Benihana, Arigato, Kobe Japanese Steakhouse?

[sharky]

Last night I went to Kobe Japanese Steakhouse here in Tampa. I love the food! It's on the only places I will even attempt to eat seafood (shrimp)! I love it. I had the teriyaki chicken and shrimp.. you can't beat it.

I'd like to try and duplicate their taste/flavor on the grill. Does anyone have any ideas? I know they use the teriyaki sauce, but they don't marinate anything. I noticed they use an herbed butter to heat up their griddle, and then they squeeze some lemon juice on it while it's cooking. Nothing else, except for the sauce which comes at the end.

I've tried to duplicate it many times on the grill, but it doesn't come out the same. I imagine because I don't use a griddle.

Any suggestions?

[StPeteBBQ]

I don't know of any recipes for teriyaki chicken that don't involve marinating the chicken first. If you find what you're looking for, please share it with us.

I would think that chicken thighs marinated in teriyaki sauce for an hour or so, quick seared, then finished indirectly would be great. Near the finish, brush some herbed butter on them. In fact, that doesn't sound like a bad cook for this weekend.

[SeanB]

I would think that because they chop it up so small that the marinade is not as important. The other thing is that the griddle they use is supper hot (Alton has talked about how the high heat is an important part of the flavor for Stir Fry). I say cut up your chicken and cook it in an iron skillet over a hot fire and add a teriyaki sauce to it near the end of cooking....but I am just guessing. :p

[sharky]

StPeteBBQ -

That does sound VERY good.. however I don't think that will reproduce the same flavor. The guys also use chicken breasts.

SeanB - I think you aare right on with this. I need to invest in a bigger cast iron griddle for the grill. I do have an infoor grill (Gasp!) with a griddle. I MIGHT be able to duplicate it on that. Hmmmm.

[Unregistered]

Sharky,

I love Kobe's shrimp and chicken too. I'd love to be able to have it once a week, but I'd rather make it at home. I tried tonight over the stove with a giddle pan and it didn't turn out well. The shrimp was tough and the flavor gone. If you ever figure it out please post it! Until then I will keep searching and making notes when I go to Kobe!

Cheers,
Dan

[0425]

Is it anything like this?
http://www.ichiban.ca/ichiban.wmv

http://www.ichiban.ca/images/reno_int1.jpg
http://www.ichiban.ca

(Awesome food by the way.)

[Ryan]

Is it anything like this?
http://www.ichiban.ca/ichiban.wmv

http://www.ichiban.ca/images/reno_int1.jpg
http://www.ichiban.ca

(Awesome food by the way.)




Yeah, exactly like that :)


Anyone have any luck duplicating the flavor?

[0425]

I've tried too, and have had no luck. I'd really like to have one of those bigass SS grills though...do they clean them up with lemon/wet cloth/ice there? Pretty neat.

[sharky]

I think it will be tough to get it just right, but I do know they used herbed butter as a base before they slap the chicken down on the griddle.

I've been fairly successful using a cast iron griddle on the grill.

I've even seen Griddle attachments for gas grills. I think that might be one of my next purchases for the grill:-)

[Ryan]

Sharky we should do Japanese for lunch sometime this week!

Maybe we can get them to share their little secrets :)

[nerofiend]

Its really difficult to get the same flavor that Kobes has cause they use a different recipe for there sauces compared to anything you can get commercially. I go there about 3 times a month to eat and made pretty good friends with the chefs there. When it comes to there Ginger (For Seafood/Chicken) and Mustard (For Beef and Vegtable) sauces im still in the dark other then they have Ginger or Mustard in them lol. With the Teriaki sauce they use I know it contains Banana's, Sugar, Soy sauce, and other things. I tried for a while to duplicate it but never quite got it to work. I did find out that they will sell you portions of there sauces for a small fee to take home if you want to. Thats the only way I came close enough to the right flavor. One thing to mention is that if you use Cast Iron or an outside grill it will never taste right, its best to use a flat steel griddle with high heat, nothing even non stick works the same way.

[Deuce]

You guys are bringing back memories of Okinawa and eating Kobe beef at the Four Seasons Hotel. Talk about some good eats!