Fab Happenings: Top 5 Reasons to Indulge Your Benihana Crave

Benihana is celebrating its 55^th anniversary this year. If you haven’t been, Benihana is known for its fresh food prepared on teppanyaki grills and theatric presentation. It’s not just a meal you’re getting but also a whole dining experience.

Hiroaki (aka Rocky) Aoki moved to the U.S. from Japan to pursue the American dream and open his own restaurant. He sold ice cream on the streets of Harlem while studying restaurant management at night. Once he had enough money, he opened his first restaurant on West 56^th Street in 1964 and named it Benihana, playing homage to his parents’ café in Tokyo. His success continued to grow and by 1972, there were 6 in the United States, including a Chicago location. Although Aoki passed away in 2008, his dream lives on with over 100 locations nationwide.

The best dining experience is when it evokes familiarity and happy memories. Benihana does just that as it brings me back to my childhood. My parents took me to Benihana for birthdays and special occasions. When I started making my own money, the tradition continued and I took them to Benihana for celebrations. It was always a good time with fantastic food.

Here’s the “Top 5 Reasons to Indulge Your Benihana Crave”

1. Sushi for everyone. Although Benihana is known for their teppanyaki, they also serve sushi. It is a great way to start your meal. If you’re not into raw… no worries. They have an extensive selection of cooked rolls including this Lobster Roll with lobster tempura, crab, cucumber, and romaine lettuce and lobster hand rolls.

2. Healthy options. Benihana offers a variety of healthy options including nigiri, sashimi, and appetizer options. If you’re counting calories, the nigiri is about 40-160 calories per piece while the sashimi is about 25 calories per piece. I chose the Tuna Poke with onions, seaweed salad, sweet soy sauce, cucumber, and lemon. It’s a light and fresh option for warmer days. You can customize to make it spicy.

3. Fresh Taste of the Sea. The lobsters are sourced from the cold waters of the northern Atlantic, along the shores of Maine. This area is known to produce the best tasting lobsters in the world. Benihana’s version: remove lobster from its shell, grill with melted butter and lemon juice, and serve back in the shell. Cooked on the grill, the lobsters maintain its naturally sweet, delicate flavor.

2. Simple Preparation. The steaks are high quality as they only use USDA choice meats. They prepare the meats simply so that the natural flavors are highlighted. The scallops are also simply prepared with a quick sear (to avoid dryness) to a nice, golden crust. The result is a wonderful and natural sweet flavor.

1. Full sensory experience. Go for the food and stay for the show. Clanking of the utensils in the air (ooooh!), sizzling of the smokin’ onion volcano (aaaah!), and balancing egg tricks (eeeek!), the chef has a few tricks up his sleeve with his “magic.” It is a unique experience because you can see, hear, and smell the food that is being prepared.

Have you been to Benihana? How was your experience? Share with me below.

Live the Fab Food Life,
Soo

Note: This meal was complimentary. However, the views and opinions expressed herein are those of the writer.