Why Benihana's Fried Rice Is So Good, From Start To Finish

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Benihana built its reputation on the spectacle — the clanging knives, the flying shrimp, the onion volcano, the chef who is as much a performer as a cook, all of which make the experience worth the price. But even if you stripped away the theatrics, the food still holds its own. Case in point: Its Japanese-style chicken fried rice, which delivers on flavor from first bite to last. We found a great recipe by Jason Farmer that breaks down what makes Benihana's fried rice so good, and how you can nail it at home. 

Cooking fried rice might seem simple, but there are many mistakes to be made in preparing it, so follow these steps carefully. According to Farmer's recipe, the secret to Benihana's fried rice lies in the attention to detail, and begins with the rice itself. If you want to match their version exactly, look for Botan Calrose rice, though any medium-grain Calrose rice will also do. Make sure you rinse off the excess starch before cooking the rice until it's firm but not gluggy. Once cooked, it's important to let the rice dry out completely by refrigerating it uncovered overnight. The reason for doing this is that excess moisture, even more than starch, is the enemy of good fried rice!

The one ingredient that sets Benihana's fried rice apart is the garlic butter, which is added at two key stages of cooking. To make it at home, let two tablespoons of unsalted butter come to room temperature, then mix in ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and a splash of Kikkoman soy sauce.

Once your garlic butter is ready, it's time to prep the onions and carrots. Both should be brunoised (a chef's term that basically means dicing them into very fine cubes). The tiny, uniform cubes are important, because they lead to both faster cooking and flavors that fold easily into the rice. The final step of the prep is to thinly slice your chicken (eventually, these too will need to be chopped up very fine).

Now it's time to bring everything together. While you probably don't have a giant hibachi grill like at Benihana, a cast-iron skillet brought to high heat works just fine (Benihana's pan reaches 500°F). Start by heating a little neutral oil and cooking the chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic butter. Once done, chop it into small cubes. Next, cook the eggs and set them aside. Do the same with the onions, carrots, and thinly sliced green onions. Finally, spread the rice evenly in the pan and let it cook for a couple of minutes to dry out any excess moisture. Use only a light touch of oil at each step so the finished dish doesn't turn greasy.

When the rice is dry and fluffy, fold everything back in, add the remaining garlic butter, and stir well. For the last flourish, drizzle soy sauce directly onto the hot pan — not the rice — so it sizzles and caramelizes, deepening the flavor of the entire dish.