Benihana Memories Winners

Below are the winning entries to the Benihana Memories Contest. Each month, three winners are selected for their stories, pictures and/or videos recounting some of their favorite memories at Benihana. Our thanks to everyone who shared their memories with us, and congratulations to all of our winners.

Click here to see the winning entries for the Benihana Mother's Day Memories Contest.

Click here to see the winning entry for the Benihana Valentine's Memories Contest.

Click here to see the winning entries for the Benihana Holiday Memories Contest.

June

Gema Urbina
Miami-Samurai, FL

“My favorite Benihana memory was from this past Father’s Day. We went to there to celebrate the day with my husband's family. My father-in-law was in a motorcycle accident earlier this year and had been in the hospital for several months with a fractured leg. We were so happy to finally be able to get together and have a dinner together outside of the hospital for once. Thank you for the great food and being a great host!”

Vanessa Pon
Westburn, NY
“"We brought our son Jimmy to Benihana for the first time recently. He had a fantastic time! He even tried shrimp without thinking twice! The whole way home he talked about the chef and how he loved it when he tossed the shrimp tails up in the air and caught them in his hat. And he was blown away by the onion volcano. He enjoyed the soup so much he ate mine too! What a great night.”

Pepper Rynio-Brandt
Salt Lake City-UT

"Benihana means more than one experience for our family. No matter where we vacation we visit a Benihana; it's become a tradition for the Brandt family! While on vacation in Orlando, of all the places we could have eaten, we sought out Benihana. In San Diego, we travelled miles and miles to get to Benihana. We've also visited the Benihana in Las Vegas, Denver, and Salt Lake City. Why? Because we love becoming a part of the Japanese culture--even if it's only for our hour-long visit and we love the great service. The Benihana chefs and wait staff make customers feel important and valued: this is something our family loves. We're going on our yearly summer kick-off trip to Salt Lake City soon. We're going to a baseball game, staying at our favorite hotel, going to an amusement park, and of course, we're eating at Benihana! Our summer kick-off trip would be the same without a visit to Benihana--our family tradition.”

May

Kelli Wright
Cleveland, Ohio

"My Benihana Mama story starts at a time when I couldn't even remember it. My mother Melanie went to Benihana when she was pregnant with me! She worked across the street from our favorite Cleveland location and would come over and eat at least once a week. Therefore from a young age, I loved and craved Benihana! There was a time when I wouldn't eat mashed potatoes and other foods most kids loved but I was shoving chicken, mushrooms, and fried rice into my baby mouth with my tiny hands.

Throughout the years, I have eaten at Benihana over 500 times. My taste has developed and I now enjoy all different foods Benihana has to offer. I hope one day to pass onto my children the same love and cravings for Benihana that my mother gave to me. I only hope that my stomach agrees with me while I'm pregnant so I can start them early!!"

Katie Mullen
Maple Grove, Minnesota

"Our 20 month old daughter went to Benihana for her first time to celebrate Mother’s Day and found the shrimp sauce to be her absolute favorite! Instantly addicted! She couldn’t keep her little fingers out of it!"

Evelyn Dickson
San Diego, California

"My mother Linda is the greatest Mom/Grandma/Great Grandma in the world and Benihana is her favorite restaurant! We celebrated my sister's graduation there & will celebrate mine this June. Benihana is a special place for all of us – for me, my sister, daughter and great granddaughter - thanks to my mom. I'd like to honor her with this Benihana prize for working a double shift not just on Mother's Day but everyday just to make ends meet. I love you Mom! You are the greatest and you are very special to me."

April

Annie Clark
Salt Lake City, UT
"Benihana has always been a family favorite! For special occasions, my parents would let us choose a restaurant to eat out at and my brothers and I would always choose to go to Benihana. We loved it! I especially loved the ginger salad dressing and would even order extra and drink it plain! Almost every year, I would receive a pint of Benihana ginger salad dressing as a birthday present!

