New Benihana in Promenade At Downey
This post was sponsored by Benihana. All opinions are my own.
New Benihana in Promenade At Downey
Nestled in the re-emerging southeastern pocket of Los Angeles County, is a brand new Benihana restaurant in Downey that delivers a unique Japanese experience.
Guests will enjoy Benihana’s clean, comfortable new design that has a sexy, yet modern decor. The entire space is adorned with a variety of eye-catching props such as dangling red lanterns, cherry blossom walls and bold red seats.
The Experience
At Benihana, skilled chefs juggle knives, make shrimp tails fly, tell silly jokes and keep the whole table smiling. They also celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and much more! Kids get to wear a fun chefs hat that also serves as their menu and a coloring/craft page.
See a Teppan Table in Action
The Food
The menu at Benihana reflects traditional Japanese cuisine. You can choose from fresh seafood, beef or chicken alongside vegetables and rice. The menu also include items made outside of your table, like fresh sashimi and specialty sushi rolls. Along with sushi, they offer an array of other appetizers like noodle dishes, tofu and dumplings to complete your meal. Popular surf and turf style items like the “Land ‘N Sea” and the “Splash ‘N Meadow” are both featured on the specialty menu.
At a recent visit to this new location, we started off by ordering a variety of appetizers: Sashimi, a hand roll, salad, edamame, shrimp tempura and a yellowtail roll. Everything was fresh and the fish was chilled at a nice temperature.
My favorite was the crunchy shrimp roll I ordered. I loved the crunchy texture and the eel sauce gave it a sweet flare. I could have eaten two of them!
At Benihana your meals come with steam white rice, but you can upgrade for a small fee to hibachi chicken rice. I highly recommend you do upgrade because the fried rice has a medley of flavors, PLUS if you have kids with you the chef will make something fun on the grill for them like this Spongebob Squarepants character.
Kabuki Kids
Speaking of kids, there is a kids menu called Kabuki kids where kids 12 and younger can order entrées served with Benihana onion soup or Benihana salad, hibachi shrimp appetizer, vegetables (corn, zucchini and onion), steamed rice and ice cream.
Our daughter doesn’t eat very much so rather than order her an entire meal we just got some butter noodles for her and she slurped them right up!
Our 10-year-old son on the other hand ordered the kids steak and shrimp and he devoured it.
Halfway through your meal, chef will make an onion volcano for you where he stacks onion rings and then squeeze some oil in it and light it on fire. It is super fun to watch and the jokes that go along with it are pretty funny too.
Some entrees at Benihana come as a 5-course meal and include Benihana onion soup, or Benihana Salad, Hibachi Shrimp appetizer, Hibachi vegetables, homemade dipping sauces, steamed rice and japanese hot green tea.
I went big on my entrée and ordered the filet mignon. The meat was so tender and juicy and cooked to perfection. Slightly pink in the middle is exactly how I like it.
My oldest son got the spicy Hibachi chicken sautéed with green onions and mushrooms in a special spicy homemade sauce as well as some amazing and delicate sea scallops. The scallops were prepared by searing them on both sides in butter and lemon, and they tasted very high quality and were bursting with intricate, native flavors.
credit: Benihana
For dessert, kids and adults can choose from ice cream flavors (Chocolate or vanilla) or rainbow sherbert or green tea ice cream, but after such a filling meal I dare you to try and fit this in!
Benihana also offers a weekend lunch with a limited menu similar to the dinner menu at very reasonable prices.
Beniahana Downey
8801 Apollo Way,
Downey, CA 90242
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