Japanese chef entertains diners with cooking and knife skills

Dinner and a show takes on a different meaning for Japanese steakhouse chef Jayar Narciso, who turns dinner into the show.

With a flash of sharpened steel slicing through tender beef and chicken and food skillfully flying through the air, Narciso is equal parts chef and entertainer as he gives his customers a memorable meal.

"I like showing how welcome they are at the restaurant," said Narciso, who works at Wasabi in Summerville. "I know I'm doing well when I see the customers smiling, and they're talking back to me and asking if it's OK to ask for me again."

Narciso, a 26-year-old Fort Dorchester High School graduate, began working as a Japanese steakhouse chef during college when he was looking for a way to make extra money. His interest in cooking led him to a Japanese steakhouse in North Charleston, where he began to learn the craft of cooking and showmanship.

"It's like schooling. It's like going from first grade to high school. If you want to be a chef, first you have to know how to work in the kitchen to prepare the food," he said. "I'm still learning things even now to entertain people to make them want to come back to the restaurant."

Narciso, who was born in the Philippines, said he not only had to learn how to cook the food, but to learn Japanese customs on how to greet people and serve them. He said his training extended from the kitchen to several hours of practice a day at home.

"It's not just the time. My whole heart and soul is in it," he said.

Under the tutelage of a master Japanese chef, Narciso said he wasn't nervous when it came time for him to serve his first table.

"It wasn't really that nerve-racking. If you've trained well and in the right way, you'll be so comfortable that it feels like you've been doing it for a long period of time," he said.

Narciso greets his customers with a broad smile and easy conversation. He said he enjoys seeing children at his table, because as a father of two, he can relate to what will entertain them.

He also enjoys seeing employees from other Japanese restaurants.

"It gives me more confidence, and you want to show them what you've got," he said.

At the restaurant, Narciso said all the chefs learn from each other and push each other to be better through friendly competition of who can get the most requests.

He said the restaurant provides an atmosphere where the work is more play time than a job.

"I enjoy every bit of it and every second of it," he said. "I'm in that place where I feel very comfortable working. It's like my second home."

Reach Bill Henley at 937-5433 or bhenley@postandcourier.com.