The dining room at Kanpai on Grande Boulevard near Broadway Avenue in Tyler. Each table features a built-in grill, allowing customers to cook their own food, letting them slow down and enjoy a leisurely meal. Andrew D. Brosig/Tyler Morning Telegraph

1. Permit filed for new Japanese restaurant

In Japan and other Asian countries, yakiniku isn’t just a style of food; it’s an event. Family and friends gather around a table with a small grill in the middle and visit as they sear and cook their own meals. Dinners can last for hours.

The Weng family has brought the yakiniku experience to Tyler with the opening of Kanpai Japanese & More, at Grande Boulevard and South Broadway Avenue.

“I think people are a little intimidated at first, but it’s a very simple concept,” said Steve Weng, who also owns Wasabi Sushi Bar & Asian Bistro.

The simplicity is key, he said. Kanpai servers bring out a plate of thinly sliced, uncooked meats and vegetables, and are trained to demonstrate to customers how to use the gas grills built into each table.

“Grilling 101,” Weng said. “Don’t put meat on a cold grill mesh. Our waiters will normally turn the grill on before they bring out the meat products, so they’ll be hot.”

And don’t attempt to cook everything at once, he added.

“This is all about the atmosphere,” he said. “People who want to get in and eat fast, they’re missing the point of yakiniku. In Asia, we might sit down to dinner at 6 p.m., and we won’t walk out until after 9 p.m. It’s all about the conversation, the togetherness, along with good food and good drinks.”

The yakiniku format is perfect for this kind of dining, Weng said.

“You’re going to grill at your own pace, and we’ll bring out whatever you need,” he said. “You can take your time, enjoy the company, and the best part is you don’t have to clean up afterwards.”

The Weng family has been in the restaurant business for years. Weng’s parents came to Tyler in the1990s and purchased Liang’s Restaurant. Steve and his sister Gina helped them out, then began to open their own businesses. They’re accustomed to bringing new concepts to Tyler. Wasabi, which opened in 2009, was one of the first to serve sushi exclusively in East Texas.

As they researched the yakiniku style, Steve’s sister Gina and his mother Susan traveled to Tokyo and spent time in the kitchen of one of the most popular yakiniku restaurants there. They brought what they learned back to Tyler. They even make their own sauces – which are used to flavor the thinly sliced meats.

“Some people ask why the meats are sliced so thin, but that’s the style,” Weng explained. “Remember, fat is flavor. With thick-sliced meats, you might sear the outside but you won’t have melted the fats deeper inside. The yakiniku style is thin slices and rich flavor.”

Most Texans have at least some familiarity with grilling, Weng said.

“It’s not hard to educate the customer, and since everyone gets a set of tongs, everyone can participate” he said. “Parents sometimes worry that the grill is hot, but the brass [ventilation] ring around it is quite cool and safe for kids.”

More experienced diners know to start grilling with the fattier cuts and move toward the leaner cuts. That’s part of how the grill is greased. Sometimes one person in a party takes over and becomes the grill-master, but more often, everyone takes part.

“I’ve had some people ask me why they have to do the cooking,” Weng said. “But we do have cooked items on the menu for them, if they wish. And because many of our customers have asked, we’ll be bringing some of the sushi items over from Wasabi.”

Gina Weng, who currently manages Kanpai, is married a brewer for True Vine Brewing. So Kanpai – which translates as “cheers” or “bottoms up” – has a full list of craft beers from around the state.

For younger diners, there’s a special dessert they probably won’t find in any Asian yakiniku restaurant – s’mores.

“We have grills, so how could we not offer s’mores?” Weng asked.

Twitter: @tmt_roy