Best hibachi place? (Chicago, Evanston, Wheeling: middle school, live, restaurants)

[Master Jay]

Hello, city-data.com team! Yesterday I was talking with my children about their favorite restaurants in Chicago, and northern burbs. But we have really never tried Japanese, in all our visits... Please throw out some places for fun table Hibachi (usually good sushi will also be served). My kids and I enjoy the cooking table theatrics...Thank you/ Domo arigato!

[japster28]

Besides Benihana, which probably doesn't count since it's a national chain, I've only been to Ron of Japan.

I used to go there in middle school for my birthday and I thought it was good AF. Like I seriously loved it. Looking at the reviews now they do seem kind of mixed so I hope someone else can supplement this information. My palate may have evolved or the place may have changed. Also, people may just be expecting too much.

With that being said I remember it quite fondly but it does seem a little overpriced. I think my parents would spend $200 on a dinner there. You did remind me I should try and find more hibachi joints in Chicago though, so thanks for that.

Cheers, and hope you find what you're looking for mate!

[Master Jay]

japster28, good to meet you and thank you for sharing! I believe we have Benihana in my hometown of Milwaukee, but I think it has been years since I was there. I pass a Benihana when I take Milwaukee Avenue (Highway 21) to Illinois, and I pass through Wheeling, although I have never stopped in... And I see Ron of Japan in Northbrook when I take I-94 into Chicago, but again I have never been... Actually, as I said, I have NEVER been to any hibachi in Illinois, so it is on my to-do list!... I did do a hibachi in Milwaukee for my birthday (I have the same birthday as Bruce Lee, which may explain the martial artist in me!). My children and I definitely enjoy the food and entertainment, and YES it can be a bit pricier. But for a once-in-a-while activity it would be fun when we're in the Chicago area... I wonder if there are any good recommendations for the non-chain/big name Japanese restaurants in your area, perhaps?

[nana053]

Can't tell you the best, but there is this one in Lincoln Park

Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi - it is relatively new.

Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi - Chicago

730 W Diversey Pkwy,
Chicago, IL 60614
773-248-2882

[Master Jay]

nana053, thank you for taking the time to contribute, and share the link. It seems they don't use the word, Hibachi. It looked like: tempamnyakki (sp.?) which I've never hears before. Then again, I'm no expert on Japanese restaurant terminology.... I see a place all the time called Midori, in North Park area. I may look into that, as well. Have a great day!

[847mom]

Teppanyaki is just another word for Hibachi, actually I think its the real word as opposed to Hibachi style. Most places, however are fairly Americanized. Most of the ones I have been to are fairly similar with the exception of the chef's style. Some chefs are more fun and animated than others. My kids always liked Kegon in Northbrook.

However them and Ron of Japan are pretty darn similar to Benihana FWIF. There are others around. I have been to Sakura and also Tsukasa. I would check the Yelp app to see what other people think. However, I would probably not venture into the city for it unless the place would be majorly better. I would go for the Suburban convenience, probably with the kids. Don't get me wrong I love the city but I would probably do a different cuisine for that.

Have fun!

[Master Jay]

847mom, thank you. I appreciate your contribution. I enjoy learning about language and cultures, and in my 40 + years, I don't recall the word: Teppanyaki.... So arigato, for teaching me! So, Northbrook has Ron of Japan AND Kegon, the latter I've never heard of! You mention, actually, a handful to look into! Maybe I'll try one before the end of the month. We'd all appreciate it.

[Master Jay]

So I passed Midori on Bryn Mawr today. No time to stop in to try sushi, or anything. I was headed up to Don Juan in Edison Park to meet up with Chicago South Sider... can anyone vouch for Midori?

[Hiruko]

Todoroki in Evanston.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by 847mom

Teppanyaki is just another word for Hibachi, actually I think its the real word as opposed to Hibachi style. Most places, however are fairly Americanized. Most of the ones I have been to are fairly similar with the exception of the chef's style. Some chefs are more fun and animated than others. My kids always liked Kegon in Northbrook.

However them and Ron of Japan are pretty darn similar to Benihana FWIF. There are others around. I have been to Sakura and also Tsukasa. I would check the Yelp app to see what other people think. However, I would probably not venture into the city for it unless the place would be majorly better. I would go for the Suburban convenience, probably with the kids. Don't get me wrong I love the city but I would probably do a different cuisine for that.

Have fun!

Actually, "hibachi" as a term is habitually misused in the U.S.

Real hibachi is basically indoor grilling, more similar to robata than to teppanyaki. Hibachi actually refers to the container (usually pot- or bowl-shaped) holding coals the cook over although in modern places they may use gas. Hibachi is most similar to Korean barbecue. Hibachi is just a term for how certain styles of Japanese food are cooked. There's no focus on entertainment and it's not necessarily a promise of high-quality ingredients.

Robata is grilling with a grate, always over coals, and usually (though not always) focuses on skewers. It focuses on cooking the food with great precision using high-quality ingredients. While foodies may find it entertaining, the chefs don't focus on being entertaining.

Teppanyaki, on the other hand, uses a flat iron or steel griddle (similar to what short-order cooks use in American-style diners), and the focus is mostly on the artistry of the chef - it's part entertainment. Usually there is some focus on using fresh, quality ingredients, but the real focus is the "show" the chef puts on. This is also the youngest of the three styles, and really didn't exist as such prior to the end of WWII.

Ron of Japan is probably the oldest teppanyaki place in Chicago and has a following among people who like old-school teppanyaki places. For a while they were looking pretty dated and run down, but I believe they've been renovated since I was there last, so it's classier now. Ron and the downtown Benihana are only a few blocks apart (almost exactly a ten minute walk) with Benihana in the lower plaza level at the building formerly known as Hancock, two blocks north of Chicago Ave / the Watertower, and Ron of Japan is on Ontario St, four short blocks (by which I mean, not a full standard block) south of Chicago Ave. It's not a coincidence that they're both basically in the center of Chicago's tourist-focused area. My grandmother loved Benihana. I enjoy teppanyaki occasionally (I've been to Ron of Japan twice in the 25 years I've lived in Chicago), and while I've never been to Japan, I've had teppanyaki in China and in Panama (as the guest of the press agent for Taiwan's embassy in Panama, which was one of Taiwan's very few embassies until Panama switched from recognizing Taiwan to recognizing the PRC, succumbing to the political pressure from the PRC).

Within the City proper, Ron of Japan and Benihana are likely most like what you're looking for, although Sakura on Diversey Ave also offers it. Other places that provide the kind of dining entertainment people usually want when they seek out teppanyaki (whether they call it that or hibachi) are mostly in the suburbs. I think that's because it's kind of gone out of style among city dwellers (at least in Chicago) because the focus is more on Japanese food that is more authentically and historically Japanese. Teppanyaki is Japanese, but as I mentioned it's relatively new, having become what it is only after WWII.