One time, while eating at Benihana’s, my parents told me that one day they would know I met the right man to marry if he could see me drink the delicious ginger dressing plain and still love me. Well, years later, while I was on a date at Benihana, I told my date that I had something that might be embarrassing to tell him. I told him that I loved the ginger salad dressing from Benihana - A LOT. He told me he did, too and then before I could tell him how I loved to drink it plain, he told me that he loves it so much he drinks it plain! I knew then this was a match made in heaven!

We have been married for almost 7 wonderful years and we have a baby boy that we take with us to Benihana - who we know will love this restaurant just as much as we do! We still choose to celebrate all of our special occasions at Benihana and we still love to order extra ginger salad dressing! Thank you for all of the memories Benihana!"

Tonja Field
Sacramento, CA
"At the time, my boyfriend and I had only been dating a few weeks and this dinner was the first time he was going to meet my two sisters. We dined on only the best - filet mignon and lobster - and the atmosphere was a great ice-breaker (a la The Office scene "What?! I can't hear you!"). We had a great time and our relationship is still going strong... we'll definitely be back to share more memories at Benihana!"

Amanda Schulz
Seattle, WA
"My boyfriend and I took his grandmother to Benihana for her 75th birthday because she has never been there and we just knew she would love it! She has spent an exhausting year battling breast cancer and lymphoma so we wanted to do something that would be a lot of fun for her where she could forget about everything and just have a great time - you guys did not disappoint! She was in awe of the chef and absolutely loved the food (and the sake!)and she still talks about going back every time we see her. We're all looking forward to heading back to Benihana for her 76th birthday!"

March

Melody Fraser
Chandler, AZ
"My favorite story to tell about Benihana is one that happened last year on my birthday. My husband took me to Benihana which was the first time we had been able to go out since our first baby was born. We did not have a lot of extra money the expense of having a newborn baby and both of us being teachers.

When we got to the restaurant we were seated with three other couples who were all neighbors and out for a night of fun together. They were very friendly with us and we enjoyed talking to them even though they were complete strangers.

My husband wanted me to have a nice birthday dinner so he told me not to think about the cost and to just enjoy myself (I knew he was adding up the total in his head but he wanted to make the meal special for me). After we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with great entertainment by the chef it was time for the checks to be delivered to each couple. The server brought out a bill to everyone except us. After the rest of the guests at our table had left the waitress brought our bill and the total was $0!! She told us the other couples had covered our dinner for us. It was an incredible surprise and we were so grateful to be the recipient of a random act of kindness.

We like to tell this story to our students and our friends and hope that someday we are in a position to do the same for other people and pass it forward."

Tia Giallombardo
San Diego, CA
"My boyfriend and my best friend took me to dinner for my 25th birthday. They surprised me with a babysitter for my four kids and picked me up in a limo. I was so shocked! I had no idea where we were going. As we pulled up to the Benihana I started to cry. This was my favorite restaurant even though I have only been there one other time. With having a family of six and the economy now a days we can barely afford groceries let alone afford to go to an AWESOME restaurant.

As we walked in I ran to the bathroom to fix my makeup. As I turned to go out I looked down on the floor and found a purse with cash and some credit cards inside it but no ID. I took it up to the front desk and told the hostess that the purse had been lost.

A man who had overheard the conversation came up to me and shook my hand and thanked me for returning his wife's purse! He then asked the hostess if he could pay for our whole bill at the end of the night. This was by far the best birthday ever. The waiter was awesome and the atmosphere was unbelievable - oh and the food was OUTSTANDING!"

Danielle Kotovets
Santa Monica, CA
"My name is Danielle. I decided to take my boyfriend to Benihana for his 21st birthday since he had never been before. We both ordered the Deluxe Treat and he was absolutely amazed watching the chef cook all the food in front of us. My boyfriend, Lisandro even got to order his first beer!

During the meal we socialized with the family sitting at our table with us. The father asked us where we went to school and we said Santa Monica College. He quickly responded "No way! That's where my wife and I both went to school."

