What is Teppanyaki? Understanding Japanese Cuisine.

Although there is much involved in the creation of delectable Japanese cuisine, Teppanyaki forms a large part of it, which many misunderstand to be same as hibachi or just grilled food.

By: Soumya Jain

Japan’s cuisine is as technically precise as it is creating a watch or jewelry. The fish has to be placed just the way and seaweed rolled with just enough pressure to be able to present a perfectly made sushi. Apart from the more popular sushi and sashimi, Teppanyaki also forms a part of Japanese cuisine.

To put it in easy words, Teppanyaki uses an iron griddle to cook food. In Japan, ‘teppanyaki’ refers to dishes cooked using an iron plate, including steak, shrimp, vegetables, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles), and monjayaki (also a kind of savory Japanese pancake). Modern teppanyaki grills are typically propane-heated flat surface grills and are widely used to cook food in front of guests at restaurants.

Teppanyaki grills are commonly confused with the hibachi barbecue grill, which has a charcoal or gas flame and is made with an open grate design. If you go back to the origins though, hibachi is a traditional Japanese heating device. It consists of a round, cylindrical or a box-shaped open-topped container, made from or lined with a heatproof material and designed to hold burning charcoal. In North America though, hibachi refers to a small cooking stove heated by charcoal (called shichirin in Japanese) or to an iron hot plate (teppan) used in teppanyaki restaurants. Hence the confusion between the two types of Japanese cooking styles.

Even though the teppanyaki style of cooking is incredibly popular the world over, India, from my research, has only two authentic teppanyaki restaurants. Here is a lowdown on them:

1.      India Jones – Located inside the Trident Nariman Point hotel in Mumbai, India Jones is an Asian restaurant, inspired by cuisines from Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan – along with references to India of course. Therefore, teppanyaki is also a part of the menu. But it’s not just the food which is its highlight. Chef Eduardo, while grilling the meat and veggies to goodness, also strives to give a phenomenal performance, which includes juggling knives and bowls, and setting onions on fire! Usually a part of the teppanyaki process, India Jones definitely strives to follow the rules to the T. It is a must-visit restaurant if you relish Japanese cuisine and are in Mumbai.

2.      Teppan Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar – Located in Bengaluru, this one gives an ode to teppanyaki in its name only! A popular restaurant in the city, Teppan Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar also follows all the rules – from the authentic grilling of the food to entertaining guests with antics at the table.

With teppanyaki gaining more importance and awareness in India, we sure do hope to see more authentic Japanese restaurants springing up in the country!

Soumya Jain is the Chief Editor & CEO of LuxuryFacts.com – the first and only luxury blog and magazine in India. She is also the Co-Editor of ‘The Luxury Market in India: Maharajas to Masses’, published by Palgrave Macmillan and launched in September 2012. The book is a window into the highly complex Indian luxury market. Soumya is also a visiting lecturer for luxury marketing and online journalism at leading educational institutes in India. She has been invited to speak at conferences and address industry colleagues about the Indian luxury market. Recognising her knowledge of the market, she has been quoted by media such as Fast Company, Wall Street Journal & Financial Times among others, while also contributing articles on luxury in various publications.