customers.

“We are very excited to serve our customers again since we were closed since last March 24. Thank you to our loyal customers and we are so grateful to serve them again with all our heart,” said Krishnan.

MAI Teppanyaki is open 6pm-9:30pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays with two seating schedules—one at 6pm and the next at 8pm. Reservations are needed. For more information and for reservations, call Fiesta Resort at (670)-234-6414.