384189 Location 577921 Around 18 or 19 years ago on a journey from the North of England to Tenerife my ex and I met Tek, an intriguing and slightly eccentric Chinese (Hong Kong via Liverpool I think) who was coming to look at the possibilities for Chinese restaurants in the South of the island.  The prospects were good, we told him, up to then we had only found one.  To cut a long story short, because this is, really, about Tepanyaki, Tek opened a restaurant called The Slow Boat, which was welcome and excellent, and we all watched in wonder as the years passed and he opened restaurant after restaurant up and down the coast, always sticking to the same, good standards.  He was lucky to have a son who also enjoyed the business, and so his empire grew. I am not sure how long ago now he added Slow Boat Tepanyaki to his chain, but it was an immediate hit.  Up until then there was only one Japanese restaurant in the South, and is was much more downmarket, to the extent that I had been nervous in the area on my one visit.   Al contrario, the Safari Center is now the "posh" part of town, and the mini Son et Lumiere provided by the dancing fountains at its heart attracts people to the zone night after night.  Tepanyaki is on the first floor, and set back a little, so if you want to catch the fountains in full flow you need to book your chosen table, walk over to the railing where you have a great view (without getting wet!) and then return.  There is an outside terrace, which was full, even on a cool night like yesterday -  bring a jacket or shawl or something warm if you prefer to eat out there.  Inside the lighting is low, the table settings Japanesy and to one side the chef will entertain you with his dexterity as well as his jokes, if you sit around the sushi bar.  Watching him flip snippets of food from his knife, whilst tourists manfully try to catch them in their open mouths is entertainment enough.....though is that really all ok with the safety and hygiene thingy  ;=) To be fair, it is a mixture of Chinese and Japanese cuisine, but Chinese restaurants being plentiful I have never even looked at that menu.  Perhaps I should have brought away a copy to do it justice here.  The sushi and the sashimi last night were exquisite.  Light and tasty and thoughtfully served.  Really, what is there to say about sushi?  You either like it or you don't.  Me, I was in heaven, my colleague's comment was that it was like having a big, expensive starter.  Well, each to their own.  I succumbed to toffee banana and a gorgeous vanilla ice cream too.  Excellent Chardonnay ......sorry I seriously LIKE Chardonnay....and anyway it "goes" with sushi. The service is delightful, mostly cheeky-Cockney type waitresses and attentive, young guys from a variety of nationalities.  The food comes quickly and efficiently (well, it doesn't have to be warmed up, does it!), and the general atmosphere is very pleasant.  It says a lot that it is used a lot by expat type residents as well as tourists.  2006-12-06T06:03:30-08:00 564133942 2006-12-04T16:00:00-08:00 0 -9223372036854775790 167200 3021692 384189 0 247240 0.0518984142277047 2006-12-04T16:00:00-08:00 Published 26.0 2006-12-06T06:34:11-08:00 89422 0