Tempanyaki at Japan or Benihana?

[DawnCt]

Has any one dined at both the Hilton's Benihana at Lake Buena Vista and Japan's Tempanyaki Room? If you have which is better and which is the better deal?

 

[caitycaity]

hi dawn.

i haven't been to the benihana in orlando, but we were disappointed with tepanyaki when compared to our benihana here in d.c. our chef at tepanyaki was not very entertaining and while the food was good, they have a better selection of choices at the benihana here. tepanyaki certainly wasn't bad, but i don't think we'll go back.

 

[pnelson]

The one at Epcot was okay-however, I really like the fried rice at Benihana and Teppanyaki at Epcot does NOT serve fried rice. I guess it depends on where you are staying and when you are eating-Would it be inconvenient to go to Benihanas? We just avoid Teppanyaki now because we prefer Benihana and it's just not convenient when we are at Disney World togo offsite to a restaurant.

 

[DawnCt]

I usually rent a car and drive to most locations while at WDW so it wouldn't be much of a ride to the Hilton. Thanks for the info.

 

[Alice28]

Been to both and I give Benihana my vote. Teppanyaki wasn't bad, but like a previous poster mentioned, they don't do the chicken fried rice like Benihana does. That's my favorite part of the meal! As I recall, you get yakisoba noodles at Teppanyaki and can ask for a side of steamed rice.

 

[DebbieB]

I was disappointed with Teppanyaki compared to our local Benihana. It was practically the same food but twice the price. Also, the chef wasn't as entertaining as Benihana. We also felt rushed at Teppanyaki.

 

[f-LORI-da]

DH & I are staying at the Hilton next trip, and plan to dine at the Benihana's, so this is certainly good news.

We've had lunch at Teppanyaki, and thought it was superb, so I guess we're in for a real treat!

Thanks all for posting.

 

[ahutton]

We have done both Benihana and Japan. I'm apparently in the minority, but I like Japan better. True, the chefs at Benihana tend to put on a bigger show, but the chefs in Japan do a great job and are much closer to authentic, which is what we find so much fun about all of the World Showcase places. The lunch in Japan is a fantastic deal too.

 

[DawnCt]

Benihana's is only opened for dinner (as far as I can tell from the web site) and Japan serves lunch. I think if we opt for Japanese food for dinner, Benihana will win! Thanks for the comments.

 

[amw5g]

Why woudl you want to leave Disney property? While the Ecpot version may be less authentic than something similar in Japan, it' can't be as *******ized as Benihana's.

Of course, many people prefer schlock to authenticity, so.......

-Andrew

 

[skondo10]

Benihana's is my favourite restaurant! I think that the steak is amazing and I love the fried rice. Last time we were at Disney (Sept) Benihana's was open for lunch. I think it openned at 2:00 but I don't think it had a lunch menu. Enjoy your meal.

 

[DawnCt]

Originally posted by amw5g
Why woudl you want to leave Disney property? While the Ecpot version may be less authentic than something similar in Japan, it' can't be as *******ized as Benihana's.

Of course, many people prefer schlock to authenticity, so.......

-Andrew

Andrew, you are assuming that Epcot's restaurant isn't "schlock. When you have a product to sell, marketing is everything. I have eaten at Japan countless times but haven't tried Benihana. Actually, the Hilton considers itself "on Disney property". It is down the street from Downtown Disney, at the hotel plaza.

 

[bratray]

hi

i have res at teppanyaki's i am kind of dissapointed with the responses- i was hoping this would be a lot of fun for the kids as i have never been to this type of place before- can anyone tell me where Benihana's is and do they have a web site- we do have a car and if not too far away i may choose to go to Benihana's if the food and atmosphere is better

thanks

lisa

 

[amw5g]

Originally posted by DawnCt
Andrew, you are assuming that Epcot's restaurant isn't "schlock. When you have a product to sell, marketing is everything. I have eaten at Japan countless times but haven't tried Benihana. Actually, the Hilton considers itself "on Disney property". It is down the street from Downtown Disney, at the hotel plaza.

Actually, I wasn't assuming that at all. In fact, Disney prides itself on removing people from the nastiness of "real life" and makes a fortune doing so (well, attendance has slipped, but it's still more money than I'll see in a lifetime). It's all quite artificial, although some parts are less so than others. Obviously most peopel on these boards prefer Schlock to Authenticity on some level, since we'd rather stroll through Epcot than take a trip the countries it showcases.

As for the hotel, I don't really care what it considers itself- but it's not staffed by Dis cast members, it's management is not headed by Dis and the Benihanas certainly isn't operated by Dis. The company isn't perfect, but if I'm spending my hard-earned money on a vacation to Disney World, then that's where I'm going and that's where I'm staying put. I can go to Benihanas in over 75 locations in North America, but there's only 1 Disney World.

If I have a choice between a quasi-authentic Tepanyaki restaurant that's at least got the customer service of a Disney-run establishment versus the Benihanas, I know which one I'm going to choose and which one I'm going to recommend. Tepanyaki.

Best regards,
Andrew

 

[DawnCt]

Originally posted by bratray
hi

i have res at teppanyaki's i am kind of dissapointed with the responses- i was hoping this would be a lot of fun for the kids as i have never been to this type of place before- can anyone tell me where Benihana's is and do they have a web site- we do have a car and if not too far away i may choose to go to Benihana's if the food and atmosphere is better

thanks

lisa

Lisa, don't be disappointed at all. Obviously we like Tempanyaki because we have been there too many times to count. My kids have enjoyed it since they were in high chairs. It is the only time they would eat their vegtables without a fuss. That being said, I would like to try another alternative for a change.

 

[pnelson]

Lisa and Dawn,

I don't think you will be disappointed in Teppanyaki. The only difference I noted between the Epcot restaurant and Benihana was the lack of fried rice at Epcot. For me though, this was a big thing because I love the fried rice. I think the show and the service and the quality of food is pretty comparable at either place.