The tables have a large grill plate in the center, and you can order the batter for the…read moreokonomiyaki, a savory pancake with vegetables (usually cabbage) with meat and seafood, or meat and other things to cook teppanyaki style. Ever itch to get to the other side of the table when dining at Benihana and do some fancy tricks with the spatulas? Here's your chance. For me, it has been a childhood dream of mine, after watching many anime and J-pops, to visit a DIY okonomiyaki shop.
We ordered several types of pancakes, as well as some udon to stir fry. We even pan fried the dumplings that come in a bamboo steamer. We ended the meal with the souffle pancake, which is not bad even if it doesn't measure up to ones sold in shops. Overall, it was a fun dinner, great for a casual small gathering. Our clothes did smell bad afterwards though, so don't wear anything fancy.
My complain is with the service. Our waitress was just not very friendly nor helpful. After leaving us with the menu for a 15 minutes, she came back and told us that we have 90 minutes to dine and the clock started ticking the moment we sat down. I replied that we had been waiting for someone to come by to take our order, and also needed help navigating the menu (which, while colorful with pictures, isn't very explanatory). My friend ordered a green tea, which the waitress said they don't have. Surprised that the restaurant doesn't offer tea, I checked the menu and pointed to the tea item. That's oolong tea, she said curtly. Okay, that is correct, but she could have nicely asked if we may want oolong tea instead. She also dropped off our orders without much explanation, so we were rather confused as to how to cook our food.
Fortunately, a server took pity on us, gave us a step by step, and then set the alarm for us... "flip it after 5 minutes, then reset and flip it after another five". He also helped us with our drink refills, and told us that as it was a slow night we were welcome to stay as long as we wish. If not for him, this review would probably be a 3 star.