It's a first date.
You both decide to go to dinner, but where?
You don't want it too casual and loud, but then again, it might be premature to spring for a fancy dinner at Janos.
Some people decide on a happy medium — teppan yaki, where the chefs cook flavorful Japanese food in front of you while keeping up a patter of bad puns and lively banter.
Plus, it's fun, moderately priced, and the customers' dress ranges from casual to fancy.
Four restaurants in town — Benihana, Bonsai, Sakura and Takamatsu — offer teppan yaki. Benihana just started a four-week remodel, so the restaurant won't be open until sometime next month. The other three restaurants are open for lunch and dinner. Each restaurant also serves other dishes, from sushi to Korean food.
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Kevin Koch, a 29-year-old insurance salesman, prefers to take dates to Sakura or Bonsai. He likes that the pressure's off a bit to make conversation. "For one thing, you don't have to talk to your date the entire time — the cook does some of the talking and entertaining."
And that they do. Most chefs start things off by creating a large fire by squirting oil and alcohol on the table and lighting it.
At Takamatsu, three fires warmed diners' faces during a recent lunch. A teriyaki chicken lunch ($7.95) included steamed or fried rice, veggies and miso soup or salad with ginger dressing.
Jokes abounded, too. The chef said, "I saw this on TV one time" when he set a smiley face of oil on fire. When a diner acted surprised, he said,"Don't worry, we have insurance."
Stacked-up onion pieces were described as Japanese Legos, soy sauce was called Japanese ketchup, and an uncracked egg spun on the table was — of course — an "egg roll."
Altogether, many of the "jokes" are groaners, but they're fun and make for a unique dining experience.
"You get so much food — and it's so good," said Linda Cassavera, a Pima Community College student who recently dined at Takamatsu. "They're a little cheesy, but I always have a good time."
Where to eat teppan yaki
• Benihana Tucson — 297-5555.
• Address: 6091 N. Oracle Road.
• Web site: www.benihana.com.
• Teppan yaki entree prices: $16.75-$42.
• Hours: The restaurant is currently getting remodeled, so call for more information. Its regular hours are 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 5-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and noon- 9 p.m. Sundays.
• Bonsai Japanese Steak and Seafood — 325-4494.
• Address: 3305 N. Swan Road.
• Web site: www.bonsai az.com.
• Teppan yaki entree prices: $11.95-$42.95.
• Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 5-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturdays.
• Sakura Teppan Steak and Sushi — 298-7777.
• Address: 6542 E. Tanque Verde Road.
• Web site: www.sakura tucson.com.
• Teppan yaki entree prices: $13.95-$41.95.
• Hours: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; and 5-11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
• Takamatsu — 512-0800.
• Address: 5532 E. Speedway.
• Web site: www. takatucson.net.
• Teppan yaki entree prices: $11.95-$31.95.
• Teppan yaki hours: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 5-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; and 5-10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
