Slice 'n' Dice Master

How much training did you need to be a Teppanyaki chef? I had one year of professional training at Shanghai’s Tairyo before some other examinations. As a Teppanyaki chef, I think a wide range of knowledge is important, because we cook directly for diners. It’s not just cooking, but also good service. Why did you decide to cook Japanese food? I was born into a family of chefs, but I didn’t want to follow my dad’s career path as a traditional Chinese chef. I wanted to learn something different, so I went to Shanghai and began to study Teppanyaki. So what’s the biggest difference between Chinese and Japanese cuisine? We serve our guests face to face, so we have to care about our looks, dress neatly and be polite. It’s more demanding than for a chef of Chinese cuisine. And we cook in a flexible way, so there’s a lot of room for creativity. What's your favorite thing to eat at Tairyo? Frankly speaking, I never eat my food because I know every dish like my back of hand and I am really confident about our food. Is the job dangerous, since the chefs are always lighting the food on fire? Yes, a little bit, especially in the early days, because the iron grill is very hot. The temperature can reach over 300 degrees Centigrade, so I used to get hurt a lot. Does that ever happen now? No way!