The Entertainment of Americanized-Hibachi

The Japanese tradition of cooking food on a heating device that burns charcoal is called hibachi, which literally means “a fire bowl.”Over time, this concept has developed into what Americans call hibachi, but Japanese refer to as Teppanyaki. This style of Japanese cooking emerged after the second world war, and is not to be confused with hibachi barbecue grill, as it cooks on a propane-heated flat surface grill.

Became a Tourist Attraction

The idea of Americanized hibachi, really teppanyaki-style, emerged from the restaurant Shigeji Fujioka from the Misono chain restaurants. Soon the restaurant noticed that foreigners enjoyed the entertainment provided by the chefs more than the Japanese locals, which eventually led to the teppanyaki-style of cooking marking the restaurant as a tourist attraction.

Enjoy Authentic Japanese Cuisine

Due to the success of the teppanyaki-style cooking, it expanded to the United States and soon became a favorite food destination. Called hibachi in the US, you can enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine made with noodles, cabbage, meat, and seafood. There can also be american-twists on American-style hibachi, such as meals cooked with beef, scallops, lobster, chicken, and other vegetables.

A Super Exciting Experience

The entertainment of americanized-hibachi restaurants are a plus to the fantastic food! Large parties tend to go to hibachi restaurants for birthday parties, group outings, etc. Chefs use the flat-stove top to cook the food right in front of the group. They also do tricks with the food such as flipping food into customer’s mouths, making onion volcanos, and chopping the food up quickly! It is a fun experience for everyone involved, and it allows the customers to interact with the chef and the food as it is being prepared. While hibachi is a super exciting experience that is highly recommended in the US, it is important to know that in Japan hibachi takes on a very different meaning.