Time Out has teamed up with tastelondon to offer you a fantastic one month free trial
8 courses for £22 (Offer valid until Tue Dec 1)
From a glance at its abstract wall designs and spot-lit basement tables set around big teppan (flat steel griddles), you might think this place is as modern as the new buildings above it on the Swiss Cottage roundabout. In fact, it’s a dinosaur of restaurant history. Founded in 1964, the Benihana chain popularised ‘Japanese-style’ for Americans, where the teppan is used to cook steak and seafood, which are served with side-orders of beansprouts, fried rice and mushrooms. Our set meals began with a routine iceberg and cherry-tomato salad. California rolls were heavy on the mayo, with under-ripe avocado. Cubed griddled steak was tasty, the chicken tolerable, egg-fried rice greasy but OK, and lemon sorbet palatable – but food plays second fiddle to showmanship at Benihana. In an otherwise deserted restaurant on a weekday lunchtime, our chef did cool tricks with eggs, salt cellars, onion rings, and bowls of rice: though with a heavy heart that was more North Korean than Japanese. Not even a generous tip raised a smile. Perhaps the chain needs to motivate its staff better; a rowdy Thursday-night party on expenses might have better luck.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
|
|
It is your time to be charmed by a woodland nymph? has London bled you dry of late? could you do with a bit of whimsical magic? Look no further...
|
|
|
|
Highly disappointing experience. If you go there you may be lucky and get a great cook and have a reasonable meal and lot of fun. However, if you are unlucky as I happen to be, not only once but twice, your meal will be a lot worse than you will be expecting. So why try your luck when you are in London and there are tons of amazing restaurants for about the same price?
PS: I have just been there and did not pay the service. They didn't even ask me why I decided not to pay it.