Teppanyaki restaurants have flat-griddle surfaces and a chef at each table to cook small vegetables, and meat in front of you. The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan, which means iron plate, and yaki, which means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. Unfortunately in the United States, teppanyaki was made famous by the Benihana restaurant chain. Benihana places an emphasis on the chef performing a show for the diners; The chef might juggle utensils, flip a shrimp tail into his shirt pocket, catch an egg in his hat, toss an egg up in the air and split it with a spatula, flip flattened shrimp pieces into diners' mouths, or arrange onion rings into fire-shooting volcanoes. Do not expect this sort of performance at a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant. You can however expect some of the finest and most expertly prepared steaks and ingredients. Side dishes of garlic chips, fried rice, Goya Champloo, and fresh rice usually accompany the meal. Some restaurants provide sauces in which to dip the food. Heki is a great example of fine teppanyaki steak. Located in Ginza on the 12th floor of the Mitsukshi building, the staff prepares dishes with incredible attention to detail and dedication. Lunchtime is my favorite time to go to one of these because they're usually not as busy. Many of the meals offered are 9+ course meals and take some time to prepare so don't go for a quick meal, go for the full experience.
Japanese Steak; Kobe & Wagyu. Japanese Kobe beef is considered the tastiest beef money can buy: a single steak can cost as much as $700 USD. If you think you've had Kobe beef in the united states, chances are, you haven't. Today, enough reaches the U.S. to satisfy the average beef consumption of just 77 Americans. It’s so scarce that Kobe’s marketing board licenses individual restaurants, and real Kobe beef is available at just eight restaurants in the entire country (See the list), while none, ever, is sold at retail. The proliferation of beef outside Japan marketed as Kobe beef is an issue for Kobe beef farmers. Due to a lack of legal recognition of the Kobe beef trademark in the United States, you'll find loads of copycats that aren't even close to the real deal.