Learning the Art of Teppanyaki

Since I’m a culinary school graduate, it may seem strange that I still jump at the chance to attend a cooking class. But, I’m a person who just loves learning, and I believe that any class will lead me to grow and evolve in the kitchen in a way that I wouldn’t without that experience.

So, ask me to take a pie baking class before Thanksgiving? Sign me up. Does your sister’s girlfriend’s Italian grandpa want to teach me how to make his famous risotto? I’ll be over in a jiffy, with a bottle of wine.

So when Benihana invited me to attend a “Be The Chef” experience, I accepted right away. If you haven’t been to a Benihana, it’s a Japanese-themed restaurant serving up fresh seafood, sushi, great cocktails and tempting appetizers. But the experience Benihana is most known for is the teppanyaki grill – a large, flat iron griddle with a table surrounding it, used to prepare food right in front of guests.

Each Benihana has several  teppanyaki grills, making for a really unique atmosphere. Head there with a big group for a celebration or a work outing, or go with a significant other and make friends with the other people at your table. Honestly, it’s impossible not to have fun at Benihana.

The “Be The Chef” package includes a private training session with a Benihana chef, where you’ll learn the fundamentals of cooking at a teppanyaki grill. In my training, Chef Marlon taught me how to do some flashy tricks with an egg (before cooking up the egg for fried rice), how to do the iconic onion volcano (always a big crowd pleaser at Benihana!), and even how to flip a shrimp tail into my chef’s hat.

After your training is complete, you’ll go back to Benihana again, this time with a few friends in tow. That’s when you get back behind the teppanayki grill and wow your friends with a performance highlighting your newfound skills. Sure, you might not be quite as talented as the expert Benihana chefs, but everybody will be too busy enjoying their dinner to notice if that shrimp tail doesn’t quite make it into your hat.

Be The Chef packages start at $200 for a guest chef and three guests. The package includes a Benihana hat and apron, Honorary Teppanyaki Chef certificate and commemorative photo for the guest chef. Dinner for everybody includes soup, salad, hibachi steak and shrimp, vegetable fried rice, hibachi vegetables, homemade dipping sauces, ice cream and hot green tea.

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Benihana. Sponsored posts help me pay for the costs associated with this blog (groceries…lots of groceries), and help support me as I pursue a career in recipe development and food photography. All opinions are 100% my own.