Benihana

05/09/09

Great Sushi

by Nixy

We stopped for Sushi last night and the food & service were great. There was quite the wait for the other side of the restaurant with the Hibachi style dining. Everyone on the sushi side of the restaurant had big platters of food and seemed to be quite happy.

They even put up with our substitutions in some of the rolls, as we aren't big fans of crab. Food was fantastic. Service was great. Decent selection of cold sakes as well. I can't review the Hibachi side, but we will be returning for sushi again there soon.

• Pros: let us make subsitutions

10/03/08

Great show

by ayc_alvinarc

As many have already know, Benihana and perhaps other Hibachi/Teppan place offer a "show" at the table--the chef demonstrating his skills with the ingredients utensils. The show was great for a first-time, however, the tricks may repeat itself afterward.

As for the food, my boyfriend ordered the dinner's portion Filet Mignon. I don't usually eat steak med-rare but the Filet Mignon was perfectly done. It melts in my mouth. I would go there again, however, the dinner Filet Mignon is quite spendy for my wallet...

Knife-wielding chefs put on a show at this communal Japanese grill.

by Contributor

In Short
Benihana started out as a tiny four-table restaurant in New York City's theater district before becoming an international chain. Diners sit around large tables where chefs ostentatiously chop, slice, stir-fry and grill. Entree options are simple--shrimp, chicken, steak and scallops--and preparation is uniform. Every entree comes with a similar stock of sides: rice, onion soup, shrimp appetizer, iceberg lettuce drizzled with dressing, sauteed vegetables and green tea.

04/09/08

An event as much as it is a great meal

by MKJames

If you don't know already, Benihana's puts on a fantastic dining experience. Sure, the chef's performances follow a repeatable routine, but then so do waiters and waitresses at most other restaurants. The staff is friendly and very willing to please. The chef's are truly a job to watch. The food is excellent - exceptionally fresh and well prepared. Yes, it is expensive. Don't go here and then belly ache that it cost you 25% more that Stanfords. It is a quality restaurant and dining experience.

• Pros: Presentation

03/02/08

If you feel like you miss Disneyland, go.

by cangelus

We went to Benihana for my son's birthday. We've been to many other Hibachi style restaurants over the years, and enjoyed them. Other than the fact that it was loud and packed, the waits were long, and the service was slow, I give this a one-star rating because the food was basically tasteless.

Most Hibachi style places serve flavorful food. Here, it was all about the "entertainment", which in our case was done by a Caucasian man wielding a knife. I found everything to be bland. The scallops, for which a premium price is charged, were frozen when they were put on the grill, and tasted "off". even before one realized they were overcooked. The filet wasn't bad, but the sauces were extremely bland.

Not great value for the buck. But if someone has never had the experience of having the whole hibachi thing cooked at one's table, it's unfortunate that the only place in town is Benihana. I've had so much better.

12/24/07

Woo ha phooey.

by picky_eaters

My girlfriends and I stopped here for lunch on Saturday afternoon before our bridal fittings. I remember coming to a Benihanas when I was young for my parents engagement party. Perhaps the thrill I felt then was due to my age. I found the food was bland and very basic and for the price...it was outrageous. I drank water, and ordered the chicken. My bill was $18 dollars...JUST FOR ME! There were TONS of onions, mixed in with mushrooms and a little bit of zucchini. Nothing else. I don?t enjoy making a meal out of onions. And the man cooking seemed to try too hard. He kept saying 'Happy birthday' and it was nobody?s birthday. He clicked the knives around but really didn?t do anything spectacular. And all of the chiefs I noticed were Hispanic, including ours. His name was Felipe. I found this ironic as it is considered a communal Japanese grill.

Save your money. Next time you?re in your own kitchen...tap the blades of your knives together and tell yourself happy birthday over and over and you?ve got basically the same thing.

• Pros: Its beautiful inside
• Cons: You spend around 20 dollars a head, and leave hungry!

Knife-wielding chefs put on a show at this communal Japanese grill.

by Contributor

In Short
Benihana started out as a tiny four-table restaurant in New York City's theater district before becoming an international chain. Diners sit around large tables where chefs ostentatiously chop, slice, stir-fry and grill. Entree options are simple--shrimp, chicken, steak and scallops--and preparation is uniform. Every entree comes with a similar stock of sides: rice, onion soup, shrimp appetizer, iceberg lettuce drizzled with dressing, sauteed vegetables and green tea.

11/12/07

Good food but quite costly

by srkkreddy

The food out here is good, but I have been to this place on both occassions just because I was told that the chef does some nice tricks at your table by my friends (they were from out of town). I did not see anything that I would have considered as a good trick (or what they call Teppanyaki) on both occasions (and even when I peeped to the adjacent tables :-)). Though the food is good, it is pretty costly.

Make reservations if you intend to go to this place, it was quite crowded on the day we went (Friday).

• Pros: Good food, different experience
• Cons: Quite costly

09/20/07

Confused

by lilium

I'm not sure what all the rave reviews are about. Sure, the presentation is nice and it's a fun atmosphere. I understand the high prices because the cooks come to your table. We got sushi and steak with mushrooms. The appetizers were salad, onion soup, and vegetables. The soup (an onion broth) was ok, he salad dressing was gross, and there were just a few pieces of onion and zucchini. The fried rice and steak (with like 3 pieces of mushroom) tasted like nothing but salt. The most unimpressive $60 I've ever spent at a restaurant (that's just with drinking water)! Changs Mongolian Grill or a restaurant of that nature is way better!

• Pros: Fun atmosphere
• Cons: bad food, REALLY expensive

08/19/06

BEST SUSHI AROUND!!

by phaat

I'm sure the show in the restaurant is great, but I go to Benihana for the sushi (in a separate bar room). It's absolutely THE BEST! The sushi hand rolls are huge and very fresh...and the best part is, they're only $1.25 each!!! You really can't beat that!

• Pros: sushi hand rolls
• Cons: none!