After dinner the waiters came to sing Happy Birthday to my boyfriend. Everyone joined in, including the family at our table. Once the birthday celebration was over, the father asked my boyfriend whether it was really his 21st birthday. My boyfriend responded yes and he told us not to party too hard. When we all finished eating, we patiently waited for the bill. The family next to us received theirs, but we never got ours. We asked the waitress where our bill was and she explained that the father of the family paid for our meal. We turned around and he was standing there with his arm out telling my boyfriend Happy 21st Birthday. My boyfriend and I were in complete shock. We thanked the man and his family.

My boyfriend and I will always have a positive memory of this birthday celebration. I mean when you think about it, how many people in today's world would actually pay for your bill? Now my boyfriend wants to go back to Benihana and return the favor for someone else!!!"

February

Tabby Young
Pittsburgh, PA
"Hi! My name is Tabby and I am six years old. I have a sister Savannah who is five years old, and this is the story of how we got our Daddy.

Our Mommy had been dating Steve for a little over a year. On one of their dates they went to Benihana. It was my mom's first time there and she absolutely loved it! She kept raving about how good the food was and how she wanted Steve to take her there for her birthday. So on her birthday, Steve took Mommy to Benihana and met some of their good friends to celebrate.
After the meal the waiter brought out the check and some fortune cookies for everybody (Steve secretly brought the cookies to the restaurant and asked the waiter to serve them to her). Mommy opened her cookie and read her fortune. Steve asked, “What did your fortune say?” Mommy handed Steve her fortune. He quickly read it, tossed it on the table, and said, “Huh?” A short time after that, the maitre'de and their waiter brought out a platter with a small box and a bow on it, along with a camera. They said, “You are our one millionth customer at Benihana's and we would like to present you with this special gift!” In total shock my mommy's face turned red and she smiled as she slowly unwrapped the box. “I can't believe this is happening!” she exclaimed. Inside the box was a small, black velvet box and right before she opened it Steve's friend Jeff asked, “What did your fortune say?” Her fortune read: “When the young man of your dreams asks you to marry him, you should say yes!” She quickly opened the box and inside was a beautiful diamond ring and at that moment Steve dropped to one knee and presented her with a dozen roses and asked, “Misty, will you marry me?”

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Mommy threw her arms around Steve and said, “Of course!” as she kissed him. Four months later they were married and my sister and I were the flower girls. Mommy then asked us if we would like Steve to be our daddy forever. We said yes and now we have a Daddy who loves us and it all started at Benihana! Thank you so much!"

Tabby Young (written by her Daddy, Steve Young)

Duane Ramsey
Dearborn, Mi
"I took my wife to Benihana for our 10th anniversary. At the end of our meal the staff came out playing instruments like they do for a birthday celebration. I had roses, a new diamond anniversary band ring, and champagne - the works! I got down on one knee and re-proposed to my wife. The entire resturant was watching and my wife smiled and said NO! Everyone started clapping and cheering then the waitress waved her arms and stopped everyone and said "WAIT, WAIT! She said NO!

I was shocked, embaressed and didn't know what to do. The restaurant went silent and my wife just started laughing, and said "I'm joking!" Then she kissed me and accepted the ring. A lot of the customers were laughing and teasing me. It was so much fun for everyone in the restaurant that night but especially for my wife and I."

Nikki Taylor
Anaheim, CA
"I met my husband, John, in the summer of 2007. A large group of our friends went to a miniature golf course one night and he slyly found his way into my group. We decided to make a friendly bet that whoever lost the mini golf game had to buy the other person dinner. My husband is a very competitive person and I am not, so of course he won. I asked him where he wanted me to take him to dinner. He had lived in Japan for two years and loves Japanese food, so he chose Benihana.

We went the following weekend and had a wonderful meal. It was a perfect spot to make memories on our first date. When the bill came I reached for my wallet but he told me to put it away and paid for the meal. It was then I realized he really just wanted a date with me! That first date was followed by many other memorable dates and we were married the following year.

For our one-year anniversary, we celebrated at our first date location, Benihana and had a wonderful time once again!"

