Kaito Teppanyaki msc menu current runs three set tiers: Katana ($34), Sencho ($44), and Shogun ($64), plus a $29 vegetarian menu and a kids’ menu. Every tier includes sushi and sashimi, miso soup, a teppan salad, garlic fried rice, and caramelized pineapple for dessert, with the protein scaling up from branzino and chicken to lobster, black cod, and Ozaki Wagyu beef. If you’re using a free specialty dining credit or your Voyagers Club Diamond perk, you’ll almost always be seated for Sencho, with Shogun offered as a paid upgrade at the table.
That’s the short version. Here’s what actually lands on your plate, why the menu names on forums don’t always match what you’ll see onboard, and how to decide between Kaito and Butcher’s Cut before you book.
What’s Actually on the Kaito Teppanyaki Menu Right Now
MSC restructured Kaito’s teppanyaki menu a while back, and the current official version (pulled straight from the onboard menu PDF) breaks down like this:
Katana ($34 per adult)
- Sushi & sashimi starter
- Miso soup with tofu, wakame, and green onion
- Teppan salad with ponzu vinaigrette
- Branzino (sea bass)
- Garlic fried rice
- Chicken with seasonal vegetables and forest mushrooms
- Caramelized pineapple with ginger ice cream and mint
Sencho ($44 per adult)
- Same sushi, miso soup, and salad starters
- Atlantic salmon and tiger prawns
- Garlic fried rice
- Beef tenderloin with seasonal vegetables and forest mushrooms
- Caramelized pineapple with ginger ice cream and mint
- Optional Ozaki Wagyu beef add-on for an extra charge
Shogun ($64 per adult)
- Same starters as above
- Lobster, black cod, and scallops
- Garlic fried rice
- Ozaki Wagyu beef, cooked tableside by the chef
- Caramelized pineapple with ginger ice cream and mint
Vegetarian ($29 per adult)
swaps the fish and meat courses for tofu, an egg wash roll, and a sesame tofu steak, but keeps the same soup, salad, rice, and dessert structure.
Kids’ menu (Keiki Kodomo)
usually includes kid-sized sushi, veggie tempura, miso soup, chicken teriyaki, egg fried rice, and a small dessert plate with fruit and ice cream.
One detail worth flagging: garlic fried rice, not the plain egg fried rice you might remember from older Kaito menus, is now standard across all three adult tiers. If you’ve sailed Kaito before 2025, that’s a real change to the base course, not just a naming update.
Why You’ll See Two Different Sets of Menu Names Online
This is the part almost every competitor article glosses over, and it’s exactly what’s confusing people on Cruise Critic and Reddit threads asking “which menu is which.”
Older MSC materials and some fan sites still reference Geisha, Samurai, and Emperor as the three teppanyaki tiers. MSC has since renamed them to Katana, Sencho, and Shogun on refreshed menus fleet-wide. What’s interesting is that the pricing structure hasn’t really moved: Geisha and Katana both sit at the entry price point, Samurai and Sencho both land in the middle, and Emperor and Shogun are both the premium tier. So if you see “Emperor menu” mentioned in an older review and “Shogun menu” on your ship’s current menu card, they’re the same tier under a different name, not a fourth option you missed.
If your menu card still says Geisha, Samurai, or Emperor when you board, that’s not an error. MSC hasn’t refreshed every ship’s printed menu at the same pace, and older tonnage sometimes runs a season or two behind the newer naming.
Kaito Sushi Bar Menu (the à la carte side)
Kaito isn’t just the teppanyaki grill. The sushi bar half of the venue runs on its own à la carte menu, and it’s worth knowing about even if teppanyaki is your main event.
- Starters: scampi tataki with sesame oil and passion fruit, age dashi tofu, yakitori skewers, octopus salad
- Nigiri (2 pieces): salmon, octopus, shrimp, eel, red snapper, yellowfin tuna, amberjack
- Sashimi (5 pieces): same fish selection as the nigiri list
- Maki rolls: cucumber, salmon, crab, tuna, red snapper, pumpkin
- Specialty rolls: Kaito California, Dragon, Rainbow, Samurai Tempura
- Cooked plates: tempura, teriyaki (salmon, chicken, Angus beef), noodles, fried rice
- Desserts: matcha ice cream, banana tempura, lychee mint salad
There’s also a $40 sushi dining package on most sailings, which bundles an appetizer, entrée, and dessert from the set menu with four plates off the sushi conveyor belt where the ship has one. My honest take: if you’re on a specialty dining package already, ordering à la carte at a 50% discount usually beats the fixed package selections, which can feel a bit hit-or-miss on prep quality compared to items ordered fresh off the regular menu.
