Benihana, London

If you’re after something different, an experience rather than just an ordinary meal – then this may just be your place!

Special occasions call for special celebrations! Me and some friends found out earlier today that we had passed our ACA chartered accountancy exams, so we had one thing and one thing only on our minds – Celebration! Food, for me, is the answer to so many moments in life. Passed an exam? – Food. Catching up with some old friends? – Food. Having a bad day? – Food. But considering today was an extra special day, we had to find a restaurant extra special to celebrate at.

Benihana didn’t immediately strike to my mind as the place to go, as I would have never imagined that they’d offer any Halal options. But I thought heck, if you don’t ask you’ll never know… and to my surprise – they offered Halal chicken! So we pleaded with the waitress to fit us in regardless of the fact that they were fully booked, and managed to get ourselves in!

Benihana takes the Teppenyaki-style, which I’m sure you’ve all seen some of your friends snapchatting. The one where the chef cooks your meal in front of you, and does all those crazy tricks like catching eggs in his pocket, and setting the table on fire!

Benihana has 3 restaurants located in London – we visited the Piccadilly branch, but they also have a restaurant located near St.Pauls and one in Chelsea.

Not all of their meal is Halal – only the Chicken and the Wagyu Beef. There are other non-Halal meats served, however the chef’s are willing to cook your meat separately to ensure no cross-contamination with Non-Halal meat. As shown in the picture below, I got my Chicken cooked first with the rest of the guests as it’s Halal, but then got my Salmon cooked separately after the hot table was cleaned down. Alternatively, the chefs offered to take my meat and cook it in a separate kitchen – so they really are very catering of a Halal diet! Just be sure to mention to your chef when you arrive at your table that you follow a strict Halal diet, and they’ll accommodate this in your meal by swapping any non-halal sauces used in the food with a vegetarian option.

I went for an off-the-menu option. I wanted to get some chicken in me, but I’m also a huge fan of Salmon, so I opted for a Chicken and Salmon plate, which they priced for me at £39. I’d definitely recommend this option as the other mixed meat plates all contained 1 non-Halal meat. The meat comes served alongside various other dishes, including: a Prawn Appetiser, Hibachi Rice, Hibachi Vegetables and Salad.

Personally I’m not really a massive prawn fan, but the chefs had me licking my fingers after I finished off my two portions (as my friend is allergic to all seafood).

I loved every bit of the experience! I must say my favourite part was the Chef showing off his very impressive skills with his hot table and tools. He caught eggs in his hat, pocket, and set the whole table on fire – which as you can imagine had everyone on my snapchat going crazy!

BTW – the trick the chef does with fire is done using Alcohol, so do bare that in mind! Since finding this out, I’ve asked for this to be done at the end of my meal so that there is no chance of it going into any of my food. Easy to do when you’ve got a whole table to yourself (if you’re in a big group), but may be more difficult if you’re eating on a table with other customers.