January

Candice Onodi

"We have a small family here in Michigan so when some of our relatives came to visit us from Hungary we were extremely excited! The first day they got here we knew that we wanted to take them somewhere fun, entertaining and delicious for dinner. None of us could think of anything better than Benihana! We had a great time that night and it definitely set the tone for their entire trip. Thank you for making our very first dinner with our relatives a memorable one... and more importantly for allowing my grandpa and his sister to truly enjoy themselves after being apart for years. The day everyone went back to Hungary we gave my grandpa’s sister this photo framed so she will always remember the time we had together."

Linda Garrett

"I teach 4th grade in a small town called Seagoville, Texas. I am proud to say that I have been an elementary school teacher for 31 years. In 1984, I taught a Talented and Gifted class. We were studying a unit on Japan. At the conclusion of our research, I decided to take my class on a fieldtrip to Benihana. Exposing them to the food of a different culture would top off our studies about Japan. The class, our principal, and many of the parents enjoyed a great meal. Your servers even fixed "training chopsticks" for my students. In the first photo please notice the little girl at the right corner of the table eating.

Well, that little girl has grown up to be a beautiful mom. Then, last year I became the proud teacher of HER daughter, Paige. I read about your “Children Helping Children” coloring contest and decided to enter the artwork of my students. We were thrilled when Paige’s entry won first place! She won a dinner for eight at Benihana. My husband and I were thrilled when she invited us to have dinner with her family and her grandparents. I was a proud teacher eating dinner with two of my students!!! The second photo is a picture of Paige and I at the restaurant. Thanks Benihana for memories that span from 1984-2009."

Grace Hawkinson

"For the past few years it has been a tradition for my family to go to Benihana for my youngest brother’s birthday. It is definitely our favorite restaurant and last year when I wanted to go on my birthday my brother said, “No! Benihana is MY birthday restaurant!” We all enjoy it so much and we love the food and the environment! Each year my brother picks a different Benihana mug to get a smoothie in and he has them all on a shelf in his room. My family has had a lot of great memories with you and I look forward to the new memories to come!"

December

Phillip Wong

"It has been a tradition that I celebrate my birthday every year at Benihana with my four best friends regardless of where we live. We have all moved to different parts of the country but we always come back to our hometown to reminisce about the good times we've had - continuing a 15 year friendship along with a 15 year tradition."

Samantha Daleo

"We picked Benihana to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. It was such a special memorable night!"

Eric Warnke

"I've gone to Benihana a lot over the past 7 years. It's officially my favorite restaurant and I tell everyone and try to take as many people as possible when they go there. This photo was taken at Benihana Austin which is Longhorn country... A lot of the chefs do this and I finally got a good picture of it and wanted to share it with y'all. I love your food and will remain a loyal customer for the rest of my life!"

November

Christine Sadler

"Benihana is my all-time favorite restaurant! Growing up, my parents let me choose a restaurant every year where we would celebrate my birthday. Benihana in downtown Cincinnati was my choice every time – from the time I was five into adulthood. I am now 36, my parents are both deceased, and Benihana holds some of my most special memories of family celebrations. My husband and I are passing down the tradition of family fun at Benihana to our five children. Our first choice for fun, laughter, memories and quality food and service is Benihana every time!"

Pat Beelow-Niesen

"Benihana is my all time favorite restaurant. We eat at Benihana at least once a month…it’s my “comfort” food. Despite of how often I frequent the restaurant I celebrate all my special occasions there. My most recent was my 60th birthday with my family. Two of my three sisters and their families shared my special occasion. I call us the “Benisisters.” It’s a place where age has no boundaries and brings out the “child” in all of us. It’s fun, the atmosphere is inviting and the food is fabulous!"

Yvette Soto

"I was 14 when my Dad, a chef, took our family to my first Benihana performance. What a treat that was! Having grown up in the kitchen watching both of my parents cook, my twin sister and I have always loved to cook and are always stirring up something. In New York City, the crowds, the electric atsmosphere, the wonderful food and the new culture of Benihana won me over. Wherever I go, live or visit, I look for a Benihana and their world-famous cuisine. I have now visited over five locations and although I have lived in Texas and been to those located within the state, my love for Teppanyaki began in New York City."

