Toronto, ON

During the recent Winterlicious event here in Toronto I decided to head over to Benihana's; Located below the Royal York hotel just across the street from Union Station, I'd heard alot, but never been.

For those who are not familiar with this international chain, here's the deal - Your table, which seats seven, has a grill built in to it, so after you order one of several chefs on staff comes to your table and cooks the food in front of you. This cooking includes a little bit of showmanship which is what is supposed to make the experience unique and memorable.

That being said I wasn't floored with all the pepper grinder banging on the grill, nor was I overly impressed by the ability to cut a few shrimp in half and build an "onion volcano". All in all I think I would have preferred the intimacy of a quiet conversation than being witness to the tacky showmanship.

As for the food, it wasn't bad, but on the other hand it wasn't great either taking into account the cost of the meal, which was a tad overboard considering what we were eating. Note to self - Any place that charges $10 for a beer..can you say tourist trap?

Overall: Underwhelming, definitely a tourist trap.