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Benihana (Downtown)

1200 Fifth Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 682-4686
Website

At global chain/Seattle institution Benihana, the chefs bow to you from behind your communal tabletop grill, and then prepare, before your eyes, an Asian feast—a very bland feast, but a feast nonetheless. Moreover, these chefs put on a show—flipping metal spatulas about and clanging them upon the grill in a nerve-shattering manner, launching shrimp tails into the air to catch them atop their brightly colored toques, lofting half-lemons to stab them out of the air with carving forks, and slicing and dicing with very sharp knives at relatively impressive speeds. The clientele leans toward out-of-towners and, in season, prom dates; by the end of the meal, like it or not, temporary bonds aplenty are forged. "This is the way America oughta do it all the time," a guy from Colorado summarized one night, gesturing drunkenly at the grill top: "You put it on the thing, mix it up, and you all get along." While Benihana is a memorable, endlessly fascinating circle of hell, it is an expensive travesty of a restaurant.
Categories: Restaurant

Restaurant Details

The Stranger's Reviews of Benihana

 
 

Average Rating:
  • 2.57000/5 Stars.
Reviews/Comments (7) RSS

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7

Yuck

I took my kids for dinner and couldn't believe how horrible the food was. They gave us a trainee chef who couldn't do anything. He said no fire from the onion cause he was a trainee. WTH? The soup tasted like dishwater(my kids thought this and I have to agree) My spider roll tasted so fishy and the spider roll is usually my fav. We won't be back.
Posted by czaff on September 16, 2008 at 1:49 PM · Report
6

It's fun and has good food

I have gone to Benihana in for my birthday every year and let me tell you, its great. First off, they have a bunch of fancy knife-work and make a show out of cooking your food. The food is also really good and coked fresh infront of you.
Posted by SK on February 5, 2008 at 6:29 PM · Report
5

Bland as the concept.

Most teppanyaki places make the same dishes and they all taste bland. The $1.00 handrolls are pre-made, cold and old. You get what you pay for.
Posted by G_CRABS on June 10, 2007 at 4:40 PM · Report
4

It's not the food, it's the kitch

I've been to Benihana in Seattle exactly twice. Once in 1972 when I was 8, and once in 2004 for my 40th birthday. The place had not changed one bit. There are not that many teppanyaki restaurants in Seattle, and all are better than Benihana, but like the 13 Coins or an Amsterdam whorehouse, it's worth going to once in your life. Plus the Mai Tais come in a cool Buddha glass that you can turn into a cool bong.
Posted by elswinger on June 6, 2007 at 11:06 AM · Report
3

YES! $1.00 Handroll!

YES! $1.00 Hand-roll! You might balk at the pricey dinner items and you think that fancy frying and shrimp-tails in your hat-brim are not that great but you CAN NOT argue with the $1.00 Hand-roll! Geez. Get a clue and get a hand-roll.
Posted by M.F.er Food Eater on May 23, 2007 at 7:53 PM · Report
2

regular group benihana sucks

If you sit at their big tables while the guys tries to do lame knife tricks, you'll be dazzled at how bad seemingly freshly-made food can be. How do they make it taste so much like La Choy? Not even good ironically.
Posted by chowbert on May 19, 2007 at 8:55 AM · Report
1

Go for the sushi

Sit at the sushi bar, partake in the $1 handroll specials. Great selection, fresh fish, fast service. Best weekday secret eats bargain.
Posted by BC on May 17, 2007 at 2:49 PM · Report

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