Hibachi Grill | Teppanyaki Grill | Teppanyaki Equipment
What is the difference between Teppanyaki and Hibachi?
The main difference between teppanyaki and Hibachi lies in the translation of each term:
• Hibachi means "fire bowl"
• Teppan means "iron plate", and Yaki means "grill"
Therefore, in hibachi grill cooking, people use a small bowl-shaped stove filled with charcoal, with a metal grate grill on the stove top to cook food (hence the name "hot bowl"). Conversely, teppanyaki cooking uses a large, flat, solid iron grill with a propane/gas flame underneath.
In modern forms of hibachi cooking, hibachi (or shichirin) grills have a variety of portable appliances, but they can also be made of aluminum, cast iron, or ceramic. The Teppanyaki grill is much larger than the Hibachi grill; in fact, it is so big that customers can sit around the grill and watch the chef prepare the dishes, which is a characteristic of this cooking style.
Both Hibachi and Teppanyaki cooking methods use grilling as the main cooking method. However, differences in grill shape and fuel make them suitable for certain types of food.
Hibachi Grill
It is best used to serve a small number of people because they are perfect for cooking bite-sized foods such as yakitori (threaded bamboo skewers with various ingredients). The grill design of the grill also leaves beautiful burn marks on the food.
Teppanyaki Grill
Because the surface of the Teppanyaki grill is large and flat, chefs can cook a variety of large pieces of meat and poultry, as well as seafood and diced vegetables. They can also handle cooking ingredients such as noodles, eggs and rice, while the hibachi grill cannot be due to its grated design.
What is unique about Teppanyaki?
Anyone who has seen teppanyaki expert chefs at work will agree that what they do is a clear art. From their complicated knives when cutting ingredients, to their work in flames, to their ability to fly ingredients into the air and grab them, their level of skill is undeniable. This is what makes Teppanyaki grill cooking unique.
This cooking method developed in Japan in the 1940s, but it is not very popular with the locals. Then it crossed the coast to the United States, where the Benihana restaurant chain embraced it, and its popularity spread rapidly.
Nowadays, customers all over the world like to sit in front of a large Teppanyaki grill and watch a chef at work. Many people also like the "audience participation" ingredients, and the chef throws food at them and expects them to catch the food in the bowl or mouth by themselves!
What are the foods of Teppanyaki?
The food provided varies slightly from institution to institution, but it can include all or part of the following foods:
• High-quality sliced meat (Kobe beef is a characteristic of Japan)
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Assorted vegetables (all diced)
• Noodles
• Fried rice
• Okonomiyaki (Japanese style pancakes)
• Sauces and condiments (soy sauce, vinegar, chili, garlic, etc.)
What kind of equipment does a teppanyaki chef need?
In addition to their teppanyaki grill, teppanyaki chefs need a lot of trading tools. These include:
1. A full set of Japanese swords
2. Chef uniform
3. Utensils (spatulas, scrapers, chopsticks, sauce bottles, etc.)
4. Cooking and plating containers (bowls, plates, etc.)
5. A knife sharpening whetstone
6. Cutting boards
