Good Hibachi Restaurants that arent named "Benihana" in your area?
Dec 12, 2003, 10:56 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Department of Homeland Sincerity
Programs: WN Platinum
Posts: 12,085
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ati2d:
Our FAVORITE Japanese restaurant with a Tepan table is: KATSU in San Marcos, CA.
My husband is Japanese........
</font>
Our FAVORITE Japanese restaurant with a Tepan table is: KATSU in San Marcos, CA.
My husband is Japanese........
</font>
I've been to Katsu, not bad.
Benihana is far from the best Japanese restaurant I've ever been to. They're like Denny's of Japanese eateries.
Dec 13, 2003, 9:34 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wayne, PA, PHL-US Chairman's Preferred
Posts: 1,214
Habachi's not bad.
I sometimes take clients to these. They often don't go themselves and find it exotic and daring.
In Huntsville, AL I visited Tokyo. It has a seperate, large, sushi area, and then several habachi tables. I wound up going twice in a week.
The sushi was excellent. At the habachi table I had the seafood royal. Lobster, shrimp, scallops for $27. Very good. The chefs actually converse with us while going through the "show." In some, Kobe comes to mind, the chefs are very much going through the motions.
I sometimes take clients to these. They often don't go themselves and find it exotic and daring.
In Huntsville, AL I visited Tokyo. It has a seperate, large, sushi area, and then several habachi tables. I wound up going twice in a week.
The sushi was excellent. At the habachi table I had the seafood royal. Lobster, shrimp, scallops for $27. Very good. The chefs actually converse with us while going through the "show." In some, Kobe comes to mind, the chefs are very much going through the motions.
Dec 22, 2003, 7:51 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,074
If you're in central/northern NJ:
Any one of the three "Shogun"s - (not really a 'chain', just three locations owned by the same family)
Shogun 18 - route 18 east brunswick
shogun 27 - route 27 kendall park
shogun 22 - route 22, (I forget the town, it's between scotch plains and watchung...)
I subsisted on Benihana when I was living on the west coast and craving hibachi (I'm an addict too) and Benihana fit the bill, but could NEVER live up to Shogun. Once I moved back east I was so glad to be near shogun again
Any one of the three "Shogun"s - (not really a 'chain', just three locations owned by the same family)
Shogun 18 - route 18 east brunswick
shogun 27 - route 27 kendall park
shogun 22 - route 22, (I forget the town, it's between scotch plains and watchung...)
I subsisted on Benihana when I was living on the west coast and craving hibachi (I'm an addict too) and Benihana fit the bill, but could NEVER live up to Shogun. Once I moved back east I was so glad to be near shogun again
Mar 20, 2004, 7:45 am
#20
Moderator: CommunityBuzz!, OMNI, OMNI/PR, and OMNI/Games & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ORD (MDW stinks)
Programs: UAMM, AAMM & ExPlat, Marriott lifetime Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 23,534
My two buds are big teppenyaki fans and think this restaurant is a very good one for this type of cooking.
JuRin Japanese Restaurant
Two locations:
1772 S. Randall Road, Suite 190
Geneva, IL 60134
630.262.9590
588 Randall Road
South Elgin, IL 60177
847.488.1290
JuRin Japanese Restaurant
Two locations:
1772 S. Randall Road, Suite 190
Geneva, IL 60134
630.262.9590
588 Randall Road
South Elgin, IL 60177
847.488.1290
Mar 20, 2004, 3:35 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: El Paso, TX, USA
Programs: Kicked out of all of them
Posts: 32,554
In El Paso, two very good ones
Japanese Kitchen/Sushi Bar
4024 N. Mesa
El Paso, TX 79902
Shogun Japanese Restaurant
1201 Airway Blvd.
El Paso, TX 79925
Not the best in the world, but very good for the price, especially Shogun
Japanese Kitchen/Sushi Bar
4024 N. Mesa
El Paso, TX 79902
Shogun Japanese Restaurant
1201 Airway Blvd.
El Paso, TX 79925
Not the best in the world, but very good for the price, especially Shogun
Jun 3, 2005, 1:29 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: L.A., CA
Posts: 3
Benihana is interesting - but ...
Glad you enjoy Benihana. It can teeter between fun and annoyingly corny, depending on your chef. Sometimes it's even boring if your chef has no personality. It's interesting, but it's not Hibachi. A Hibachi is a small charcoal grill. Benihana is "teppan yaki" which is grilling on a big hot steel plate - usually fired by gas. It's a cuisine that blends western flavors with Japanese flavors, so I think of it as not authentic. But there are Teppanyaki places in Japan, so I've got to admit that it's "Japanese" even if it's a fairly recent hybrid invention.
Realy good Japanese food is tastier in a good Japanese restaurant.
I'm glad you're picking up tips, which is always fun. I like to cook too. Just realize that lots of the tips are not very Japanese. The last teppan place I went to fried everything in butter on the skillet. Butter is NOT a traditional Japanese cooking ingredient!
