When You Go To Certain Japanese Restaurants When Chefs Perform For You, Are They Specially Trained For That?

Question

Usually the restaurants are "Hibachi Steakhouses" were you sit at a table with the chef cooking your food in front of you. He does tricks like flipping knives and doing things with fire.

Is there a separate school where they teach this? Do these chefs need a special certification or license to be able to do this?

Does anyone know?

Answer 1

No, they don't need a special certification.  I don't even think there's such a thing as a teppanyaki certificate.

It's all in-house training/OJT or previous experience.

Answer 2

yes, they're specially trained. not only are they chefs, but they're also entertainers , to a certain extent.

Answer 3

Yes, they require special training.  You might want to check out how they become trained by contacting a restaurant nearby that has this type of cuisine and asking if they offer in-house training or what program they prefer.

Answer 4

You need to go through the restaurants training course, but a License is not needed.

Answer 5

They are called Teppenyaki Chefs.  Teppanyaki is a one hundred thirty two year old Japanese art form. Ex-boxer Rocky Aoki, started the teppanyaki phenomenon in the USA and he subsequently franchised his restaurant, which spread all over the western world. The franchise even went back to native Japan(Teppanyaki). In Japanese, teppan means an iron plate or a steel sheet, and yaki, stir fried food or stir-frying.  The restaurant was called Benihana.

Before one can be named a master chef at Benihana, he must have trained as an apprentice for several years, studying key elements of teppanyaki preparation, presentation and quality as well as how Benihana restaurants operate”(Cuisine Teppan).

In truth, Teppan cooking is an art as much as a dramatic performance at the theater or a vocal performance on the stage. The performance must be technically accurate to ensure quality and stylish enough to ensure entertainment. Similar to any skill, not everyone is adept enough to mingle the speed of hand and quickness of eye necessary to prepare a meal in the teppan style at first”(Flying vegetables presented as art).

Each teppanyaki chef have different tricks, which have to be learned by the individual; breaking a few bowls, plates, or accidents happen all the times. It really depends on the individual’s motivation. Usually the required age to be train as a teppan chef is eighteen years old. The training takes an average of three weeks to four months. Not everyone can be a master teppan chef, because of the time and skills of the individual. But if you ever get to be one, it is a fun, good paying, and dangerous job.