I was 14 when I experienced Benihana’s lively teppan room for the first time. It was during a family vacation in Hawaii.

And what a treat it was.

We rarely dined out at home (unless you count an occasional Friday dinner at McDonald’s). And we usually spent our family vacations staying in a cute little red cabin overlooking the ocean in San Diego. It had a kitchen, so my mom always cooked.

But Benihana? Now, that was a real restaurant – famous, exotic and fun.

And hearing the name still brings back fond memories. So when I heard that the Newport Beach location had closed, my heart sank. Was it closed forever? (No.) Was there another one in Orange County? (Yes, in Anaheim.)

Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to visit the Newport Beach restaurant when it reopened. So when it did, my friend and I decided to meet there for lunch. Since we didn’t have enough time to enjoy the show in the teppan room, we took a seat in the casual dining room.

I’m a sucker for fancy cut sushi rolls, and if there’s shrimp or a jalapeño pepper in the mix, I’m all over it. So I ordered a Shrimp Crunchy Roll and a Las Vegas Roll. Although I love shrimp, I’m pretty particular about tempura preparations. They can sometimes be a little too greasy, and then oil ends up being the dominating flavor. Not so with this roll. The tempura-fried shrimp was surprisingly light and provided a pleasing texture next to the softness of the avocado and crispness of the thin cucumber slices. The tempura crumbs topping it all were nice and flaky (in other words, not greasy).

As much as I loved my rolls, I found myself eyeing my friend’s choice with envy. She ordered the lunch special. For about $10, she got a bento box filled with salad and a sampling of sushi, teriyaki chicken and soup. There was plenty of food, so she let me have a taste of everything. The salad was crispy, the fish was fresh, the chicken was tender and the soup was tasty. I’ll be ordering that on my next daytime visit.

But first, I want to pay a visit to the teppan room.

Benihana
• 4250 Birch St., Newport Beach
949.955.0822
• 2100 E. Ball Road, Anaheim
714.774.4940
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.
benihana.com