Benihana Japanese Steakhouse Celebrates 50th Anniversary

SURFERS PARADISE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwired - Jun 3, 2014) -  The Surfers Paradise Benihana Japanese Steakhouse will join over 100 restaurants in more than 20 countries around the world to celebrate Benihana of Tokyo's 50^th anniversary in May.

The first Benihana restaurant was opened in 1964 on West 56th Street in New York City by founder Hiroaki "Rocky" Aoki at a time when Japanese cuisine was relatively unknown and having a chef prepare a meal at your table was completely unheard of. Blending teppanyaki cooking with a dazzling chef performance may have been a radical idea, but it was the recipe for success at Benihana.

Today, the five star Gold Coast hotel, Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa, is home to the only Benihana Japanese Steakhouse in Australia and the restaurant is renowned as one of south east Queensland's favourite dining experiences.

In 2013, Benihana was recognized as the "Best Japanese Restaurant in Queensland" in the Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence and it's easy to understand why.

At Benihana, it's not just a meal, it's an experience where guests are seated around a teppanyaki table while their chef prepares and cooks their meals on a teppan hot plate right before their eyes.

The highly trained Benihana chefs are known as entertainers as well as culinary masters and create an unforgettable dining experience every time as they slice, dice and juggle utensils, toss eggs and create flaming onion volcanoes.

A range of teppanyaki banquets are prepared at your table featuring combinations of fresh seafood, tender steak and succulent chicken. All banquets are served with signature onion soup, followed by Benihana salad, a prawn appetiser, hibachi vegetables and steamed or fried rice.

Also located on Level 3 of Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa is Benihana's Sake Bar. It is the perfect place to enjoy a pre-dinner drink and offers a selection of traditional Japanese Sake as well as its own fusion style sushi menu.

Marriott's Resident Manager, Kelvin Ramm, says the Gold Coast hotel's whole team is very excited to be a part of Benihana's 50^th Birthday celebrations.

"Benihana is such an iconic brand and the team here at Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa is very proud to be the home of the only Benihana restaurant in Australia," he said.

"We look forward to welcoming our regular guests and locals to join us in celebrating Benihana of Tokyo's 50^th Anniversary in May."

Benihana is open daily from 5.30pm and guests can book by phoning 07 5592 9800.