Fuji Teppanyaki: Over 30 years of flavour and passion

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Aug 30: With skills honed in the disciplined tradition of Japanese teppanyaki, 60-year-old Thomas Tan has been delighting customers with his dishes every day since starting his own stall here.

For over three decades, Tan has honed this culinary style, beginning his journey in the mid-1980s when he joined a Japanese restaurant in Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur.

According to Tan, who hails from the Klang Valley and is married to a local, he may have been among the first crew members hired by the owner to serve the dishes.

He added that the establishment in the shopping mall was likely the first to open and introduce the dish to Malaysia and its city residents.

“After completing Form 5, I started working at a Chinese restaurant and later at several prominent establishments and hotels in Kuala Lumpur. So, when I eventually joined the Japanese restaurant, transitioning to preparing teppanyaki dishes was much easier,” he told DayakDaily in an interview.

“That was essentially how I began my culinary journey in Japanese cuisine, a path I have continued to pursue to this day,” he added.

Tan further revealed that when he came to Kuching in the mid-90s with his wife, he also had the opportunity to work at various Japanese restaurants in the city.

“One of them is the well-known Japanese restaurant in Kuching, Kikyo Tei, located at the old government rest house along Jalan Crookshank, not far from the Civic Centre.

“I also worked at a Japanese restaurant located at Crown Towers before heading to the United States in 2002 in search of better opportunities in the culinary field,” he revealed.

Tan shared that during his time in the US, he worked in various cafés and restaurants across Minnesota, primarily serving Asian and Japanese cuisines, with a focus on teppanyaki, sushi, and udon dishes.

“That was where I honed my Japanese culinary skills, along with many aspects of food and beverage hospitality management,” he said with a chuckle.

After more than a decade in the US, Tan missed his family in Kuching and decided to return to Malaysia for good. With decades of culinary experience, he opened a stall at Expert Food Court, RH Plaza, in 2015, serving teppanyaki, which he continues to fulfil today.

Tan shared that teppanyaki, like many other Japanese dishes, can be served in a variety of food and beverage establishments.

“This dish can be enjoyed by anyone, from everyday people to public figures, whether it’s served as street food or in a five-star hotel. It’s for everyone who appreciates good, Japanese-style cuisine.”

Tan noted that in some Japanese restaurants, teppanyaki chefs put on a cooking show to entertain diners.

“Such gestures and entertainment draw people to the dishes, but in a food court, where patrons are seated at fixed spots, it wouldn’t be practical.

“But for me, when you’re serving many specific menu items, the focus is on preparing them correctly. That’s why I might look a bit stern (when cooking)—it’s the discipline and concentration needed to make a proper teppanyaki dish.”

He further explained that the dish is simple, utilising fresh meat, seafood, and vegetables, and is typically served with rice or noodles.

“In Japan, this dish is less heavily seasoned and is typically enjoyed with a light sauce to suit delicate palates. What matters most is the freshness of the ingredients and the simplicity of the preparation,” he added.

However, Tan also noted that while locals enjoy teppanyaki, many are still unfamiliar with the dish. Despite that, he is optimistic that more locals will grow familiar with the dish, noting its many similarities in flavour and style to local cuisines.

To streamline his stall’s operations, Tan, often busy at his teppanyaki station, is assisted by his wife, whom he met while they were both working at a five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

“My wife is my ‘staff sergeant’ in the culinary trade and brings vast experience from the hospitality industry; she knows the business well,” he said with a chuckle.

Tan’s stall, Fuji Teppanyaki, is located at the Expert Food Court in RH Plaza Commercial Centre here. It operates daily from 5pm to 8.30pm, except on Sundays.

For more information, call 010 9752758. — DayakDaily

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