October

Karen Petersen

"My oldest son turned 10 last month. We wanted to take him somewhere special for lunch and I couldn’t think of a more perfect place than Benihana. When I told my four boys where we were going they got so excited! This was after all of their very first time to Benihana and we had a great time!"

Desiree Marquez

"With the economy hitting our family hard during the past few years, we really had to tighten up our family budget. Eating out was one of the first things cut back on and now we limit our nights out to once per month. Every month it never fails, Benihana is our first choice. The kids LOVE the dinner show and our Chef Akuto is the best! On the day this picture was taken during our monthly outing, we were celebrating our children’s selection as Homecoming Queen and Prince of their football league. Mostly we were celebrating just being together and being a family. It will forever be one of my favorite memories because our littlest – Melia – watched in amazement as Chef Akuto made her heart of fried rice beat on the grill!!!! Thank you Benihana for the great food and friendship, but mostly for allowing our family to celebrate each other with you!"

Jeanne Vescio

"My favorite memory was when my girlfriends decided I needed a nice dinner and a night out on the town because my fiancée was in the military and away on leave. Little did I know that he had arrived home for a short leave with a shrapnal wound and he and he and my friends were planning on surprising me at Benihana. After chatting and having a couple drinks, I got up and went to the ladies room, and when I returned to my table my friends were no longer seated there. Instead, there sat the most handsome man, my fiancée. We had the best evening ever and though I was excited, I enjoyed every bite of our dinner, and the staff at Benihana were exceptional. Thank you!"

September

Cora Lindholm

"My best friend Claire and I absolutely love Harry Potter. When the new movie came out (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) in the summer of 2007, we decided to dress up like the characters, go out to dinner and watch the movie. We chose to eat at Benihana because it is the most magical restaurant I know!

When we sat down in our outfits, the chef had a big smile on his face. He didn’t expect to see 'Luna Lovegood,' 'Professor Umbridge,' 'Hermione Granger,' and 'Harry Potter' sitting at his table. The dinner was fantastic! Shrimp were flying around, an onion volcano was exploding and the smell of delicious food filled the air. Benihana made our night a memorable one. Thanks!!!"

Heather Hernandez

"We celebrated my friend Scott’s 25th birthday with eight friends this past month at Benihana. We used The Chef’s Table birthday certificate and were incredibly impressed with the saving! We all agreed that this was an awesome way to spend a birthday and it set a wonderful tone for the rest of the evening. Thank you Benihana!"

Josh Liner

"When I was in high school, my friends and I used to go to the Benihana in Manhasset all the time. My senior year I think we ate lunch there every Friday. My friends and I knew everyone who worked at the restaurant and they knew us. We had a core group of about six classmates but we always brought friends who had never been to Benihana to share the experience with us. We “initiated” them my doing a “shot” of ginger sauce and they officially became members of the club!

The staff there was so nice! Every time we celebrated a birthday they would sing to us and bring us a free pineapple but the best part was getting our photo taken and then getting the photo in the paper Benihana frame (my friend still has a HUGE collection of these pictures at his house proudly on display).

One day a few of us came into the city and had lunch at Benihana. While we were sitting there we noticed that the founder, Rocky Aoki was there too. My friend asked Rocky if he would be kind enough to be a part of our photo that day and he graciously accepted. That was the best Benihana experience to date!"

August

Kelly Zelepugas

"I have been going to Benihana every year for my birthday since I was 7. August 11, 2009 was no different as I celebrated my 20th birthday with my dad, my boyfriend and his parents. Well, as soon as I arrived I walked in to find the entire seating area filled with all my friends! I just moved to back to Denver after being in Greeley for two years. Secretly, my boyfriend invited some of my close friends from Greeley, whom I missed dearly. It was an emotional reunion.