Price Breakdown: What Each Tier Actually Gets You
| Menu | Price | Protein Highlight | Included in Standard Dining Package? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katana | $34 | Branzino, chicken | No, entry-level upgrade only |
| Sencho | $44 | Atlantic salmon, tiger prawns, beef tenderloin | Yes, this is the default inclusion |
| Shogun | $64 | Lobster, black cod, scallops, Ozaki Wagyu beef | Available as a paid upgrade |
| Vegetarian | $29 | Sesame tofu steak, egg wash roll | Varies by package terms |
| Kids | Small fee or included | Chicken teriyaki, veggie tempura | Usually yes with kids-sail-free promos |
Even if you’re paying out of pocket rather than using a package credit, know that booking teppanyaki with a dining package credit can trigger a small $10 per-person supplement on top of the credit, since it’s priced above most other specialty restaurants in the package tier. Check this before you commit a credit here versus at somewhere like Butcher’s Cut.
How the Free Diamond Meal and Dining Package Credit Actually Work at Kaito
This is the exact question that’s been floating around Cruise Critic for years without a clean answer, so let’s settle it: Sencho is the menu included with MSC’s standard specialty dining package and with the free meal MSC gives Voyagers Club Diamond members. You’re not automatically bumped to the cheapest Katana tier, and you’re not defaulted into the premium Shogun either.
If you want Shogun’s lobster and Wagyu beef instead, your server can usually upgrade you at the table for the price difference between Sencho and Shogun, rather than making you book a completely separate reservation. I’ve done this swap onboard twice now, and both times it was handled at the table with no extra paperwork, just a card swipe for the difference.
One nuance nobody mentions: this inclusion can shift slightly by promotion and by ship, so it’s worth confirming with the maître d’ or specialty dining desk on day one rather than assuming Sencho applies to your specific sailing.
Kaito Teppanyaki or Butcher’s Cut? How to Actually Decide
If you’ve only got one specialty dining credit left and you’re torn between these two, here’s how I’d frame the decision rather than just saying “it depends”:
- Pick Kaito Teppanyaki if you’re traveling with kids or a group that wants a shared, entertaining meal. The tableside chef performance (egg tricks, flying shrimp, the occasional onion volcano) genuinely lands better with a table of six to eight than a quiet steakhouse setting does.
- Pick Butcher’s Cut if you want a quieter, more traditional steakhouse meal and you’re not fussed about the show. Portions there tend to run larger, and the a la carte format means you’re not locked into a set course structure.
- Split the difference by booking Kaito for a group night early in the cruise (it fills fastest of any MSC specialty venue, so grab it on embarkation day) and saving Butcher’s Cut for a quieter dinner later.
For your everyday included dinners between specialty nights, it also helps to know what’s already covered in your fare. MSC’s MSC main dining room menu and rotating MSC dinner menus give you a sense of what you’re getting for free before you decide how many specialty credits to spend on venues like Kaito.
A quick note from experience: don’t skip Kaito just because you assume the food takes a back seat to the show. The tenderloin at Sencho is properly rested and seasoned, not just a novelty cooked in front of you for entertainment value. The theatrics are a bonus, not a distraction from decent cooking.
Which Ships Have Kaito Teppanyaki
Kaito Teppanyaki is available on most of MSC’s newer tonnage, though exact layout varies by ship class:
- MSC Seaside, Seascape, Seashore, Seaview (Seaside/EVO class): Kaito Teppanyaki sits alongside Butcher’s Cut, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, and Ocean Cay Restaurant on the specialty dining deck. On Seaside, the teppanyaki room seats around 32 guests across four grill tables.
- MSC Meraviglia, Grandiosa, Bellissima, Virtuosa (Meraviglia class): Teppanyaki is typically on Deck 7, along the balcony overlooking the atrium (the “Gallery”).
- MSC World Europa, World America (World class): Kaito appears in an expanded format on these newer ships, often with more seating and a refreshed sushi conveyor setup.
