Since ancient times mankind has known the winged expression “bread and circuses”. Since its inception, civilizations have changed, and ways of entertainment have become much more delicate and refined. Nevertheless, even today, a rare person will deny himself the pleasure of combining fine dining with a spectacular performance, which unfolds at arm’s length. Especially if, during the performance, a skilled culinary master artistically prepares the ordered dishes right in front of the restaurant’s guests. Such tasty shows are the hallmark of Benihana at Avani Atrium, this year’s winner of Luxury Lifestyle Awards in the category of The Best Luxury Restaurants in Bangkok, Thailand.

Benihana at Avani Atrium is one of the branches of a restaurant chain whose history dates back to postwar Tokyo in the first half of the 20th century. Here, a popular Japanese entertainer Yunosuke Aoki opened a small coffee shop and named it Benihana (translated from Japanese as “red flower”). Yunosuke’s four sons and his wife Katsu took part in the development of the business from an early age and saw the coffee shop grow into a full-service restaurant. The eldest of the sons, Hiroaki, absorbed all of his father’s lessons in building a successful restaurant business.

In 1960 he came to the U.S. and, over time, came up with the idea to implement the accumulated experience and ideas. Hiroaki Aoki took the more comfortable name Rocky and opened the first Benihana restaurant near Broadway in 1964. Not only original dishes and authentic Japanese interior, but also special skills of the chefs who staged spectacular culinary performances appropriate to the artistic status of the location became the peculiarity of the restaurant. The stars of the menu were cooked in the “teppanyaki” style, on a steel grill in front of amazed visitors. Rocky’s persistence and diligence, as well as the skill of the staff, bore fruit six months after Benihana opened when a laudatory review by a famous restaurant critic opened the venue to New Yorkers hungry for never-before-seen dining experiences.

In the years since, Rocky Aoki has made the tradition of Japanese cuisine part of the mainstream, and the restaurant franchise he created has spread across the U.S. and far beyond. The Japanese Steakhouse Benihana at Avani Atrium is the chain’s second restaurant in Thailand’s capital, embodying the best features of Rocky’s brainchild. It was opened in 2017 on the second floor of the Avani Atrium Hotel, located in the heart of the city on Petchaburi Road. The restaurant has quickly won the hearts of locals and tourists coming here from different parts of the world. Benihana at Avani Atrium has also been praised by Luxury Lifestyle Awards, ranking it among the best luxury restaurants in Bangkok for the second consecutive year.

The interior of the restaurant is decorated in a modern Japanese style, making you feel like you’re in the Land of the Rising Sun in the heart of Bangkok. However, the unique experience that makes Benihana worth visiting begins when you order your meal. Prepare to witness a mesmerizing teppanyaki-style show as your personal chef performs a miracle of skill and showmanship while cooking in front of you on an iron griddle.

But don’t expect to get bored waiting for your order to be ready. The chefs at Benihana at Avani Atrium are not only culinary masters but also excellent actors and conversationalists who will allow you to fully enjoy the concept of eatertainment. At first, you won’t be able to stop watching the chef skillfully wielding knives, cutting and stirring meat, vegetables, or seafood delicacies, and then you won’t be able to stop enjoying the delicious flavors of the culinary masterpieces.