Arirang's chef packs house with hibachi-style
cooking show
Staten Island Advance - Wednesday, May 10, 2006
 Dickie Yee streamed oil and vodka onto raw onion
rings stacked on a grill which he set afire. Later, he flicked
zucchini toward the open mouth of someone's mother-in-law. (It
slapped her in the chin.) And somewhere in this very busy
hibachi-style restaurant one recent Saturday night, a birthday
triggered a spinning disco ball of lights and a speeded-up version
of "Banzai Song," ending with a gong.
Yee, head chef at Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Great
Kills, typically entertains a packed house of party-loving Staten
Islanders. He performs his cooking show from a U-shaped hibachi
grill in the Japanese-theme restaurant.
Is this an accurate expression of tradition from the Land of the
Rising Sun? AMERICANIZED VERSION
Japanese versions of hibachi "are quite small and intimate," Dr. Nan
Sussman explained. Dr. Sussman, a professor of psychology at the
College of Staten Island, studied, taught and researched as a
Fullbright Scholar in Japan for a year and has traveled to the
country several times since.
"We kind of Americanized it," noted Mark Tranchina, vice president
of It's Our Pleasure Hospitality Group, owner of Arirang. Arirang's
hibachi concept was so successful at its Staten Island location, at
23 Nelson Ave., that the company opened three other locations
outside the borough.
Tranchina said that the name for "iron pan" is "teppan" and "yaki"
means "grilling." Therefore, the word "teppan-yaki" refers to the
Japanese way of cooking where dining and preparation happen in the
same place. In the United States, however, teppan-yaki is referred
to as hibachi.
Tranchina said Arirang's approach to teppan-yaki is "hospitality
driven." He explains that the American hibachi allows serving sushi
hibachi-side, if requested by the customer. Also, a guest may
request additional food from a waiter like spicy rock shrimp tempura
or glazed Chilean Sea Bass, items that are sauteed or deep-fried.
The spin on tradition comes from downright American customer
service. With lights and music in the mix, Tranchina says, the
experience makes for a great party. SPECIAL SEATING
"That's what it's about: Having a good time," he said.
With Japanese teppan-yaki tradition, the grill and chef are on one
side while customers sit on the other, said Dr. Sussman, adding, "In
between is an artistic display of vegetables and meats. Guests
select their dishes from the offerings.
"The chef uses paddles with very long handles" which are extended
toward the customer for viewing of their raw food selections, she
said. For instance, eggplant, tofu, greens or carrots are displayed,
and then grilled on the teppan.
The hibachi apparatus itself may have migrated to Japan from China
beginning in the eighth century when the two cultures mingled.
Hibachis in China were fueled by coals and used as a heat source in
homes. The modern hibachi uses gas to heat up its iron or stainless
steel surface. MANY SMALL DISHES
"A meal means many small dishes, sitting with friends and family ...
The tradition is to be sitting right at the counter," she noted.
"You don't have to order everything at once. You order one or two
things, have some sake, a few more dishes. It's a lovely way to
eat." She likened the tradition to Mexican or South American tapas,
small dishes of food presented over a span of time.
"What's interesting is that Japan has major cuisine styles, few of
which have made it the United States," said Dr. Sussman.
While sushi and a theatrical version of teppan-yaki make a hit in
the States, other Japanese restaurant traditions have been left
behind for now. Dr. Sussman points to roboto-yaki -- a restaurant
where tablemates cook raw ingredients on the grill themselves, as
well as straight-forward Japanese noodle shops.
But Japan is far away. For Staten Islanders, teppan-yaki signals a
yen for tropical drinks with dinner and heat from a flaming volcano.
By Pamela Silvestri
Reprinted here with permission
from the
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