The teppanyaki, red walls, smoke and other intrigues, Benihana gets all the basics in place for a fest. Vijay S Kumar checks in
The arresting contrast of draped red frills stuck to the ceiling and the thoughtful usage of champagne gold on lights adds to the aesthetic appeal of the place. It sports an open bar and the choice of furniture accentuates its visual appeal. The seats, even though comfortable, sit a little too low for our liking. If you aren’t the average height, you may struggle to enjoy the chef’s cooking antics.
The restaurant, primarily known for its teppanyaki style of cooking, is partnering in the famous culinary discovery event known as the “Dine Fest.” This event aims to feature 42 of India’s finest informal dining restaurants offering a prix fixe menu at a fraction of a la carte rates.
We started with the miso soup, a Japanese soy bean dashi soup prepared with wakame, spring onion and tofu. It had a nice flavourful texture to it and the tofu was just as soft as one would expect it to be. Next, we ordered the trio seasonal sushi roll, stuffed with asparagus, cucumber, carrot, cream cheese and topped with wasabi mayo. This unique blend of cold rice with fresh, juicy and crunchy vegetables was smooth and refreshing. Next on our list was the spicy salmon roll, a Norwegian salmon sushi, served with wasabi, pickle ginger and soy sauce. This offered a slight contradiction to the name it came with, even though the fish tasted fresh and flavoursome. It was no way near to being spicy. We thought it tasted better with soy sauce but those of you who love horseradish will enjoy the strong kick that comes from the wasabi.
Next we ordered the fish tempura, lightly battered and deep-fried. This was succulent and flaky but pretty basic in terms of flavours and reminded us more of the famous English fish and chips. This is certainly not for the health and calorie-conscious because more than the fish, it feels as if your teeth have detonated an oil bomb inside your mouth but surprisingly you tend to develop a taste for it with every bite.
Next was hibachi vegetables, garden fresh exotic vegetables prepared on live teppan served with ginger and mustard sauce. Just like all the other vegetables we had tried on this journey, it was crunchy and delicious. We tried this with a portion of the trademark Japanese sticky rice, coupled with eggs and an array of herbs and spices.
Although the taste is potent enough to draw you into another bite, the usage of salt and soy sauce, which the chef calls “Japanese coca-cola”, was a bit too generous for our liking.
Next, we ordered the teppan chicken, a succulent portion of tender chicken prepared on teppan with black bean sauce and tried it with a portion of Hakka noodles. This had it all. It was flawless. The chicken was juicy and tender, the black bean sauce had just the right mix of flavours that one could ask for and the hakka noodles were perfectly cooked, smooth and light and sautéed with fresh vegetables. This to us was the star of the show.
No journey is complete without a sweet ending. We ordered the ice cream tempura to wrap things up. The age old concept of mixing deep fried food with ice cream came alive once again. They served us chocolate ice-cream along with deep fried tempura. It was creamy, soft, sweet and crunchy like most offerings are, but the one the thing that separated wheat from the chaff was the addition of fresh herbs on top. This took the taste and aroma to a whole new level.
We highly recommend that you try this place, provided you like the “Americanised” version of Japanese. Sushis come attuned to our tastebuds. In addition to good food and the reduced prices based on the “Dine Fest,” the chef, who has various tricks up his sleeve, makes sure that you have a memorable dining experience while he cooks for you. They also have separate tables for vegetarians. The 10-day feast ends Sunday.