I think that Benihana is to Japanese food as Taco Bell is to Mexican food. It's cute, it's tasty, but it's not authentic. My friends from Mexico will eat Taco Bell because it's quick, cheap, and even tasty. But it's foreign food to them - an American invention - and not like anything they ate in Mexico.
Try a good sukiyaki cooked at your table in a traditional Japanese restaurant - where you sit around a low table on tatami mats - where the server in a kimono quietly tends to your needs and cooks your food before your eyes - now THERE'S a great show - not flashy, but far more satisfying for me.
Realy good Japanese food is tastier in a good Japanese restaurant.
I'm glad you're picking up tips, which is always fun. I like to cook too. Just realize that lots of the tips are not very Japanese. The last teppan place I went to fried everything in butter on the skillet. Butter is NOT a traditional Japanese cooking ingredient!
I think that Benihana is to Japanese food as Taco Bell is to Mexican food. It's cute, it's tasty, but it's not authentic. My friends from Mexico will eat Taco Bell because it's quick, cheap, and even tasty. But it's foreign food to them - an American invention - and not like anything they ate in Mexico.
Try a good sukiyaki cooked at your table in a traditional Japanese restaurant - where you sit around a low table on tatami mats - where the server in a kimono quietly tends to your needs and cooks your food before your eyes - now THERE'S a great show - not flashy, but far more satisfying for me.
nice message
Jun 8, 2005, 9:34 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Erie, CO USA
Programs: UA, Marriott, Starwood, et al
Posts: 1,561
OK, I admit it, I don't understand the prior comment (#23).
Nonetheless, since the thread has been brought back to the forefront, I'll add:
Kanpai of Tokyo (upstate SC and I think TN)
Habachi Japanese Steakhouse (Westminster, CO)
Nonetheless, since the thread has been brought back to the forefront, I'll add:
Kanpai of Tokyo (upstate SC and I think TN)
Habachi Japanese Steakhouse (Westminster, CO)
Jun 9, 2005, 3:06 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Asia/Europe
Programs: CX, OZ, MU (+AY, DL), Shangri-La, Hilton
Posts: 7,236
Originally Posted by GrandeEater
Glad you enjoy Benihana. It can teeter between fun and annoyingly corny, depending on your chef. Sometimes it's even boring if your chef has no personality. It's interesting, but it's not Hibachi. A Hibachi is a small charcoal grill. Benihana is "teppan yaki" which is grilling on a big hot steel plate - usually fired by gas. It's a cuisine that blends western flavors with Japanese flavors, so I think of it as not authentic. But there are Teppanyaki places in Japan, so I've got to admit that it's "Japanese" even if it's a fairly recent hybrid invention.
Realy good Japanese food is tastier in a good Japanese restaurant.
I'm glad you're picking up tips, which is always fun. I like to cook too. Just realize that lots of the tips are not very Japanese. The last teppan place I went to fried everything in butter on the skillet. Butter is NOT a traditional Japanese cooking ingredient!
I think that Benihana is to Japanese food as Taco Bell is to Mexican food. It's cute, it's tasty, but it's not authentic. My friends from Mexico will eat Taco Bell because it's quick, cheap, and even tasty. But it's foreign food to them - an American invention - and not like anything they ate in Mexico.
Try a good sukiyaki cooked at your table in a traditional Japanese restaurant - where you sit around a low table on tatami mats - where the server in a kimono quietly tends to your needs and cooks your food before your eyes - now THERE'S a great show - not flashy, but far more satisfying for me.
Realy good Japanese food is tastier in a good Japanese restaurant.
I'm glad you're picking up tips, which is always fun. I like to cook too. Just realize that lots of the tips are not very Japanese. The last teppan place I went to fried everything in butter on the skillet. Butter is NOT a traditional Japanese cooking ingredient!
I think that Benihana is to Japanese food as Taco Bell is to Mexican food. It's cute, it's tasty, but it's not authentic. My friends from Mexico will eat Taco Bell because it's quick, cheap, and even tasty. But it's foreign food to them - an American invention - and not like anything they ate in Mexico.
Try a good sukiyaki cooked at your table in a traditional Japanese restaurant - where you sit around a low table on tatami mats - where the server in a kimono quietly tends to your needs and cooks your food before your eyes - now THERE'S a great show - not flashy, but far more satisfying for me.
Jun 16, 2005, 7:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton-Lifetime Diamond, WN-Companion Pass, National-EE
Posts: 248
San Jose, CA
I'm in AZ now, but grew up just outside San Jose. My family always enjoyed the fun environment and tasty cuisine at the House of Genji. Not going to get into an argument about authenticity. If it tastes great, and the company and environment are enjoyable...isn't that really the point? 
House of Genji
1335 N 1st St
San Jose, CA
House of Genji
1335 N 1st St
San Jose, CA