OUR STORY

It will have to start from Teiichi Sakurai, the founder.  James Beard nominee. His first restaurant was TEPPO, located on Lower Greenville Avenue, opened in May, 1995, specialized in “Yakitori” charcoal grilled chicken skewers. It was sensational to the Dallas dining scene back then...

3 years later, he decided to open Tei Tei in May, 1998. Teppo was just not enough to fulfill his dedication and love for charcoal grill cooking. Katsutoshi Sakamoto, the current chef owner, was called up as executive chef when Tei Tei opened. Specializing in grilled seafood and vegetables, and first to bring "Washu beef on the rock" in Dallas from Japan, Tei Tei quickly became popular among locals.

Katsutoshi and Teiichi's friendship goes back to their youth age. Working together, their bond got stronger. When Teiichi was ready to move on to his new adventure, TEI-AN in 2008, it was only natural for him to let Katsutoshi and his crew take over “Teiichi's little restaurant”. (what “Tei Tei” means in Japanese)

When you're at Tei Tei, please know that you're almost in Japan.

A lot of items on the menu may seem unusual, unique, maybe even just weird. It may be different from what you are used to eating. That is just a cultural difference... those weird things, we grew up eating. So please open your mind eyes and mouth, enjoy the cultural experience during your visit.