Teppanyaki (鉄板焼き,teppan-yaki) is a post-World War II style[1] ofJapanese cuisine that uses an irongriddle to cook food. The wordteppanyaki is derived fromteppan (鉄板), the metal plate on which it is cooked, andyaki (焼き), which means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. In Japan,teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using ateppan, including steak, shrimp,okonomiyaki,yakisoba, andmonjayaki.
Teppan are typically propane-heated, flat-surfaced, and are widely used to cook food in front of guests at restaurants. They are commonly confused with thehibachibarbecue grill, which is calledshichirin in Japanese, and has a charcoal or gas flame and is made with an open grate design. With a solid griddle-type cook surface, theteppan is capable of cooking small or semisolid ingredients such as rice, egg and finely chopped vegetables.[2]
The originator of theteppanyaki-style steakhouse is believed to be Shigeji Fujioka of the Japanese restaurant chain Misono.[3] The restaurant claims to be the first to introduce the concept of cooking Western-influenced food on ateppan in Japan, in 1945.[4][5] 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 and the cuisine itself, which is somewhat more familiar than more traditional Japanese dishes. As the restaurants became more popular with tourists, the chain increased the performance aspect of the chef's preparation, such as stacking onion slices to produce a flaming onion volcano.[citation needed]
Another piece of equipment in the same family is aflattop grill, consisting of a flat piece of steel over circular burners and typically smaller and round, like aMongolian barbecue.[6][better source needed]
Typical ingredients used for Western-styleteppanyaki are beef, shrimp, scallops, lobster, chicken and assorted vegetables.Soybean oil is typically used to cook the ingredients.[7]
Japanese-styleteppanyaki may also use noodles (yakisoba) or cabbage with sliced meat or seafood (okonomiyaki),[8] which are cooked using vegetable oil, animal fat, or a mixture. In Japan, manyteppanyaki restaurants featureKobe beef[7] orWagyu beef.[9][1]
Side dishes ofmung bean sprouts,zucchini (courgettes) (though this is not a popular vegetable in Japan and rarely found in that market), garlic chips (crisps), or fried rice usually accompany the meal. Some restaurants provide sauces in which to dip the food. In Japan, onlysoy sauce is typically offered.[7]
In the United States,teppanyaki (more commonly known ashibachi)[10] was made famous by theBenihana restaurant chain, which opened its first restaurant in New York City in 1964.[11][12] Benihana and other chains ofteppanyaki restaurants continue to place an emphasis on the chef performing a show for the diners and continuing to introduce new variations and tricks. The chef might juggle utensils, flip a shrimp tail into their shirt pocket, catch an egg in their hat, toss an egg up in the air and split it with a spatula, or flip flattened shrimp pieces into diners' mouths.[7]
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