Benihana celebrates San Mateo presence today
Benihana is celebrating its presence in San Mateo today with a grand premiere event.
The San Mateo location opened last spring and is finally celebrating its opening with an April 21 party and ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The City of San Mateo also planned to give a certificate to the restaurant in celebration of its ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to the city clerk’s office.
The over-7,000-square-foot restaurant in San Mateo has 18 teppanyaki tables, a bar and lounge and semi-private dining options.
Menu highlights include freshly grilled steak, chicken and seafood selections with salad, vegetables, dipping sauces, rice, appetizers and green tea, plus sushi rolls, sashimi and other small plates.
Vegetarian, vegan, keto and gluten-sensitive dietary preferences can also be accommodated.
The restaurant’s drinks menu features cocktails like red plum sake sangria and the Beni-tini, which is made with vodka, shochu, hibiscus-infused tea and passion fruit purée.
“We are thrilled to expand our presence in the Bay Area with the opening of our new Benihana in the San Mateo community," said Emanuel "Manny" Hilario, CEO of The ONE Group, in a press statement. The ONE Group is a restaurant company that franchises Benihana locations, among other restaurant and hospitality concepts.
The San Mateo location is just one of the new Bay Area locations that the restaurant chain has added or plans to add around the region. The ONE Group announced in December it planned to add 10 Benihana or Benihana Express restaurant locations around the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
As of last year, an Emeryville location in a former Chevy’s Fresh Mex was under consideration, and another location had already been secured in San Jose. Additional locations now operating are in Cupertino, Burlingame, San Francisco, Concord and Monterey.
Details: Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays, with weekday happy hours from 3-6 p.m. at the bar and lounge, at 2204 Bridgepointe Parkway, San Mateo; benihana.com/locations/san-mateo
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