By Kate Cohen

Dining is the ultimate sensory experience. Whether you’re enjoying a multi-course chef’s menu at a world-renowned restaurant or eating leftovers on your couch, all five of your senses are at play.  

There is no culture that greater respects this delicate culinary sensory balance than the Japanese, who have their very own word for it: gokan.  

Gokan is the idea that all five senses – taste, sight, smell, hearing, and touch – should be considered when preparing and presenting food. With this principle in mind, chefs can create dishes that appeal to each of the senses, creating a well-rounded dining experience.  

If you’ve never thought about food beyond what it tastes like, we’re here to encourage you to see the bigger picture when it comes to gokan. 

Picture this… 

You walk into Shogun and immediately find yourself surrounded by large teppanyaki tables, gleaming as they reflect the light from overhead. At another table, you hear the satisfying sizzle of food hitting the grill and the smell of meat caramelizing in the air as you walk past.  

You settle into chairs around a teppanyaki table, surrounded by your friends and family. Soon, you’re sipping ice cold, refreshing cocktails and beverages that awaken your palate. For your appetizer, you savor every bite of a flavorful sushi roll dipped into soy sauce for a dash of salty umami flavor. Maybe you’re bold and dot each piece with wasabi for an intense strike of spice sure to clear your sinuses.  

Your teppanyaki chef comes to the table and greets you with warmth and humor. He dazzles you, conjuring enormous flames that close enough to fleetingly feel the heat on your cheeks.  

The sound of teppanyaki tools clanging against the grill is loud and metallic. In a show of skill, the masterful teppanyaki chef meticulously stacks thick onion slices and makes them bellow steam like an erupting volcano.  

A feat of showmanship ensues as the teppanyaki chef balances, tosses, and catches eggs; they gently crack as they hit the surface of the grill. Rice is piled onto the massive hot iron plate, and it sizzles and steams as flavorful sauces are drizzled onto the mound of rice.  

More clouds of bright, hot flame erupt to the sounds of “oohs,” “ahhs,” and applause. As seafood, meats, and veggies hit the grill, the room is overwhelmed with a fragrance that makes your mouth begin to water.  

Your plate is piled high with rice, fresh veggies, and meat and seafood straight off the grill. Curls of steam reach your nose. Across the room, another table is cheering on a fiery trick, but you don’t even hear them. You’re too focused on the first bite of hot, flavorful teppanyaki that you’ve been waiting for since the moment you walked in the door. 

This is the magic of gokan when you come to Shogun Japanese Steakhouse.  

Let’s break down all the different senses that come into play when you join us at our teppanyaki tables.  

Taste 

If you were asked to think of which sense you’d most associate with eating, you’re probably going to say taste. And rightly so. The way something tastes is absolutely critical to the dining experience.   

Our interpretation of food is strongly driven by a balance and combination of the five main tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Taste receptors on your tongue allow you to distinguish the distinct tastes, and specific combinations of them may appeal to or displease your palate.  

At Shogun, our chefs work hard to prepare food that is balanced and delicious so you can make the most of your tasting experience. 

Smell 

While your tongue can distinguish the five tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, anything you “taste” beyond that when eating is actually smell. 

 If you were to close your eyes, plug your nose, and pop a jellybean into your mouth, you would be able to pick up on tastes like sour, sweet, and maybe even salty. But it isn’t until you unplug your nose that your mouth will fill with scent, and you’ll be able to determine familiar flavors like cherry, watermelon, or buttered popcorn. 

Ambient smell can absolutely affect your dining experience, for better or worse. Think of the last time you were sitting at a restaurant and smelled something enticing as a waiter carried it past your table. Maybe you’re dining by the ocean and the smell of salt air is enhancing your seafood platter. Or perhaps you’ve been seated near a table where a guest is wearing a particularly pungent perfume.

In Japanese culture, gokan requires the chef to consider every scent their guests may encounter, whether it’s directly associated with food or elsewhere in the environment. 

At Shogun, the scent of food cooking on our teppanyaki grills greets you as soon as you walk into the restaurant. If you weren’t hungry before, you probably will be once you smell what’s cooking! 

Touch 

The textures of food play a huge part in how we interpret a dish. Whether something is crispy, crunchy, chewy, creamy, slimy, oily, or juicy can tell you a lot about what you’re eating – and whether or not you enjoy it. The term “mouthfeel” doesn’t just apply to wine; the weight and feel of food as you eat it can greatly impact the experience. 

Temperature is another tactile way we interpret food. Cold ice cream is delicious, but cold, soggy French fries are not. A warm chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven is good for the soul, but a warm yogurt that’s been left out in the sun is, well, disgusting.  

At Shogun, you’ll feel everything from the heat of the flames on the grill gently warming your cheeks to the perfect tenderness of the filet mignon that’s been seared before your eyes. Finish your meal with a slice of perfectly creamy cheesecake for the perfect tactile experience.  

Sight  

It’s said that we “eat with our eyes,” meaning that what we see greatly impacts how we experience what we’re consuming.  

For example, a beautifully layered burger with a perfectly rounded bun and colorful condiments is almost always going to be more appealing than one that has been smushed and has a thin, gray patty beneath a square of waxy, artificial cheese.  

Picture a bright red strawberry at the peak of ripeness, and one that looks dried out and is covered in fuzzy blue mold. Which would you rather eat?  

At Shogun, so much of the dining experience revolves around sight. You’ll marvel at the bursts of flame coming from the grill and the skillful tricks executed by our chefs. Seated around the teppanyaki grill, you’ll also delight in watching the reactions of others at your table who are thoroughly enjoying their Shogun experience. 

Sound  

It may seem odd to consider sound when talking about food, but it, too, plays a large part in the sensory experience. Whether you’re crunching on potato chips or slurping the last of a delicious chocolate milkshake, sound is everywhere when we dine. Even the music playing in a restaurant and its volume as we eat impacts the experience, and, gokan suggests, should be carefully chosen in consideration of the guest.  

There is so much to hear when you dine at Shogun. From the sizzling of food on the grill to the clanging of knives and spatulas as the chefs show off their skills, it’s rarely quiet in the restaurant. If you’re lucky, you may just hear one of the teppanyaki chefs burst out into song, too.  

Entice All Five Senses When You Dine at Shogun 

Dining at Shogun Japanese Steakhouse is an experience that will surprise and delight each of your senses. Come join us and see just how gokan is present in every aspect of your visit!