If you’re specifically hunting for the Kaito Teppanyaki menu on MSC Seashore or MSC Seascape, the tier structure and pricing above is consistent fleet-wide; what changes ship to ship is mostly seating capacity and how many teppanyaki grill stations are running per seating.
What to Expect at Your Table
Teppanyaki tables seat six to eight guests around a flat-top grill, so expect to share your meal with strangers unless you book a full table yourself. Meals run about 90 minutes from seating to dessert, and reservations are genuinely necessary. This is the fastest-filling specialty venue on most MSC ships, often booked solid within the first hour or two of embarkation day.
Dress code
smart casual. A collared shirt or blouse and clean pants or a casual dress will fit right in. You don’t need a jacket or tie, and athletic wear or pool attire won’t get you turned away outright, but it will feel out of place given the semi-formal setting.
Drinks
sake, Japanese beer, and Asian-inspired cocktails like the Sakura Martini (lychee and elderflower) or Tokyo Mule (vodka, ginger beer, yuzu) round out the menu. MSC drink packages apply here just like anywhere else onboard, so if you’re trying to work out whether a package pays for itself over a cruise, it’s worth checking <a href=”https://oceanscruise.com/blog/msc-drinks-package-prices”>MSC drinks package prices</a> before you sail.
Booking Tips From the Deck
- Book online before you sail if your app allows it. Walk-up availability at Kaito is unreliable past the first day or two of a longer cruise.
- Go early on embarkation day if you didn’t pre-book. Kaito reservations disappear faster than any other specialty restaurant fleet-wide.
- Ask about the Sencho-to-Shogun upgrade at the table rather than trying to book Shogun outright if you’re using a package credit. It’s usually cheaper and simpler than a separate paid reservation.
- Try lunch if your ship offers it. Kaito occasionally runs a lighter lunch service on sea days with shorter waits and smaller crowds, though this isn’t guaranteed on every sailing.
- Confirm your inclusion tier on day one. Package terms and free Diamond meals can vary slightly by promotion, so a quick check at the specialty dining desk avoids surprises at checkout.
Kaito Teppanyaki MSC Menu FAQ
What is the most popular dish at Kaito Teppanyaki?
The Ozaki Wagyu beef on the Shogun menu gets the most attention, both for taste and for the tableside cooking display. Among Sencho diners, the beef tenderloin is the standout, cooked properly rested rather than overdone.
What is a complimentary restaurant on MSC?
The main dining room, buffet, and included room service are complimentary and part of your cruise fare. Kaito Teppanyaki, the sushi bar, Butcher’s Cut, and other specialty venues carry an extra charge or require a dining package credit.
Why is teppanyaki expensive compared to other specialty dining?
You’re paying for a dedicated chef performing tableside for a small group, premium proteins like lobster and Wagyu beef on the top tier, and a fixed multi-course structure rather than a la carte pricing. The entertainment element adds real labor cost that a standard restaurant doesn’t carry.
How should I dress for Kaito Teppanyaki?
Smart casual works fine: a collared shirt or blouse with clean pants, a skirt, or a casual dress. No jacket or tie is required, but skip swimwear, gym clothes, and flip-flops.
Is Kaito Teppanyaki included in my MSC dining package?
The Sencho menu is typically the one included with standard specialty dining packages and the Voyagers Club Diamond free meal. Shogun is available as a paid upgrade at the table, and a $10 supplement may apply when booking teppanyaki with a package credit.
Kaito Teppanyaki or Butcher’s Cut, which is better?
Neither wins outright. Kaito suits groups and families who want a shared, entertaining meal, while Butcher’s Cut suits guests who want a quieter, traditional steakhouse dinner with larger portions and no fixed course structure.
Does Kaito have a kids’ menu?
Yes. The Keiki Kodomo kids’ menu includes kid-sized sushi, veggie tempura, miso soup, chicken teriyaki, egg fried rice, and a dessert plate with fruit and ice cream.
Where can I find the official Kaito Teppanyaki menu PDF?
MSC posts current specialty dining menus, including Kaito’s, through the MSC for Me app once you’re booked, and printed copies are available at the specialty dining desk onboard. Menu items and pricing can shift slightly by season and ship, so treat any PDF you find online as a close guide rather than a guarantee.