Cookaholics Bulletin Board

We have a new Japanese restaurant in town that isn't teppanyaki. It's the first time I've had Japanese food other than sushi or the teppanyaki shows. We absolutely loved the flavors!

I'd like to try some at home, but have no idea where to start. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good cookbook to get me started?

OK, I'll show my ignorance, what is teppanyaki?

thanks, Alina.

fitzie

I just googled it - it's iron-griddle cooking as in Benihana but not to be confused with hibachi:

Teppanyaki (鉄板焼き teppan-yaki?) is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan (鉄板), which means iron plate, and yaki (焼き), which means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. In Japan, teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using an iron plate, including steak, shrimp, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and monjayaki.

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.[1] With a solid griddle type cook surface, the teppanyaki is more suitable for smaller ingredients, such as rice, egg, and finely chopped vegetables.

Try Japanese Farm Food. It's authentically Japanese, while focusing on simple country cuisine that's more beginner-friendly.

As a warning though: real Japanese food depends on having a small pantry of prepared ingredients: pastes, sauces, and above all stock (Dashi).

(BTW, Teppanyaki has never been as popular in Japan as it is in the USA)

Thanks.