DIY Benihana Recipes You Can Make at Home (2024)

FAQs

Why is Benihana rice so good? ›

Once the rice is mature, each grain is harvested and carefully dried to maintain an ideal moisture level. This ensures perfect, tender and fluffy Benihana rice once it's cooked by our master teppanyaki chefs. At Benihana, creating classic flavors that guests crave means using quality ingredients for each recipe.

In the United States, teppanyaki (more commonly known simply as hibachi) was made famous by the Benihana restaurant chain, which opened its first restaurant in New York in 1964. Though Benihana cooks their food teppanyaki-style, they also serve dishes such as hibachi steak and chicken.

The fine, long grains of jasmine rice with its delicate flavour are perfect for fried rice. Precook the rice at least 30 minutes, but preferably one day, before making fried rice and keep it uncovered in the fridge.

The top-secret cooking oil used by hibachi chefs is a combination of 4 basic ingredients; sesame oil, olive oil, mirin, and soy sauce. And to balance out all the butter, I add tons of veggies.

The main ingredient that is key to making hibachi at home is the garlic butter. You will notice it is heavily used at hibachi restaurants and gets added to every dish. You only need soften butter, garlic and a few seasoning to make this compound butter.

What Seasonings Do They Use At Hibachi? We asked our local hibachi chef and here is what is actually on the cart. The shakers are salt, pepper, sesame seeds, and garlic powder or garlic salt. The squirt bottles are sesame oil, soy sauce, and Japanese barbecue sauce (like Mr.

All cuts of beef at Benihana are USDA Choice, meaning they are tender, juicy and flavorful.

The most widely consumed rice in Japan is a cultivar of Japonica rice, a short-grain rice with a firm texture. Compared to its long-grain counterparts such as jasmine and basmati, Japonica rice is characterized by its plump shape and sticky texture that makes it easy to pick up with chopsticks.

A red safflower found in the neighbourhood streets gave the Aoki's the inspiration for the restaurant's name; 'Benihana – or 'red flower' in Japanese. The family's four sons grew up with the coffee shop, which later became a full-service restaurant.

Japan. Yunosuke Aoki founded a jazz cafe called "Ellington" in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo in 1937. The cafe was destroyed during the firebombing of Tokyo in 1945 and reopened in 1947 as a coffee shop called Benihana.

What is the secret to great fried rice? ›

Tips for making The Best Fried Rice

Cold rice will crisp up in the hot oil. Warm rice will not toast and can even become mushy. If you are in a pinch make the rice first and spread it out onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Pop it in the fridge or freeze to cool down quickly then use as directed.

Basmati vs Jasmine Rice

Both jasmine and basmati rice have a more pronounced aroma and taste than standard white rice. Choose jasmine rice when you want a fluffy, creamy dish. Try basmati in a pilaf, salad, or grain bowl where you want the texture of the individual rice grains to shine through.

What kind of oil is used in Japanese hibachi restaurants? Any good oil, such as peanut oil, will do, but you may want to add 10% or more Chinese or Japanese sesame oil to get a more authentic taste. Tempura oil from Japan is occasionally available in the Japanese market. It is expensive and unnecessary.

Safflower is crucial to the chain's fried rice, and it's not just because it inspired the restaurant's name (via Benihana). Safflower oil has a particularly high smoke point, between 440 and 520 degrees Fahrenheit, which teppanyaki chefs can use to achieve crispier sears and more concentrated flavors.

For Western-style teppanyaki, the ingredients commonly used are beef, scallops, chicken, shrimp, lobster, and veggies, with soybean oil being used to cook them.

While not every recipe calls for this fried rice trifecta, many of our favorites do. Why? Soy sauce is the salt element, rice vinegar gives the dish a touch of brightness, and sesame oil lends an utterly delicious, toasty note.