Benihana Birthday

It's not often we have the chance to get together with my cousin, Ryan, but we managed to squeeze in a lunch this past weekend for his birthday. You may recognize the red logo on the pillar. That's right. We had his birthday lunch at Benihana.



I hadn't been to a Benihana since I was a kid, so it was fun to be there again, especially with Ryan, who had noticeably matured since the last time we saw him.



This was our chef, and to be frank, he wasn't nearly as skilled as the chefs that were around when I was younger. Yeah, they do the onion volcano thing, and have a fancy way of chopping things up, but even to this day, I recall going to Benihana and being served by chefs who flipped shrimp in the air and made them land squarely on your plate,... chefs who rocked crazy spin and flip moves with the salt and pepper shakers,... and chefs who threw spatulas high in the air and caught them behind their back. This guy did none of that. Oh well... for better or for worse, the food hadn't changed a bit.



Overall, it was an entertaining and enjoyable lunch. The best part was that we got to catch up with Ryan and celebrate his birthday at one of his favorite places to eat. Happy Birthday, Ryan.