Tokyo Japanese Steak House opens in Saugus

SAUGUS – Around eight people sat around the large, steel teppanyaki grill at Saugus? newest restaurant Thursday afternoon, as chef Hunter Boonma flipped and tossed his spatula and fork around like a pair of batons. On the grill, a small volcano made of sliced onion erupted into a bubbling flow of soy sauce as flames shot two feet in the air.Behind him, shoppers at the Square One Mall shuffled by, stopping to stare in the window at the spectacle going on inside.It was the grand opening of Tokyo Japanese Steak House, and customers at the mall were getting their first taste of the new hibachi-style eatery for lunch.?We are very excited,” said owner David Lin. “A lot of people come into the mall. So while they?re shopping they?re hungry and they?ll come in. Or they come in for dinner and after dinner they can go shopping.”Boonma danced and sang as he flipped eggs and vegetables in the air. On his hip rested an old leather holster, but instead of a six-shooter, he had his trusty kitchen knife at this side.It?s been five months since the Board of Selectmen approved the new restaurant, and since that time, Lin said he?s been working day and night to get it up and running.Lin also owns two other Tokyo Japanese Steak Houses, one in Peabody and one in Braintree along with Bisuteki Japanese Steak House in Cambridge.The restaurant features a half dozen large teppanyaki tables – where chefs cook in front of the customers – along with several smaller shabu, or “hot pot” cooking tables, where a pot of soup simmers on an electric stove at the table and customers cook slices of meat in the broth.?Right now not many people know about (shabu),” said Lin. “Sushi everybody knows.”Customers can choose from a huge list of 25 teppanyaki meals, from teriyaki chicken to lobster and scallops, all of which are cooked fresh at the table. For the non-meat-eater there?s a full sushi bar along with several vegetarian options.?I?ve already eaten here twice,” said Susan Yee, General Manager of the Square One Mall. “The chefs are very entertaining. It?s fun. Hunter was our chef yesterday and he was very funny and engaging. It?s something that?s really not in the area. It?s not just a chain. It?s unique and different. You can come in and get sushi, or you can come in and spend a couple of hours at the table.”The best part of the restaurant, said Yee, is it?s the perfect destination for families looking for a night out.?It?s kid friendly,” said Yee. “You go to a restaurant and how many times do you see parents trying to keep their kids quiet? Here they?re so engrossed in what?s going on at the table. We?ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. People are really into it. It?s nice to have it open.”Eddie Gravalese had just finished eating lunch at one of the teppanyaki tables with a friend Thursday and said he?ll definitely be back for more.?It was excellent,” said Gravalese. “I had the filet, shrimp and chicken. This is one of my favorites. I?ve been to all of them. I saw this and tried it out and took my buddy.”Tokyo Japanese Steak House is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m on weekdays and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].