GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)—Joy of Tokyo has been bringing you Japanese food for more than two decades, but they’re not a national chain despite what a lot of people think. All eight locations are in Greenville County, focusing on bringing you the hibachi experience but faster and easier, and you can bring it to go.
Yong Lee came to the US in the 1980’s and worked for several restaurants, including one owned by a family member, before he opened his own buffet in the early 1990’s.
Lee said the buffet was successful enough but produced a lot of food waste, so he decided to open Joy of Tokyo to cater to the crowd who wanted good food and fast.
“I think he actually started it because he saw there were a lot of hibachi restaurants that were around that were on the fancier side, and he thought, ‘Why don’t we just do that in a simpler way?'” said Joy of Tokyo Manager and Lee’s son Jackie Lee.
Lee said he’s enjoyed bringing Japanese food to America, especially Greenville County.
They serve sushi, hibachi, and specialty appetizers like their tempura vegetables.
The hibachi steak and chicken is their best seller and is cooked on the grill in front of customers and often eaten with their famous white sauce.
Most food can be made vegetarian, as the restaurant uses margarine, not butter.
Their California roll and other sushi items are made to order. Ingredients like crab sticks and rice are shipped in from Japan to use in the restaurant.
Visit one of their many locations from 11am to 9pm daily.
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