Benihana Inc.

Chef Chat, Part 2: Chris Kinjo of MF Sushi, on Working in More Than 30 Restaurants, the Problem with Fake Fish and Old-School Japanese Sushi

This is part 2 of a three part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here if you missed it. Look for Part 3 in this same space Friday. EOW: What was your first job as a sushi chef? CK: My first was at Sushi Muto in Santa Ana, California -- it's not there anymore. The sushi master there was a cer ... More >>

Sunday Brunch...at Whole Foods Market?

Normally on the weekends, you can find me, bottomless mimosa in hand, at one of the many awesome brunch spots around town. But this typically leads to a couple of buckets of beer...which lead to a few outdoor games of bags...which lead to someone losing a bet...leading to a stripped-down afternoon j ... More >>

Clueless -- Not Old -- People Writing on a Restaurant's Facebook Page

Tumblr has given us some great food-related bits of fascination recently. Locally, it's home to Fat City Houston, which keeps our 100 Favorite Dishes list honest. Nationally, it's given us gems like Fuck You, Yelper, showcasing frenzied Yelp reviews as beat-style poetry. This week, it's Old People ... More >>

Samurai Steak & Sushi

I wrongly assumed that Benihana was a hokey American take on Japanese steakhouses, basing my opinion on the famous, and un-Japanese, fried rice. But I married a girl who'd lived in Tokyo, and she assured me that most elements of Benihana are authentic, except the fried rice. Furthermore, she loves ... More >>

Prom Night: Adventures in Dining (Or Not)

​One of the questions I've been fielding a lot lately is, "Where should my [son, daughter, sister, brother, etc.] go for dinner before prom?" And the answer I've been giving is always the same: Haven. Haven has a beautiful dining room and patio; a great central location to where most proms se ... More >>

Sammy Hagar: Red Rocker, Crue-Shaming Sex Machine

​Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock By Sammy Hagar with Joel Selvin It Books, 256pp., $26.99 During the tour to support Van Halen's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, singer/guitarist Sammy Hagar certainly took the record's title to heart. Because just about every night during Eddie's 20-minute guit ... More >>

NFL, College Football and Brett Favre's Wiener -- 5 Winners, 5 Losers

Brett Favre can't get out of the headlines​I hope everybody had a lovely Texans bye weekend (insert lame joke about "Texans giving up fewer than 300 yards passing to BYE" here), and that you're refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for the back half of the football season. I'm on vacation this week vis ... More >>

Upcoming Events

There's still time to buy your tickets to the Great Gulf Dinner, happening tomorrow -- Saturday, October 16 -- at The Usual from 2 to 6 p.m. $15 buys you a plate filled with delicious Gaido's seafood and sides along with an afternoon of great live music and a raffle with prizes you can only find at ... More >>

Nigori Sake: Shaken, Not Stirred

​Only a couple of weeks ago, I was lamenting the fact that classes about sake, rice wine from Japan, weren't as prevalent as those about wine, beer or even spirits. As if in response from the sake gods themselves, I heard about a sake and sushi class next Tuesday, October 19, at Benihana (9707 ... More >>

The New Tequila Service at Cyclone Anaya's

​People like to see their food being made tableside. What else explains the success of Benihana? Cyclone Anaya's is taking the tableside service to another level with its new tableside tequila feature. For $75 a pop, diners can have a bartender come to their table with a tray filled with a bot ... More >>

Five to Try: Interactive Meals

​Most of us love to get our hands dirty -- participate, get involved, jump right in -- even where food is concerned. Perhaps that explains our love of fajita builds, Bloody Mary bars, and all-you-eat buffets. Here are a few options for interactive meals around town: places that get you involve ... More >>

Fresh Meat at Tokyo Steak & Sushi

¡Viva la Margarita!

The drink that changed the way we eat

Gelato Grotto

There's a dark cave in Rice Village where you can linger over ice cream and espresso

Food Fight

The Benihana-themed Cookin' is a real whack job

Barbecued Squid

A special dish scores as the Seoul food of Korea Garden

Chuck E.-nese Cuisine

Taiko

Continental Error-lines

Scott Tycer tries to clear up the confusion over continental cuisine

Too Hot to Handle

Fire + Ice gets burned by the Bayou City

Free Fire Zone

The praise or blame lies with the diner at Fire + Ice

Beyond Benihana

That's eatertainment: Tokyohana knows how to play with its food.

Dish

Press Picks

Press Picks