Ossiana Tepfenhart
His Father’s Influence
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Hioraki Aoki’s father was not your typical guy. He was a man who was known for being a bit of a playboy, and also had a penchant for showmanship. A major fan of vaudeville, he regularly made a point to lecture Aoki on putting on a good show.
His father recognized that traditional Japanese food wouldn’t be enough to get American’s restaurant doors. Rather, he believed that the concept needed a bit of showmanship in order to gain (and keep) American consumer attention.
Aoki decided that it was time for a change. A showy element to his restaurant could just be what turned it around. So, with the help of his chefs, he developed the concept of hibachi. That’s right–Benihana’s is the first restaurant in the world to make hibachi, and it was Hiroaki Aoki’s concept!
To further make the food more palatable, Aoki started to work with ingredients that were more American-friendly. Shrimp hibachi, for example, was one of his newest ideas to hit the table and it was a hit. He even made a point of barring fish from the restaurant, adding the tagline “no slithery, fishy things,” as part of the Benihana brand.