Benihana Dubai Review: Seafood and Sushi at Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach Residence

There are some times in your life when fine dining and Michelin stars aren’t what you want, but instead something more familiar, casual and most of all – fun. That’s exactly what Benihana in Dubai offers bundles of – fun. They’re not claiming, nor are they the best restaurant in Dubai but they do offer good food at reasonable prices – despite it’s chain reputation.

Benihana has restaurants spanning the globe in almost every country and with some of those part of a franchise. I’ve popped in to the London King’s Road branch in Chelsea a few times and on comparison – Dubai’s version is very different. It’s much more glamorous, both inside and out. The level of service is astonishing and the outdoor terrace is quite something, especially at night when illuminated by the sea of outdoor heaters and overhanging lights. Even the food seems to be of much better quality here in Dubai.

Sat down at our teppanyaki table, we ordered a cheeky cocktail to cleanse the palate, which I must say was mixed together perfectly. Nothing beats a good old-fashioned and negroni when done properly. Savouring the smokiness on our tongue we paired it with the signature sashimi boat. A rather large offering and one we probably didn’t need given the amount of food during our dinner. A selection of salmon, tuna sashimi, red snapper and yellowtail – the salmon in particular was the highlight and tasted very fresh.

When it comes to restaurant theatrics, Benihana is the master of it. A little over the top and quite honestly not very me, but everyone around us loved every moment of it. Our teppanyaki master arrived to the table, full of energy and armed with a box of matches and oil – setting the whole cooking station into flames. You can feel the warm heat on your face while sipping the remnants of a cocktail. Plus a few grilled prawns to nibble on while you’re waiting.

And then the real cooking starts. With a miso soup and garden salad to keep us entertained while our food was cooking, the teppanyaki master gets to work with more fire and more food. Opting for the set teppanyaki menus, we started with some perfectly cooked rib-eye steak. Cooked to our requested medium-rare, it was then chopped, seasoned and given a good crispy crust from a few extra minutes on the grill – along with a splash of the chefs secret soy and sake sauce. The accompanying egg fried rice was lovely too, though perhaps a little crunchy sometimes.

One thing I wasn’t quite prepared for when visiting Benihana Dubai, was the very generous portions. Giant grilled lobster tails, salmon fillets, black tiger prawns and Japanese scallops – you really can eat like a king here. Again everything was beautifully cooked and the lobster tails in particular were excellent. The chicken fillets are a must too. Free-range, with a lovely colour to them and drizzled with lashings of sauces and seasoning. The flaming smoked onion tower to finish seems to be a staple, no matter what teppanyaki restaurant you visit.

Desserts were actually the highlight for me at Benihana. I barely had any room and I almost missed out, but in the name of research we ordered two from the menu. The signature ice cream tempura of fried ice cream rolled in toasted coconut flakes was lovely. However even better was the chocolate and banana harumaki. One bite of these crispy spring rolls filled with banana, chocolate and caramel will have you hooked. I only planned to eat just one, but ended up devouring them all. The plum wine helped wash everything down too.

I have to admit I really didn’t quite know what to expect from Benihana in Dubai and wondered if it would be a restaurant meant for tourists and not foodies – but actually they really care about their food and it shows in the quality. Yes you can find better steak and better seafood in Dubai, but you won’t find the fun and theatrics that go with it, the level of service, very good selection of wines or a terrace so enticing as this one was. If you want good food and fun in Dubai, Benihana has it covered.