My first visit to Benihana won’t be my last…

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benihana-downey-store-frontsponsored post

Full disclosure: This post was sponsored by Benihana. All opinions are my own.

Confession time: Up until one month ago, I had never been to a Benihana. Yet I have met so many people over the years who LOVE this place. In fact, a food writer I know who covers the best restaurants in LA told me that this is where she wants to go every year for her birthday.

So when I saw a new location had recently opened in Downey, CA (just outside Los Angeles) I decided it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about.

Spoiler alert: The fuss is deserved. Benihana is fun, and it’s tasty.

benihana-light-fixtures

The history of Benihana is an interesting one. Rocky Aoki (a samurai descendent and son of a Tokyo coffee shop owner) came to the US with a dream of opening a restaurant. Through selling ice cream fancied with cocktail umbrellas on the streets of Harlem, in 1964 he saved enough money to start the very first American teppanyaki restaurant in NYC. These teppan iron griddles were the showcase of the restaurant and remain the highlight of more than 75 Benihana restaurants in the US and across the world.

benihana-bar

It was certainly the highlight of our visit at the Downey location. After having a drink at the modern bar, my husband and I took our place around our teppanyaki grill, waited for more guests to join us (each grill seats eight) and for the festivities to begin.

After a party of six was seated, the waitress asked if there were any special occasions being celebrated. The smallest boy proudly informed her it was his birthday. I secretly worried we’d be in the way of their fun. But it turns out, the whole place is fun! There’s no such thing as getting in the way of it because you become part of it.

benihana-spicy-tuna-sushi

We ordered appetizers while we waited for our chef to come to our table. We split a spicy tuna roll and a Chili Ponzu Yellowtail dish with fresh Yellowtail, jalapeño, cilantro and chili ponzu sauce, which was as pretty as it was delicious. For drinks, my husband chose a Japanese Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky and I got a Tokyo Mule, a take on a Moscow Mule, with Vodka and Benihana Sake with crushed cucumber, fresh lime and ginger beer.

benihana-chili-ponzu-yellowtailBenihana Chili Ponzu Yellowtail

Our chef arrived soon after and the show began. You might be thinking “show?” Yes, show! Your chef doesn’t just masterfully prepare your meal right in front of your eyes, he wows you while he does it. Shrimps fly through the air, spatulas spin around fingers and hands, and the chefs seem to communicate to each other and guests through clicks of metal tools and hardy yells. It kind of felt like sitting in the middle of a food-based Cirque du Soleil set.

And while this was super fun for my husband and I to watch, we couldn’t have had nearly as much fun as the young birthday boy, who was absolutely mesmerized by it all. What a great place for a celebration! I instantly imagined my food writer friend in the same position and totally understood the appeal. Because after eating at countless snooty restaurants, remaining composed and dignified, isn’t it fun to let out a big “oooh!” when an onion tower bursts into flames right on your table?

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You get a ton of food for your money too, which is a great bonus. Each entree is served as a 5-course meal and includes Benihana onion soup, Benihana salad (with a REALLY good ginger dressing), grilled shrimp, grilled vegetables, homemade dipping sauces, steamed rice (though I recommend upgrading to the chicken fried rice, prepared right in front of you), Japanese hot green tea and ice cream.

My husband and I both got steaks. He chose the large 12 oz. New York Strip Imperial Steak with grilled mushrooms and onions and I got the Land and Sea; a filet mignon with scallops grilled with butter and lemon. We were both very happy with our choices.

benihana-ice-creamWho doesn’t love ice cream?!

And as we joined the family and staff in singing “Happy Birthday” to our table’s guest of honor, I was already planning my next visit to Benihana in my head. Yep, I found a new request for my birthday too.

Find the location nearest to you. I promise you’ll be delighted in more ways than one.

Stef is many things. Amongst them: editor-in-chief of we heart this, photographer, condiment connoisseur, Philly girl in the California desert, borderline hoarder and a hardcore beauty junkie.

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  • A woman with blonde bangs smiling for the camera.

    Stef is a plethora of things. Amongst them: co-founder of we heart this, photographer, condiment connoisseur, Philly girl in the California desert, borderline hoarder and a hardcore beauty junkie. She also has a touch of wanderlust and, arguably, the cutest dog in the whole world... skin tone: NC 25/30 skin type: oily with a fear of rosacea favorite beauty product: high end skincare and lip products

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One Comment

  1. @stef, I find it hard to believe that this was your first visit to a Benihana restaurant! Truly a GREAT dinning establishment! Now, I am hungry! There is one about 10 minutes from our home in Irvine,CA. I feel lucky to have been there many times.. I grew up on the East Coast and we had one that close to us too, It was so popular. Our family loved having dinners and birthday celebrations there!

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