Guide

Hibachi vs. teppanyaki: what's the difference?

Name: Your Hibachi
Address: TX, US
Telephone: (713) 886-2657
Price range: $$

People use the two words interchangeably — but they're not quite the same thing. Here's the real difference, and what you actually get at an at-home party.

What 'hibachi' really means

Traditionally, a hibachi is a small, open Japanese heating device — a charcoal brazier with a grate for grilling. In its original sense, hibachi cooking means food grilled over charcoal.

What 'teppanyaki' means

Teppanyaki comes from teppan (an iron griddle) and yaki (grilled). It's cooking on a large, flat iron surface — the sizzling flat-top where a chef cooks in front of you, complete with the knife work and flames.

Why Americans call it 'hibachi'

The interactive flat-top experience most people picture — the onion volcano, the flipping tricks, fried rice and proteins cooked tableside — is technically teppanyaki. In the U.S. it just got popularly known as 'hibachi,' so the two words are used interchangeably.

What you get at an at-home party

We bring the flat-top experience everyone loves: a chef cooking your proteins, fried rice, and vegetables right in front of you, with the full show. Call it hibachi or teppanyaki — it's the same sizzling, entertaining meal, brought to your backyard.

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Common questions

Good to know.

Not technically. A hibachi is a charcoal brazier with a grate; teppanyaki is cooking on a flat iron griddle. The interactive chef-in-front-of-you meal Americans call hibachi is actually teppanyaki — the two words just got used interchangeably in the U.S.

Both names describe what we bring: a flat-top griddle where your chef cooks proteins, fried rice, and vegetables in front of your guests, with the full knife-work and flame show.

Proteins like chicken, steak, shrimp, and tofu — plus filet, salmon, scallops, and lobster as upgrades — alongside hibachi fried rice, seasonal vegetables, and our signature yum-yum and ginger sauces.

Still have a question? Email us or call (713) 886-2657.

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