What is Teppanyaki? Teppanyaki-Style Cooking
The word teppanyaki is used to describe how a dish is cooked. The word teppanyaki directly translates to "grilling on an iron plate.". You will usually see steaks, seafood, and even fried noodles all made with teppanyaki. Unfortunately, when most people say "hibachi style cooking", they usually mean teppanyaki. Although they are very similar, there are some significant differences between the two styles, as follows:
Teppanyaki
• Pot cooking
• Flat solid grill
• Suitable for cutting onions, bean sprouts and mushrooms
Hibachi
• Open grille
• Use charcoal for food
• Can cook bigger things like meat
Where Did it Come From?
Teppanyaki-style cooking inspired the idea of a Japanese steakhouse. It wasn't until 1945 that a Japanese restaurant chain called Misono cooked dinner in an teppan in front of its guests, and it became a popular outing activity to gather a group of people around a large and flat grill to watch the chef prepare dinner. However, people find that this cooking method is more popular with tourists than Japanese natives.
The chefs' skillful operation and skills intoxicated the tourists. By 1964, teppanyaki was popular in the United States by the Benihana restaurant chain in New York. It remains one of the favorite Japanese dining experiences for Americans.
