If you’ve heard of teppanyaki and hibachi restaurants, then you might be confused about what they actually are. Thankfully, this quick guide will tell you everything there is to know about teppanyaki/hibachi, so you can head out with confidence next time you go to your local restaurant. Before we really jump into it though, let’s find out the difference between teppanyaki and hibachi restaurants.
What Is The Difference Between Teppanyaki Restaurants And Hibachi Restaurants?
In terms of the dishes you see, the flavors you’ll taste, and the experience you’ll get as the restaurant goer, you’ll not notice an enormous difference. That’s because both teppanyaki and hibachi restaurants specialize in Japanese-style cooking of meats and other dishes. They are essentially Japanese grills that will cook delicious meals centered around seafood, meat, rice, and vegetables, amongst other things.
The major difference between the two is largely the way they grill the meat. Hibachi restaurants tend to cook their food over charcoal, similar to how you would grill your meat on a barbecue at home. Teppanyaki restaurants will use hot iron plates powered by propane, like the griddles you may have at home, to cook their food. The end result will be slightly different, but most people won’t have a preference of one over the other when they sit down to eat. Ask any Japanese trained chef though, and they’ll likely have a preferred style of cooking.
Some countries use hibachi and teppanyaki interchangeably, and we can certainly see why since they’re so similar, but these slight differences in the method of cooking do set them apart as distinct cooking styles in their own right. Ask any keen griller in America, and they’ll likely want to correct you if you call their grill a griddle, and vice versa. The same applies to teppanyaki and hibachi restaurants. Today though, we’ll be focusing on hibachi. But you can still expect a similar experience from your local teppanyaki restaurant too.
What Can I Expect From Hanaya?
When you head into our restaurant, you should expect dishes that have been cooked deliciously at high heats. Whether its steak, chicken, shrimp, vegetables, or anything else besides – it will be piping hot and delicious when served.
Most hibachi restaurants (and teppanyaki ones too, for that matter) will cook your food in front of you. Wherever possible, they’ll have a sort of open-plan kitchen in the center of the dining space, with seats around them like a bar. Some tables may be off to the side, but most hibachi restaurants care a great deal about their customers being able to see the food being prepared. This is for two reasons. First, so their guests know exactly what is happening with their food at every step of the process, and second, so that their culinary skills can amaze guests. It might be a little showman-y but hibachi restaurants believe that watching cooking is as much an experience as eating the food, and the chefs at hibachi restaurants are all highly trained and have amazing skills – so why shouldn’t they show off a little?
Obviously hibachi restaurants don’t all fit in to a perfect mold. Some may not be able to accommodate open-plan kitchens, and others may have to use teppanyaki style grills as opposed to charcoal ones. Either way, you will get amazing, delicious food at Hanaya!
I’m Interested In Hanaya, Now What?
So, you’ve heard what hibachi restaurants are all about, and now you want to try us? Well, if you’re in the Flower Mound area of Texas near Lewisville then you should come in our restaurant and give us a try. We know you’ll love the food. We are a great, local hibachi restaurant that specializes in sushi and ramen too, so you’ll be able to try a range of Japanese cooking styles when you visit.
Click here to look at their menu (be sure to hover around the Menu section at the top of our website to select between appetizers, drinks, etc), and visit the rest of the website to see our location, and gallery of photos before booking a table or ordering online.
If you’re unfortunate enough to _not _be in the Flower Mound area of Texas, then you should still check out your local hibachi restaurants too, because it really is a delicious cuisine that offers an experience like no other. You can even use hanyafm.com as a good place to compare local hibachi restaurants too to make sure you’re getting the top-quality experience you’re guaranteed to get when you visit an established hibachi restaurant like Hanaya.