The Weekly Eater
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THE grand re-opening of Benihana of Tokyo early last month brought back fond memories dating to the start of my restaurant escapades 20 years ago this May. Back then I was writing for the tourist -- or "visitor," as we called them because it was nicer -- market, mainly because none of the adults around me could stomach the task of hopping from Oahu to Maui, Kauai and the Big Island to eat. Benihana’s samurai chefs
no flash in the panBenihana was one of my first subjects. It was a place new and exciting to a kid from Waipahu who had grown up on Zippy's chili and corn chowder, Red Baron and Shakey's pizza, before moving on to Pizza Hut, and, when my friends and I had any reason to celebrate, Chuck's or Buzz's steak houses.
Benihana happened to be an easy subject for a beginner because founder Rocky Aoki simply gave people a lot to talk about. His is not a household name, but over the years I've come to regard him as a pioneer in the concept of restaurants as entertainment, which he calls "eatertainment." His knife-wielding chefs were taught how to put on a show long before today's demonstration kitchens and TV's closeup-ready chefs appeared.
But that was then. I wondered how the experience would hold up given time and the opportunity to become jaded.
A restaurant has to be doing something right to last 31 years as Benihana has done in Hawaii. (The first Benihana opened nearly 40 years ago, in 1964, in Manhattan.) Even so, I hadn't been back in 20 years because 1) it was pricey for a person grossing $1,000 a month, and 2) there was that other feeling that once you've seen the chefs at work, you've seen all Benihana has to offer.
What's new are the contemporary fixtures and vents that add color to the dining room but don't obscure the original 230-year-old farmhouse brought to the Hilton Hawaiian Village from Osaka, Japan, to house Benihana.
The menu doesn't seem to have changed in 20 years. There is still a short list of basics that allowed Aoki -- who could have been a comedian, he's so funny -- to take his formula across the country to people who couldn't distinguish teriyaki from moshi moshi.
Clever, that guy. Instead of expecting others to learn the Japanese way, he made the familiar steak, chicken, shrimp and lobster exotic with just a hint of dark-hued, mysterious soy sauce, and served it all with samurai flair.
The formula's a little kitschy now, but undeniably fun.
Guests file in and are seated as if waiting for a roller coaster ride to begin. The show doesn't usually start until at least six of the seats surrounding the steel grill tables are filled. If you don't want to share such close quarters -- like being at a blackjack table in Vegas -- bring a lot of friends.
When I was younger I just wanted to be entertained. Now, I really appreciate the timing and skill with which the chefs slice, dice and send food flying without cutting themselves or their guests, or even breaking a sweat. My companion kept asking me, "Can you do that? Can you do that?" with every move. I had to admit that yes, I could deal with a zucchini, but no, I probably could not butterfly as many shrimp as quickly as these guys.
Everyone gets to see this act because all meals start with a light onion soup, grilled zucchini and onions sprinkled with soy sauce and sesame seeds, and the grilled shrimp appetizer, the equivalent of about four shrimp by the time these are diced and divvied up.
If you're the type to fret over how your food is prepared, it all happens before your eyes. There's not much handling involved. The teppan surface is coated with vegetable oil onto which go your choice of raw ingredients: filets mignon ($26.75), aged USA Prime sirloin ($24.75), Hawaiian chicken ($18.50), jumbo tiger shrimp ($23.50), or 4-ounce lobster tails (two for $36.50). These are typically cooked with a little butter, a dash of salt and pepper. Use the accompanying mustard or ginger sauces if desired. Food doesn't get much simpler than that, and because of the precise cooking times, dinner and "show" run a little more than an hour.
It's no pricier than other fine restaurants where more effort is exerted with lesser results. I won't wait another 20 years to return.
Hilton Hawaiian Village, 2005 Kalia Road / 955-5955 Benihana of Tokyo
Food
1/2
Service
Ambience
Value
Hours: 11:30 to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. daily
Cost: About $60 to $90 for two for dinner, without drinks
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com
excellent; very good, exceeds expectations; average; below average.
