By Lorraine Welsh

NEW Japanese restaurant Sapporo Teppanyaki has been cooking up a storm in Glasgow since its official opening a few days ago.

Situated in the heart of the Merchant City, the £2million venture at the corner of Ingram Street and High Street seats up to 188 diners, with 160 at the teppanyaki tables and 30 at the seafood and noodle bar.

Starting out in Liverpool in 2003, the restaurant brand's success grew, after being the first to serve up "non-traditional" japanese food, in "a theatrical way".

Another restaurant followed in Manchester and now the owners believe Glasgow could further grow the business.

Sapporo Teppanyaki managing director Vince Margiotta said: "We've had our eye on Glasgow for a while; the new concepts, the new restaurants, the new clubs. It's a vibrant city and it was clear choice for us.

"Glasgow has a lot of similarities with Liverpool and Manchester and so seemed like the logical next step."

He added: "We do have plans to look at other cities in Scotland in the coming years and we'll be keeping a very close eye on how our customer base develops here."

The number of people eating out is said to be falling due to the recession but the new restaurant's bosses are confident their business can cash in as the economy recovers.

Mr Margiotta said: "There's no better time to establish ourselves than when coming out of the recession. People still like going out but they're looking for value for money.

"We believe in great food, great hospitality and great value for money that is our strategy."

Another positive outlook is that the new venue has brought more jobs to Glasgow.

Mr Margiotta said: "We have employed 50 members of staff, all from Glasgow, which we believe has helped the economy and we're very pleased with the standard of chefs who have come on board."