Teppan means iron plate and yaki translates as broiled or fried. Together they create the term teppanyaki, which typically means food grilled on an iron griddle or plate. In restaurants, iron plates are large, flat surfaces upon which multiple teppanyaki foods can be prepared and these include grilled meats and vegetables of various sorts. Other times people at restaurants may get to grill their own foods on smaller plates located at each table.
Many people are familiar with teppanyaki as prepared in Japanese style restaurants in other countries like Benihana. The thrill of watching food prepared and grilled remains entertaining, and these restaurants have been dubbed Japanese steakhouses because they frequently use beef. In Japan, restaurants serving teppanyaki usually cater to tourists and not the Japanese, and the Misono Company owns the most famous chain of these restaurants. Misono introduced the cooking style in restaurants in 1945 in Japan, and companies like Benihana followed suit by creating restaurants in the US in the 1960s.
Though popular restaurants, most teppanyaki foods are not part of Japanese diet, and thus they mostly appeal to westerners or those who don’t live in Japan. One exception is when such restaurants prepare okonomiyaki, which is a cake that is fried on a griddle and contains various ingredients like fish or pork. These may be made in teppanyaki restaurants but are also popular in a variety of Japanese restaurants of other types.
It’s easy to see that teppanyaki more refers to a cooking method than it does to any specific food. Dishes prepared via this method can be variable. Another important element to dining at a teppanyaki or hibachi restaurant is the performance of the chef, which is particularly enjoyed in restaurants like Benihana. Many chefs are trained to not only prepare delicious food, but also to juggle, perform lightening fast cutting and to otherwise entertain guests. This, more than anything served at such a restaurant, may be its ultimate attraction, though numerous guests also praise foods prepared via this method.
Many of the dishes that are prepared use simple ingredients. Meats or fish, veggies, some spices and a little soybean oil may be the principle ones. Some restaurants serve foods with soy sauce or with other dipping sauces, and they may offer diners the option of eating with chopsticks or forks. Much of the food is prepared in bite-sized pieces to make eating with chopsticks simpler, especially for those unpracticed in this method.
