<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (July 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Teppanyaki (鉄板焼 き, teppan - yaki) is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food . The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan (鉄板), which means iron plate, and yaki (焼き), which means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried . In Japan, teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using an iron plate, including steak, shrimp, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and monjayaki . </P> <P> Modern teppanyaki grills are typically propane - heated flat surface grills and are widely used to cook food in front of guests at restaurants . Teppanyaki grills are commonly confused with the hibachi barbecue grill, which has a charcoal or gas flame and is made with an open grate design . With a solid griddle type cook surface, the teppanyaki is more suitable for smaller ingredients, such as rice, egg, and finely chopped vegetables . </P> <P> The originator of the teppanyaki - style steakhouse is believed to be Shigeji Fujioka of the Japanese restaurant chain Misono . The restaurant claims to be the first to introduce the concept of cooking Western - influenced food on a teppan in Japan, in 1945 . They soon found the cuisine was less popular with the Japanese than it was with foreigners, who enjoyed both watching the skilled maneuvers of the chefs preparing the food as well as the cuisine itself, which is somewhat more familiar than more traditional Japanese dishes . As the restaurants became more popular with tourists, the chain increased the performance aspect of the chef's preparation, such as stacking onion slices to produce a flaming onion volcano . </P>

Where do they cook food in front of you