Teppanyaki (鉄板焼き teppan’yaki?) is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan (鉄板), which means iron plate, and yaki (焼き), which means grilled, broiled or pan-fried. In Japan, teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using an iron plate, includingsteak, shrimp, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and monjayaki.
Modern teppanyaki grills are typically propane-heated flat surface grills, and are widely used to cook food in front of guests at restaurants. Teppanyaki grills are commonly confused with the hibachi barbecue grill, which has a charcoal or gas flame and is made with an open grate design. [1] With a solid griddle type cook surface, the teppanyaki is more suitable for smaller ingredients, such as rice, egg, and finely chopped vegetables.
Origin
The originator of the teppanyaki-style steakhouse is the Japanese restaurant chain Misono, which introduced the concept of cooking Western-influenced food on a teppan in Japan in 1945.[2] They soon found the cuisine was less popular with the Japanese than it was with foreigners, who enjoyed both watching the skilled maneuvers of the chefs preparing the food as well as the cuisine itself, which is somewhat more familiar than more traditional Japanese dishes. As the restaurants became popular at tourist spots with non-Japanese, the chain increased the performance aspect of the chef’s preparation, such as stacking onion slices to produce a flaming onion volcano.
Another piece of equipment in the same family is a flattop grill, consisting of a flat piece of steel over circular burners and typically smaller and round like aMongolian barbecue.
Ingredients
Typical ingredients used for Western-style teppanyaki are beef, shrimp, scallops, lobster, chicken and assorted vegetables. Soybean oil is typically used to cook the ingredients.
Japanese-style teppanyaki uses noodles (yakisoba), cabbage with sliced meat or seafood (okonomiyaki), which are cooked using regular vegetable oil, animal fat, or a mixture. In Japan, many teppanyaki restaurants feature Kobe beef.
Side dishes of mung bean sprouts, zucchini (even though zucchini is not a popular vegetable in Japan and rarely found in the market), garlic chips, or fried rice usually accompany the meal. Some restaurants provide sauces in which to dip the food. In Japan, only soy sauce is typically offered.
Beef is the most popular part of most teppanyaki meals; beef of different qualities and from different geographical areas can be selected. The more expensive varieties are Japanese beef from Matsusaka, Akita, and Kobe. They are often offered along with less expensive beef from the United States and New Zealand. Top-quality Japanese beef is said to come from cows nourished with apples and beer and mellowed with music and massage. All beef cuts are choice sirloin or tenderloin.
Light seasoning and fresh ingredients are the keys to teppanyaki’s success. This is especially important because teppanyaki-style cooking enhances rather than covers up the original flavor of its ingredients. Seasonings are usually limited to soy sauce, wine, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Garlic is used generously when preparing bean sprouts, meat, and chicken.
There are clear advantages in going out for a teppanyaki meal. When ordering teppanyaki, the diners can tell the chef exactly how they want each dish prepared. Health-conscious customers can determine the variety and amount of seasoning and oil they want in each dish. With the chef working right in front of you, it is easy to make sure he follows instructions. In some restaurants diners can even select their own chef. The quality of teppanyaki ingredients also make it a healthy choice compared to other barbecue-type cuisines.
Originating in Japan, teppanyaki is a combination of Eastern meticulousness and Western finesse, Eastern flavors and Western side dishes. In Taiwan, over 100 middle-and high-class restaurants all across the island attest to teppanyaki’s rising popularity. Its taste continues to improve as more variations are devised to suit local and international tastes. Visitors to Taiwan should take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the entertainment and unforgettable dining experience of an evening of teppanyaki.
In North America
The form of teppanyaki most familiar to North Americans consists of steak and other meats, along with vegetable accompaniments, and is often known by the name of hibachi, with the establishments often referred to as “Japanese steakhouses.”
In the United States, teppanyaki was made famous by the Benihana restaurant chain, which opened its first restaurant in New York in 1964.[3] Benihana and other chains of teppanyaki steakhouses continue to place an emphasis on the chef performing a show for the diners, continuing to introduce new variations and tricks. The chef might juggle utensils, flip a shrimp tail into his/her shirt pocket, catch an egg in his/her hat, toss an egg up in the air and split it with a spatula, flip flattened shrimp pieces into the diners’ mouths, or arrange onion rings into fire-shooting volcanoes.
Hibachi/teppanyaki 