In its simplest sense, Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. 'Teppan' means iron plate and 'yaki' can mean grilled or broiled. The origin of the Teppanyaki-style steakhouse is a recent phenomenon that started through a Japanese restaurant chain named Misono, which introduced the concept of cooking Western-influenced food on a teppan in Japan in 1945. Skilled Teppanyaki chefs, often performing shows for the diners, soon found that the cuisine was more popular with foreigners than with the Japanese. Misono restaurants were placed at popular tourist spots throughout Japan and the performance aspects of the chef's preparation were enhanced, such as stacking round slices of onion in the shape of Mount Fiji and lighting alcohol (Sake) contained within on fire, producing a flaming onion volcano.

Today, diners at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse can experience the excitement and taste that made Teppanyaki restaurants a success in Japan!