Korean BBQ, Japanese yakiniku, and Chinese hot pot are some of the best meals cooked tableside. Japanese teppanyaki, made famous in America through Benihana, is another tableside cooking style that’s versatile and delicious. We decided to speak with Kan Terao, the PR and Marketing Manager of BALMUDA, a Tokyo-based company making high-quality products such as tea kettles, teppanyaki grills, and toaster ovens. We were also able to sample the teppanyaki grill in person.
“In Japan, tableside cooking is as much about connection as it is about food,” says Terao. “It’s a way for friends and family to gather around the grill, share stories, and enjoy the experience together. The sights, sizzling sounds, and aromas become part of the atmosphere, turning a simple meal into a lively and memorable occasion.”
The ingredients for teppanyaki
At its core, a teppanyaki grill is a stainless steel griddle. The steel material allows for even heat distribution and doesn’t scratch like nonstick material. In Japanese cuisine, teppanyaki grills are used to cook anything from wagyu steak to okonomiyaki, a savory pancake. Most ingredients that work for Korean BBQ and yakiniku will also work for teppanyaki, such as beef, scallops, prawns, lobster, and seasonal vegetables like asparagus, mushrooms, and zucchini.
But teppanyaki is more than just typical Korean BBQ ingredients. Burgers develop a great crust on the griddle. You can do taco night, cooking the meat and reheating the tortillas on the teppanyaki. We are also able to sample a chef’s take on the BALMUDA teppanyaki at a curated dinner at HOUSE Brooklyn. Chef Yuji Tani was able to create several elegant dishes, including a crispy-skinned snapper, matcha crepe, and soufflé pancake all using the teppanyaki. “The joy is in experimenting and discovering new favorites,” says Terao.
How to cook teppanyaki
To understand how to use a teppanyaki, we not only saw a chef’s take, but we also cooked with the grill firsthand. First, the BALMUDA teppanyaki grill is priced at $450, which is significantly more expensive than other brands (ranging from $75 to $200, approximately). The product itself is high-quality and very easy to use. A temperature control dial on the grill is conveniently labeled with the ingredient and optimal temperature (430 F for yakiniku and 320 F for pancakes).
We cooked a ribeye steak, thinly sliced beef tongue (popular in yakiniku), and various vegetables on the BALMUDA teppanyaki. The teppanyaki takes some time to heat up, but once it does, temperature control is consistent, and we didn’t notice any uneven heat during our cooking process. One thing we were concerned about was grease spillage. But the key is avoiding heavy or sugar-laden sauces, which can burn or release too much liquid. But if you are interested in cooking ingredients with more sauce or rice, BALMUDA does sell a separate teppanyaki griddle with a cover ($100).
Finally, cleaning is straightforward. Because it’s stainless steel, you can use steel wool and water to scrub the detachable steel griddle. We also found it helpful to clean the teppanyaki grill during cooking by using the included steel spatula, scraping the surface as you go.
