Teppan-yaki

One of the high-class styles of dining in Japan, Teppan-yaki is famous outside Japan as a flamboyant style of western cuisine. In Japan it is far more serious and focuses on high quality ingredients and highly trained chefs to produce a classy experience you pay through the nose for.
When Japan
Tweet

The Good	The Not-So Good
Tasty high-class dining	Very expensive
Once in a lifetime experience

You can read about the introduction of Teppan-yaki to Japan and the west over on Wikipedia. While the impression in the English speaking world is of a more “showy” dining experience with juggling chefs and “onion volcanoes“, in Japan the experience is more subdued, focusing on the quality of the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant. Chatting to the chef is of course welcome.

There is a small chain of stores with a female owner (rare in Japan) who only employs women as staff members. The beef is from Okinawa and some of the dishes include an Okinawan flavor.

The photos above are from this restaurant (homepage) near Tokyo station.

Expect to be paying upwards of ¥10,000 per person depending on the grade of beef being served. In general, 100-200g is enough for one person due to the high fat content of the steak. If in doubt, go for a cut with less fat (the chef will recommend which one) and it is usually slightly cheaper anyway.