This one was for Dimple.
Some birthdays call for a cake. Hers called for a sizzling grill, a chef with a spatula, and a table full of hungry kids ready to celebrate their favorite person. So on Thursday night, November 12, we all piled into Hibachi Maginhawa — Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse, Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar — to throw the birthday girl a dinner she wouldn’t forget.
Spoiler: the unli teppanyaki left us very full, very happy, and already talking about coming back.
Review at a glance
- Food: A two-way tie for the family’s favorites: the steak and the sashimi. The supporting cast was gyoza, egg and garlic fried rice, grilled chicken and garlic butter shrimp.
- Service / Show: Dinner came with a full teppanyaki show right in front of us, and the chef went out of his way to make Dimple feel special.
- Value: We went for unli Choice #2 at ₱1,999 per head, which includes a scoop of ice cream. With steak and sashimi on repeat, it was worth every peso.
- Kid-friendliness: The kids couldn’t look away from the grill, then got their chopsticks out with zero hesitation. Grilled chicken was a big hit with them.
- Overall: 5/5
We went unli teppanyaki (of course)
Hibachi Maginhawa has two “eat-all-you-can” teppanyaki sets. Choice #1 is ₱1,699 per head. We went for Choice #2 at ₱1,999 per head. It adds the good stuff: US ribeye, beef fillet mignon, salmon sashimi and salmon zuke, salmon belly and fillet, shrimp, tuna zuke, ebi tempura, tori karaage, crazy maki, spicy tuna maki and more. It also comes with a scoop of ice cream, which turned out to matter a lot (more on that later).
We started simply with warm miso soup. Then the real show began.
Dinner and a show
Our teppanyaki chef, in a red uniform and tall hat, took over the grill right in front of us. Steak, pork, minced meat, a pile of mixed veggies and a mountain of rice all hit the hot plate at once. The kids couldn’t look away, and honestly neither could we. We even took videos of the grill show (Ethan has his own starring moment, and so does Dimple).
The stars: steak and sashimi
If you ask the family what won the night, it’s a two-way tie: the steak and the sashimi.
The steak came off the grill in juicy, seared little cubes. Those plates kept emptying and we kept asking for more. That’s the beauty of unli. Then there’s the salmon sashimi: thick, bright orange slices that looked as good as they tasted. Between the two, we barely needed anything else.
We still had everything else, though, because we’re not quitters.
The supporting cast
- Gyoza: gone almost before the plate touched the counter.
- Egg and garlic fried rice: made right on the grill, with the egg folded in as we watched.
- Grilled chicken: a big hit with the kids.
- Garlic butter shrimp: glossy, buttery and best eaten fast.
And the kids? Chopsticks out, zero hesitation. Watching them work through plate after plate was half the fun of the night.
The moment that got us
If this dinner was a love letter, this was the line that made Dimple melt. Our chef took the fried rice and shaped it on the grill, letter by letter, into “I ♥ You.” For the birthday girl. Right there on the teppan.
Then a plate came out with “Happy Birthday” written across it in sauce. Look at her face in that photo. That’s a happy birthday.
The sweet ending
Remember that scoop of ice cream that comes with Choice #2? Ours was chocolate, and after all that steak, it was exactly the right way to close out the food.
The grand finale
And then the night gave us one last picture-perfect moment. The whole family squeezed in behind the grill, where the chef had written:
Thank you very much For Dine in with us @Hibachi & Happy Birthday Dimple 11-12-2026.
That’s the photo. That’s the night. That’s our girl.
Our verdict: 5 out of 5
Great steak, great sashimi, a fun show for the kids, and a chef who made the birthday girl feel special. For a birthday dinner on Maginhawa, this Japanese steakhouse was an easy 5/5. We’ll be back, and we probably won’t wait for the next birthday.
Happy birthday, Dimple. We love you.
If you’re planning more family food nights, we also wrote about our dinner at Mango Tree Cafe in Gateway Mall 2 and the medium dimsum platter at Wok It Out Cubao.
Know before you go: Hibachi Maginhawa prices, hours and how to book
- Address: 86 Maginhawa St., Brgy. Teachers Village East, Quezon City
- Phone (for reservations and inquiries): +63 956 097 1660 · (02) 881-32-167
- Website and socials: No standalone website that we could find. Instagram: @hibachijapanesesteakhouse. The restaurant also posts updates on its Facebook page (Hibachi Japanese Cuisine).
- Hours: Opens at 11:00 AM daily. Listings give closing time as 10 PM Mon–Thu and 11 PM Fri–Sun. The banner outside says Monday to Sunday, 11 AM–11 PM, so call ahead if you’re planning a late dinner on a weekday.
- How to book: Reservations are accepted. Call or text the numbers above; the restaurant’s own posts say it welcomes reservations for birthdays, anniversaries and family gatherings.
- Price notes: Unli Choice #1 is ₱1,699/head and Choice #2 is ₱1,999/head (includes 1 scoop of ice cream). Bottomless red iced tea is ₱208/head. Prices include 12% VAT and are subject to a 10% service charge. Bento sets are available Mon–Thu, 1–5 PM. À la carte is also available.
- Good to know: Payment: As of our visit (Nov 12, 2026), they don’t accept credit or debit cards. Pay by GCash, Maya or bank transfer. Listings mention free parking and a kid-friendly setup. The restaurant posted a QCID promo: 5% off eligible food and drinks every Monday, valid until March 25, 2027 (terms apply).
FAQ: Hibachi Maginhawa
How much is unli teppanyaki at Hibachi Maginhawa?
Unli Choice #1 is ₱1,699 per head and Choice #2 is ₱1,999 per head, and Choice #2 includes a scoop of ice cream. Bottomless red iced tea is ₱208 per head. Prices include 12% VAT and are subject to a 10% service charge. Bento sets are available Monday to Thursday, 1–5 PM, and à la carte is also available.
What’s the difference between Choice #1 and Choice #2?
Both are eat-all-you-can sets. Choice #1 is ₱1,699 per head. We went for Choice #2 at ₱1,999 per head, which adds US ribeye, beef fillet mignon, salmon sashimi and salmon zuke, salmon belly and fillet, shrimp, tuna zuke, ebi tempura, tori karaage, crazy maki, spicy tuna maki and more, plus a scoop of ice cream. The post does not list every Choice #1 item, so we are not inventing that list here.
How do you book Hibachi Maginhawa?
Reservations are accepted. Call or text +63 956 097 1660 or (02) 881-32-167. The restaurant’s own posts say it welcomes reservations for birthdays, anniversaries and family gatherings.
Does Hibachi Maginhawa accept credit cards?
As of our visit on 12 November 2026, they don’t accept credit or debit cards. Pay by GCash, Maya or bank transfer.
Where is Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse in Maginhawa?
86 Maginhawa St., Brgy. Teachers Village East, Quezon City. There wasn’t a standalone website that we could find. Instagram is @hibachijapanesesteakhouse, and the restaurant also posts updates on its Facebook page (Hibachi Japanese Cuisine).
What are the hours at Hibachi Maginhawa?
It opens at 11:00 AM daily. Listings give the closing time as 10 PM Monday to Thursday and 11 PM Friday to Sunday. The banner outside says Monday to Sunday, 11 AM–11 PM, so call ahead if you’re planning a late dinner on a weekday.
Is Hibachi Maginhawa good for a birthday dinner?
It was for us. We celebrated Dimple’s birthday there, rated it 5/5, and the chef and crew made her feel special — including fried rice shaped into “I ♥ You,” a Happy Birthday plate, and the crew singing happy birthday. Reservations for birthdays are welcome; call or text to book.