Tried & tasted: Benihana

Japanese restaurants can be intimidating, aloof places with arcane menus and stratospheric prices. Benihana offers a different experience, combining delicious and accessible dining with realistic pricing in a fun and friendly atmosphere, writes Colette Doyle.

The space at the Piccadilly branch is capacious yet welcoming, filled with a buzzy vibe. The set-up is quite theatrical, with genial chefs showing off their amazing culinary flair on the hot plate round which each group of diners congregates, vividly bringing to life the chain’s slogan, “My kitchen is your table”.

As well as traditional dishes, the extensive menu features lots of mouth-watering specialities such as Seafood Palace and Shogun’s Feast. I opt for Land & Sea, a delectable mix of filet mignon and miso black cod. My companion goes for a more modest classic – tuna grilled in Teriyaki sauce. We don’t need bother going through the rigmarole of choosing starters and sides, as the way the menu is devised means that they’re all included.

A funky cocktail seems in keeping with the exuberant surroundings, so I order an exotic Mai Tai. We kick off with tasty Japanese Onion Soup and a salad that comes with an incredibly moreish dressing. The plump Hibachi prawns, meanwhile, are served with two sauces, a creamy one with mustard, the other with a spicy hint of ginger, and I’m hard pressed to say which I prefer.

At another table, an enthusiastic chorus of “Happy Birthday” breaks out, as one abashed guest is serenaded by the bubbly staff, who are keen to get in on the act. Ritchie is our convivial chef for the evening and, even if I’m not convinced that he hails from the land of the Samurai, his gastronomic expertise is incredibly entertaining and his daredevil skills with a naked flame practically have me dialing the fire brigade.

What comes across most strongly is how amazingly fresh and high quality all the ingredients are – even something as simple as egg fried rice is transformed by the virtue of having it cooked right in front of you and is a world away from what you’d get in your average local takeaway. My filet steak is cooked to perfection – just the right side of medium rare – thanks to Ritchie’s impressive techniques.

The portions are well-judged in that while we feel we’ve had plenty to eat, there’s still room to squeeze in dessert: sweet and sticky banana tempura tempered with cooling green tea ice cream.

This is probably not the right place for a discreet board dinner, but as a venue for a lively staff bonding session, it’s ideal: dinner and a show, what better icebreaker could there be than that?

37 Sackville Street, London W1S 3DQ; 020 7494 2525; benihana.co.uk/benihana-piccadilly/

For details of Benihana’s 50th anniversary wagyu beef menu, click here.