When I was a kid, a trip to Benihana promised ultimate entertainment. We got to watch a guy chop, flip and toss our food, and we got to eat steak. It was performance art, before we knew what that was, plus dinner.
Once we took my parents’ Midwestern friends to the teppanyaki temple and the wife shrieked every time the chef made a fancy chop-chop move. This egged him on to greater flamboyance. He was her entertainment; she was ours.
Teppanyaki is somewhat passe these days, but my fondness for Benihana remains rooted in family nostalgia.
The restaurant is still in the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, although it has been rebranded as Rocky Japanese Steak Teppan Restaurant — nicknamed “Rocky Teppanyaki,” which has a nice cadence. It’s named for Rocky Aoki, who introduced this form of “eater-tainment” when he founded Benihana more than 50 years ago.
Rocky recently introduced a happy hour, 5 to 6:30 p.m. daily.
The experience
Happy hour is held on Rocky’s lanai, just outside the front door along a busy lane that funnels cars to the parking lot. Imagine it as a sidewalk cafe — despite its proximity to slow-moving vehicles, it’s set back just enough, nestled in with the Japanese-courtyard ambiance of the Hilton’s shopping complex.
There’s even a small turtle pond; we saw three of them taking in the late-afternoon air.
The patio is just big enough for seven small tables that can seat about 20, total. If you came with a group you’d be on separate tables, but close enough for a shared experience.
The drink
All drinks, whether sold by glass or bottle, are half price during happy hour. This makes Rocky’s an ideal first stop on a night in Waikiki.
Pick your poison: sake (regular prices $6 a glass, up to $165 for a bottle of Kubota Manju, making them $3 to $82.50 at happy hour); shochu ($9 regular/$4.50 happy hour); Kirin draft ($6.95/$3.50); Sapporo, Asahi Super Dry or Kirin Ichiban (22-ounce bottles, $9.50/$4.75); or wine (by the glass for as little as $9/$4.50 up to $160/$80 for a bottle of Stag’s Leap Chimney Rock cabernet sauvignon). Quite a savings on those higher-end bottles.
In the cocktail realm I have one word for you: Ninjatini. I confess I only ordered this drink because of the name, but was won over by the showmanship. Grand Marnier, sparkling wine and cranberry juice are poured at the table over a tiny block of dry ice, creating a witch’s brew of bubbles and smoke.
The show lasts long enough to grab plenty of Instagram footage. Oh, and it tastes good, too. Fruity, sparkly, and with a few blueberries afloat in the glass. (Note that you’ll be warned at least twice not to drink the dry ice. Swallowing that could put a damper on your evening.)
If you’re a fan of the umbrella drink, many are on the menu, from the classic Blue Hawaii to various coconut- tinged coladas made with guava, mango and strawberry. These are all picture- perfect and a nice balance of boozy to sweet.
Cocktail prices are $9.75 to $13.50 before the happy-hour markdown. My Ninjatini is regularly $11.50.
The food
About a dozen dishes are listed as happy-hour appetizers, but they are not discounted. These include several sushi rolls, tempura and gyoza priced from $6 for edamame to $10.25 for a spicy tuna roll. These are serviceable, but you can find better elsewhere in Waikiki.
I’d suggest instead a teppanyaki item off the regular menu, since that’s what the restaurant does best. New York steak, as an example, is $34.50, filet mignon is $38. You don’t get the full chef’s show, as the steak is cooked in the kitchen and carried out to the patio, but if you want a little something to soak up the bargain booze, consider splitting one plate between two people. The steak comes in cubes with dipping sauces, pupu-style.
The verdict
Don’t forget: Ninjatini! The cocktail provides an entertaining start to any evening.
A visit to Rocky’s also comes with four hours of validated parking which, coupled with the half-price drinks, makes it a worthy stop for aperitifs. Afterward, have dinner at one of the Hilton’s many restaurants, walk on down Kalakaua Avenue or hit the sand for a picnic on the beach.
And don’t forget: On Fridays, the Hilton throws a fireworks show — at 7:45 p.m. this time of year, well within your four-hour parking window.
ROCKY JAPANESE STEAK TEPPAN RESTAURANT
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. rockyhawaii.com, 955-5955
Happy hour:
5-6:30 p.m. daily
>> All drinks, half-price
