Making a meal of it
At Benihana, dinner is a production worthy of a stage
FOR MORE than 50 years, New York’s favourite Japanese restaurant chain Benihana has been delighting diners with its outstanding teppanyaki-style cooking show and tasty Japanese fusion platters.
The brand was launched in 1964 when Japanese-born wrestler Rocky Hiroaki Aoki, whose family ran a coffee shop in Tokyo, retired from the ring and opened his first four-table Teppanyaki-style bistro Benihana on Manhattan’s West 56th Street.
Located right alongside Broadway, Aoki was inspired by stage plays to create his own cooking show to entertain customers during a meal. That idea was an instant hit and today Behihana has more than 100 branches and franchises around the world. In Thailand, it’s operated by Minor Hotel Group and its third outlet at the Avani Atrium just celebrated its first birthday.
Decorated in red and black for a modern Japanese look, the dining space is lined with 11 teppanyaki grill tables fashioned from marble. There’s also a sushi bar and three private rooms for parties.
“Minor brought Benihana to Bangkok a decade ago with the first branch at Anantara Riverside Resort & Spa then expanded to Pattaya with a second outlet at Avani Pattaya. We want customers to engage with a meal, and we’re the only restaurant where the chefs will show off their cooking skills and do a magic show right at the table,” says Kittipa Sriyotree, marketing communication manager.
“Most of our ingredients are imported from Japan and include Hokkaido scallops, Hakata wagyu beef A4 Grade, Japanese icefish and amberjack fish. The grilled meat is prepared using the original techniques to ensure the flavour is authentic. ”
Our dinner starts with juicy Grilled Hokkaido Scallop (Bt700), topped with creamy spicy Japanese rayu sauce and flying fish roe. We also sample the curiously named Flotsam & Jetsam (Bt500), tender grilled Japanese eel rolls coated with eel wasabi sauce, fried noodles, togarashi spice and teriyaki sauce.
Benihana’s Salmon Tuna Tartare (Bt550) boasts avocado, salmon and tuna and is topped with salmon roe and infused wasabi sauce. Several sizzling teppanyaki sets arrive at our table along with Benihana onion soup, the signature Benihana salad and three sauces: ginger for seafood and vegetables, mustard cream to go with the pork, beef and chicken and a spicy sauce made with ground chilli and honey.
Then it’s time for the chef to take the stage and he does so in style throwing his spatulas up in the air as he prepares the marbled Japanese Hakata Wagyu Beef A4 Grade (Bt2,900). Cut from grain-fed beef in Fukuoka, the beef melts in the mouth and is served with tiger prawns, zucchini and Japanese onions fried with butter and lemon.
Other good choices include the Seafood Diablo Teppanyaki set (Bt1,500), a mixture of salmon fillet, tuna, shrimps, smooth mashed potato and mixed vegetables in spicy mayo sauce and the Crab and Turf set (Bt2,500), which is available until the end of December and boasts Alaska King crabs and tender Australian tenderloin, seasoned with refreshing yuzu sauce. The set also includes Alaska crab sushi rolls, Alaska crab nigiri with US tenderloin and foie gras nigiri and raspberry sorbet.
Sweet lovers should keep enough space for the crispy Cheesecake Dumpling (Bt160) in raspberry sauce that resembles Japanese gyoza and is perfect with vanilla ice cream.
FANCY FUSIONS
>> Benihana is located on the second floor of Avani Atrium. It’s open daily from 6 to 10.30pm. A weekend brunch is available on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3pm.
>> Find out more at the Benihana at “Avani Atrium Bangkok” page on Facebook.