Although I was overwhelmed I was so excited to see everyone! Many of them had never been to a Benihana, but because I talk about it all the time we were all anxious. My party took up two tables and the cooks we had were absolutely making the experience enjoyable. They were flipping food across the tables and making us all laugh. One of my favorite parts is when the Chef makes a heart out of the fried rice and then makes it beat! Also, our cook challenged me with catching a piece of chicken in my mouth and I caught it on the first try! He made me feel like the center of attention every chance he could and it was so much fun! Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” and it was the loudest it has ever been.

After my mother passed away five years ago, my family and I still carry on the tradition of going to Benihana every year for my birthday. Usually, I go with my dad and brother, but having 16 people there was so much fun. When the picture was taken, the staff had to back up about three times before he got all of us into the picture. The experience was by far the best I have ever had in the last 12 years of going to Benihana. The service was great and my friends who had never been to Benihana plan on going more often for all types of celebrations! My birthday was a great memory I will never forget!"

Juli Gerrits

I am an adopted child that was separated from my biological siblings when we were young. We reconnected with each other recently and began the process of getting to know each other. During my first phone conversation with one of my brothers, we both discovered that we loved Benihana. We grew up states apart, but that was the first thing we had in common. We love the food, the entertainment, and the atmosphere.

We decided to all meet at the Benihana in Seattle during a weekend in August. Even though we all lived in different places, my whole family was together for a meal at one of our favorite restaurants. The photos are pictures of my siblings and I as well as a group photo with spouses and other family members.

Dot Elliott

"On my 41st birthday I was a recently divorced, mother of three daughters and had an exchange student from France staying with us. Money was extremely tight. I took the girls to the Children’s Museum that day where we had a great time but wanted to take them someplace special for my birthday dinner – and Benihana immediately came to mind!

The five of us were seated with a couple who were out for the evening. I had to order for the girls because I had just enough money for dinner and couldn’t go over budget. The evening was such a wonderful experience! The chef was fun and entertaining and the food was awesome! My girls chatted with the other couple at our table and told them we were there celebrating my birthday.

Near the end of dinner, when ice cream was offered, I had to tell the girls no. The couple sitting with us asked if they could buy us all ice cream…in honor of my birthday. I thanked them and said that would be okay. The girls were so excited and I was relieved I didn’t have to disappoint them.

When the server came back with the checks, the couple spoke with her for a minute and then she looked up at me with a big smile on her face. She said “your family’s dinner? They will pay for it!” The couple added a cheerful “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” and told me to “enjoy your wonderful daughters!!!” It was the best birthday present I have ever received!"

July

Diana Rubin

“I go to Benihana every year for my birthday, but last year the chef actually let ME cook! He gave me his hat and allowed me to stand behind the big grill and perform my own show. I was laughing so hard that I didn't do much, but it still made my night extra special and one that I will never forget!”

Tracy Smith

“I am a single mother of four. Life has not been easy for us but I never wanted my kids to feel like they where left out of anything and I wanted to let them experience all that they could. A big treat for us was that once every three months on a Saturday afternoon, I would take them to Benihana for lunch. They’ve experienced everything from learning how to use chopsticks when they were little with the children’s "learner" chopsticks and as they’ve gotten older, they’ve tried everything from sushi to scallops and other items. The sense of pride I felt having my children exposed to this was wonderful for me. Over the years I have taken nieces and even great nieces to have their Benihana experience for the first time because I know these memories will out-live me. They will never forget who they where with the first time that they had this simple, elegant and interactive experience.”

Patricia Helms

“The first time I went to Benihana was on my first ‘official’ date with the man who would become my husband. We had only known each other for a short time, but we both already felt that it was the start of something that could last forever. I will never forget sitting in the lobby at Benihana, waiting for our table, and hearing the hostess call out, “Mr. & Mrs. Helms” while she looked directly at us. I loved being called Mrs. Helms. It just felt so right. I spent the rest of the evening feeling like that night was the beginning of the rest of my life! Sure enough, I became Mrs. Helms in just under a year. We're about to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, and as I look back over the course of our relationship, that moment at Benihana is still one of my favorite memories!”