Get grilled
Head to Teppan at Benjarong to enjoy the best of taste bud-tingling Japanese cuisine
The Times Of India Chennai; Sep 10, 2010;

MANIGANDAN KR

Even as news reached me that Teppan at Benjarong was being launched, I found myself making my way to the restaurant, which now has the distinction of having the first stand-alone Teppanyaki grill in the country, to check the place out.

    I observed that a high level of importance being accorded to the quality of the food that was being prepared and that the ambience was nothing less than perfect.

    Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food and the word itself is derived from ‘teppan’, which means iron plate, and ‘yaki’, which means grilled, broiled or pan-fried. The chefs have been been flown in from across the globe, to provide guests with an authentic experience. As I settled down for my meal, I was joined by Ashok, manager, who informed me that apart from a teppanyaki counter, Benjarong also had a sushi bar.

    I was flooded with a series of options ranging from vegetarian dishes to seafood and meat offerings. I started off with the mouth-watering prawn tempura — crispy fried prawns served along with tempura sauce, radish and ginger. I also tried out the miso shiru, a traditional Japanese soup made with fermented soy bean paste, wakame, and tofu. As I enjoyed my meal, the manager disclosed that Benjarong was introducing teppanyaki and sushi counters not only because of constant requests but also because they felt that they had a duty to propagate the idea of healthy food in India.

    I next sink my teeth into the chicken thighs with Teriyaki sauce and the assorted green vegetables & mushroom with vegetable sauce. Both were splendid. But the best, I believe, was saved for the last.

    I ended my meal with two super desserts — muesli & yoghurt and Hawaaian sunset, both of which left me craving for more. On the whole, it was a splendid experience that left me impressed.