What exactly is teppanyaki? Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine popular around the world, and getting more popular in Beijing. The main feature of teppanyaki is its iron griddle used to cook food. Let’s learn more about teppanyaki in Beijing below.

In Chinese, teppanyaki is 铁板 (tie ban), meaning “iron plate”. In Japanese, the word teppan also means “iron plate” while yaki means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. Teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using an iron plate like steak, shrimp and seafood. Typical ingredients are beef, shrimp, scallops, chicken, and assorted vegetables. In Beijing, there are tons of restaurants specializing in teppanyaki, either serving customers by a la carte dishes or under an all-you-can-eat buffet extravaganza. You can have all sorts of meat and vegetables, and sometimes sushi accompanying your meal.

What are some popular teppanyaki places in Beijing? A couple of places come to mind, and they are 水木锦堂 Fusion Restaurant and 大渔 Tairyo. Both are popular chains with the former having two locations in Wudaokou and Chaoyangwai, and the latter with eight locations all over Beijing (with one found in Taikoo LiSanlitun). Visiting these establishments, you can expect to pay 160-200 RMB per person for a full-on all-you-can-eat experience. You’ll sit around a table manned by a chef cooking food to diners sitting around his workspace. Looking at the menu, you can order up lots of meat and seafood dishes that are quite mouthwatering.