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Hibachi? You Mean Teppanyaki?

When I first heard someone in America say, “Let’s go out for hibachi,” I pictured a small charcoal fire warming a room. Instead, we sat around a large iron griddle while a chef cooked dinner in front of us.

 

In Japanese, 火鉢 (hibachi) literally means “fire bowl.” A traditional hibachi holds burning charcoal and is primarily used to warm people nearby. You might sit beside one on a cold day and hold out your hands to the heat. Collins English Dictionary

 

The restaurant experience Americans often call “hibachi” has a different Japanese name: 鉄板焼き (teppanyaki). Teppanmeans iron plate, and yaki means cooking or grilling. The chef prepares food on a hot, flat griddle, often right in front of the guests. About Benihana

 

So when an American friend invites me out for hibachi, I know what they mean. But a small part of me still imagines sitting beside a quiet charcoal fire, warming my hands—not watching dinner sizzle on an iron plate.

 

The same Japanese word can bring two very different scenes to mind.