Benihana and the #BeniGirlsBash

If I had to choose one type of food to eat forever, it would probably be Japanese food. Sushi, teriyaki, katsu, miso, edamame, wasabi… mmmm.

Okay, so if I was forced to make such a decision, there’s a chance that I might panic at the last moment and choose Mexican food instead, but I would probably spend eternity dreaming of nori, rice crackers, California rolls and unagi.

That’s why I jumped… No, leaped… No threw myself at the chance to join several other bloggers at an event at the Benihana restaurant in Chelsea last week.

The chain, which opened its first restaurant in New York in 1964, is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. It is far more than a normal restaurant, though, as also offers its own distinct style of entertainment (eatertainment? ha ha. sorry.) that’s perfect for all ages. In fact, one of the reasons a group of parent bloggers was invited to the event was to promote just how great it is for a family meal out.

Arriving at the restaurant, which is just a short walk from Sloane Square Underground station, I was slightly taken aback by the tiny entrance and stairs that headed down into the basement dining area – no lift in sight. Since Hubby wasn’t with me, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get down all those steps with the pram by myself. Luckily, daddy blogger Kip Hakes showed up just in time and he helped me out.

Let me just quickly say, however, that this minor annoyance was the only flaw in an otherwise fantastic experience and I certainly wouldn’t let it stop me from going again. It’s just something that visitors need to be prepared for and the staff members were more than happy to help with the heavy lifting when we left later that afternoon.

While the entrance was tiny, the restaurant itself was enormous, with high ceilings and a modern decor that was stylish and comfortable.

I was greeted with a Strawberry Kiss (non-alcoholic) cocktail, which tasted like summer in a glass, and my impeccable timing meant that just as I sat down in the bar area with Pumpkin in my lap, the food started showing up.

First there was one boat full of sushi.

Then there were three.

Eventually, there were actually four of these beauties sprawled out in front of us. They included chicken katsu rolls, kappa maki (cucumber rolls) and California rolls, as well as lashings of wasabi and pickled ginger. In addition, there was fried chicken, potato wedges, teriyaki chicken and fried wontons. I gave Pumpkin a potato wedge to keep her busy and helped myself to the rest. It was all delicious.

So delicious, in fact, that I didn’t even get pictures of the rest of it. I was too busy stuffing my face.

Once we were done eating, the group was treated to a little history lesson, giving us the chance to learn about the restaurant and its founder, Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki.

Rocky was just 25 when he opened his first restaurant. He used the money he’d saved from driving an ice cream truck and he named the small eatery after his parents’ coffee shop in Tokyo. His concept was for diners to be entertained by a chef who cooked the meals on a teppanyaki grill.

It wasn’t long before the restaurant became extremely popular, with famous guests including John Lennon and Muhammad Ali. Soon, Aoki needed to expand the premises, and he actually bought three old barns from Japan and had them moved to NYC to create a unique decor, both inside and out.

Today, there are 116 Benihana restaurants in 14 countries. London is lucky enough to have two restaurants – the one in Chelsea that I visited, as well as one in Piccadilly.

(Edit: there seems to be a third one in the St Paul’s area, but I’m a little confused about why it’s not listed with the other two locations on the company’s website.)

Next up, came a performance by the Beni-Girls.

This dancing duo has been travelling around the world, showing off their moves as part of the restaurant’s 50th birthday celebration. (They also had a chance to go sight-seeing while they were in London, and if the pictures on Benihana’s Instagram feed are anything to go by, they had great time at some of the city’s most iconic landmarks – like the Tower and Big Ben).

The Beni-Girls have come up with a unique dance that combines hip-hop with the creative cooking style of Benihana’s teppanyaki chefs – they’ve even managed to use cooking utensils like spatulas into their routine.

First, they gave a hip-hop lesson to a few of the kids.

They also tried to get us bloggers up for a bit of a wiggle on the dance floor. Pumpkin was having a bottle, so I wasn’t able to join in, but everyone else seemed to have a lot of fun.

Finally, they put all of our dance moves to shame and showed us how the pros do it.

The last part of our afternoon was designed to show us what an actual family dining experience would be like. We headed to one of the dining areas and all the kids got to sit down at one of the tables.

Each table is arranged around a teppanyaki grill – a flat surface that gets extremely hot – and the teppan chefs with their distinctive tall red hats and white coats cook your meals right there. The food is very healthy, as it’s made with fresh, high-quality ingredients and since the grills get so hot, very little oil is needed.

As they cook, the chefs put on a bit of a show, juggling utensils, playing percussion with salt shakers and lighting up the cooking ‘stage’ with quick bursts of flame.

The children’s menu includes not only a list of meal options, but also games, and it can be rolled into a red chef’s hat. Although, it definitely wasn’t designed for a seven-month-old baby’s tiny head. 🙂

The chef prepared children’s meal of teriyaki chicken with vegetables. The kids also got some lovely looking drinks.

Honestly, it was one of the yummiest looking kids’ meals I’ve ever seen.

And all of the kids were entertained by the chef’s antics. Even the two babies were enthralled.

Of course, entertained children means quiet children – meaning this is probably quite a relaxing and enjoyable way for parents to dine with little ones in tow!

Dessert for the kids was a nice bowl of ice cream.

The wafer was Pumpkin’s favourite part…

But she is a baby after all.

Once the meal was over, Pumpkin quickly fell asleep and just as I was thinking about heading out, I was offered another Strawberry Kiss. It would have been rude to refuse. 🙂

When I did finally decide it was time to go home, a couple of bar tenders hauled sleeping Pumpkin up the stairs in her pram and we were given a lovely silver balloon that’s still floating around the flat nearly two weeks later. (She thinks it’s amazing, and is mystified by how letting go of it means it goes up, rather than down like everything else).

It’s safe to say that we had an absolutely fantastic time. The food, drinks, service and entertainment were all wonderful and, while the restaurant is a bit more expensive than what we would pay for a standard evening out in London, it’s quite reasonable for what you get, and we’ll definitely be back for special (maybe for my birthday, actually).

Have you ever eaten at a Benihana or another teppanyaki restaurant? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

Benihana Chelsea is located at 77 Kings Road, London SW3 4NX. Visit their website for more information.

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Disclaimer: I attended the #BeniGirlsBash as a guest of Benihana (the event was organised by the lovely Tanya at MummyBarrow.com). Food, drinks and entertainment were provided in exchange for a fair review on my blog, as well as posts on other social networks. I also received a pre-loaded gift card for my next visit. However, all views are 100% my own.

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