Japan is home to several world-renowned cuisines and dishes. One of them is teppanyaki, a modern style of Japanese cuisine that makes use of an open iron cooktop that allows customers to enjoy the experience up close in a new, fun way. 

If you want to learn more about teppanyaki and what types of ingredients are used in this famous Japanese dish, then please keep on reading!

What Is Teppanyaki?

Teppanyaki originates from the two words “teppan,” which means flat iron grill, and “yaki,” which means grilled. Hence, teppanyaki is a dining experience in which food is cooked on an open iron cooktop in front of the customers.

A typical teppanyaki meal cooked by a highly trained and skilled chef often makes use of different courses of meat, seafood, and vegetables. The best part is that all of this cooked right in front of you! Teppanyaki is also known to offer a lot of Western-style courses that are mixed with Japanese elements. This makes it a very interesting meal to eat!

The characteristic quality of a teppanyaki meal is that it is quite an experience as the food is cooked in quite a theatrical manner. The theatrics of cooking teppanyaki is unique because it demonstrates how dynamic the chef’s cooking skills are. These chefs often like to perform tricks such as flipping shrimp tails into their shirt pocket, juggling utensils, splitting an egg by throwing it high into the air, and flaming onion rings to form a volcano. Sounds pretty cool, right?

Usually, teppanyaki dining is designed to entertain a large group of people. So, in a teppanyaki steakhouse, you may find that the tables are quite large. However, it is quite normal for strangers to share a table together if you don’t have a large group.

Teppanyaki Food

There are various ways that you can do teppanyaki. Usually, some courses begin with an appetiser known as “zensai” or with soup and salad.This is then followed by a seafood dish, the main course which is a beef dish, a rice dish, and finally dessert with either tea or coffee. More traditional styles of Japanese teppanyaki will also serve noodles like yakisoba which are fried noodles.

Other side dishes may include bean sprouts, crispy garlic chips, and zucchini. Some teppanyaki restaurants even offer other types of dishes like sushi. Teppanyaki also offers various types of seasonings such as soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and even wine. Sounds like a lot, right?

Well, though there are different styles of teppanyaki, generally teppanyaki will make use of both meat and seafood. However, can you use just any type of meat and seafood? Well, yes! Having said that, there are popular go-to’s for meat and seafood in a teppanyaki dining experience. Here they are:

1). Meat

As we previously mentioned, teppanyaki is often a cross between American and Japanese styles of cuisine. So, of course, steak has to be the main course!Teppanyaki establishments often offer premium and domestic types of black-haired wagyu beef such as Omi, Matsutaka, and Kobe beef.

They can be quite expensive, but the taste is so good! Japanese beef is also unique in that it has hints of sweetness and is not very greasy or fatty. Other types of meat that can be used for teppanyaki dining include chicken.

2). Seafood

The seafood course typically features grilled scallops and prawns. Other types of seafood can include squid, mussels, octopus, and fish such as salmon. However, more premium Japanese seafood can also be featured, such as the black abalone and Ise spiny lobster originating from Hokkaido. 

Summary

Teppanyaki is recognised as one of the most unforgettable dining experiences. The theatrics of creating teppanyaki dining showcases the talent and skill that teppanyaki chefs have, which will keep you completely engaged throughout your whole dining experience. 

Moreover, there are many ways that you can experience a teppanyaki dining experience. There are various ingredients that can be used in the different courses of teppanyaki, all ranging from different types of seafood like shrimp and scallops to mouth-watering meat such as Kobe beef. 

If you are in Melbourne and want to enjoy an authentic Japanese Restaurant in Doncaster, you simply can’t go past Kobe Teppanyaki.

For reservations please call us today on 03 9841 9889 or visit here for bookings and enquiries.