Teppanyaki

Origin

The teppanyaki-style steakhouse is credited to Shigeji Fujioka of the Misono restaurant chain. Misono claims it was the first to cook Western-influenced food on a teppan in Japan, starting in 1945.

The chain soon noticed that Japanese diners were less interested than foreign visitors, who enjoyed both the chef's skilled cooking moves and the familiar cuisine. As tourism grew, Misono added more showmanship, like stacking onion rings into a flaming volcano. A related cooking tool is the flattop grill, a smaller, round steel surface over circular burners, similar to a Mongolian barbecue.

Ingredients

Western-style teppanyaki often features beef, shrimp, scallops, lobster, chicken, and mixed veggies, all fried in soybean oil. Japanese-style versions might include noodles or cabbage paired with sliced meat or seafood, cooked in vegetable oil, animal fat, or a blend.

In Japan, many teppanyaki spots serve Kobe or Wagyu beef. Common sides are mung bean sprouts, fried garlic slices, or fried rice. For dipping, some restaurants offer sauces, but in Japan, soy sauce is the usual choice.

In the United States

Teppanyaki gained popularity in the United States thanks to the Benihana restaurant chain, which debuted its first location in New York City in 1964. Benihana and similar teppanyaki chains still focus on a chef-led performance for guests, regularly introducing fresh stunts and variations. A chef might juggle cooking tools, flick a shrimp tail into their own shirt pocket, catch an egg with their hat, toss an egg into the air and split it with a spatula, or flip flattened shrimp pieces directly into diners' mouths.