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    Benihana - San Francisco

    2.9 (2k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Business Info

    BENIHANA - SAN FRANCISCO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Touristy
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

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    HIBACHI STEAK with Zucchini, mushrooms, onions and shrimp.
    Mody M.

    The place had quite a crowd and busy Teppanyaki chefs. Soup was warm and bland. The steaks we ordered were delicious. Just a bit on the salty side. The place could use some aesthetic work.

    Drinks
    Tracy B.

    Came here today for SF restaurant week and I was completely disappointed with my visit today. The server Hangal was ok. Not very friendly at all. But the worst experience was the chef. He was NOT friendly didnt talk at all. ABSOLUTELY no interaction with the table and the biggest disappointment was he didn't do the onion volcano act. Our server never came back to check on us. The whole experience was a complete waste of money and time. Don't think I'll be coming back for a while. Train your chefs better. I enclosed a pic of the chef since he didn't tell us his name

    Way overbooked - an hour wait from reservation time.
    Dave M.

    I hadn't been to Benihana in many many years and have never been to the San Francisco location. I made a reservation, yes shame on me Saturday night. For my family and I. Parking is atrocious in a very busy area - Japantown. We arrived early, parked in a local garage after circling for quite some time. Entering the restaurant, we passed through mobs of people. Literally one of the loudest environments I've ever had at a restaurant, and the most busy check-in desk anywhere. It appears that this restaurant chooses to overbook so that once you are in for your reservation, you wait at least another hour. The management passed out hors d'oeuvres samples - gyoza and California Roll pieces. That's thoughtful. But the truth is - a restaurant needs to know its limitations of bookings. It's just disrespectful and unpleasant to navigate. Additionally when they checked us in, we were told to wait and they'll call us when their table is ready. They did NOT say that it would be 60-90 minutes from the time of our actual reservation. We finally sat after about 80 minutes. Then we waited another 10-20 minutes to get water and have our orders taken. The menu is not for the faint of heart; each meal is upwards of $50 - plus add ons and beverages. The waitress was kind and engaging and although busy was smiling whole time. Although the place wasn't necessarily dirty, it definitely has seen better days. The dining areas with the hibachi table grills are old and dilapidated. The cooktops in many cases are distorted and quite aged. First the "experience". It's all about the showmanship of the chef as he makes your food. The routine is the same at every station by every chef. It is entertaining and engaging. Yes kids love it. They try to say funny things, but you can't hear it because it's so damn loud. As far as the food goes, it has potential to be delicious. But then again, if you add a slab of butter and douse everything in salt and pepper - everything has a certain flavor to it. Again, I knew this going into it. So it shouldn't be a shock. But I just sit here after the dining experience and wonder how much more delicious it would be if the food was created in any more reasonable manner? You really don't need a half cup of butter on a filet mignon. Nor do you need 3 tablespoons of salt. The steak itself tastes just fine when properly prepared. The chicken fried rice is delicious, although I would hold back on the soy sauce a little bit. The vegetable vegetables - zucchini and onions - same thing. Salt, pepper, garlic butter, sesame seeds, and tons of soy sauce. Safe to say, I am detoxing the salt today! I could get into more food details, but frankly it's not about the food here. The experience was chaotic, noisy, and took an eternity. I wasn't necessarily in a hurry. But I don't like to eat my dinner at 9-10 o'clock typically. I guess people go to Benihana for the spectacle of it all. It's disappointing. I would enjoy a hibachi grill cooking experience where the food was a tad healthier and delicious, the energy was more calm, I didn't feel like I was at a train station, and my time was respected. I may actually pay a little more for that. Instead, it's a low class spectacle masking itself in a pretender aura of being something next level.

    HIBACHI CHICKEN
    Andrew M.

    Benihana is straight nostalgia for me now. It was a place I grew up going to for very special occasions. Though I don't go as often now their food is still just as good as I remember. It's hard finding a chain that's been around for a long time to still have great food and great service at that. If pricing wasn't as high as it is I think I would find myself going more.

    worst onion tower ever
    Yan L.

    This place was horrible. Spent over three hours here because it took over 30 minutes to get seated WITH reservations and then even longer to get the food. Not only that but we paid over $120 for inedible "A5 wagyu" + drinks, which everyone already knows about Benihanas, but the worst part was the show which is why people actually come here to suffer through the low quality meat. We had absolutely no enthusiasm or energy from our chef. And there were no tricks or interactions for the table other than a measly volcano onion tower, which only had four layers to it. And then set a little on fire like the most pathetic trick that they can get away with. The decor is tacky, the chef had a dirty apron on that looked like he was wearing it for a week, and the service is very, very, slow. Actually got food poisoning right as I came home from it and shat myself for 45 minutes. The A5 wagyu was all fat and no meat, also poorly cooked. They really push the fried rice on you (even when you ask for white) so they can up charge you $7

    Christiane F.

    We stopped at Benihana for an early dinner on a Saturday at 4:30pm. The place wasn't too crowded which was great. There was only two of us but we had a good time. I do think Benihana is more suited for big groups, your experience can differ depending on who's at your table. The food was good, not amazing but good. Our chef was amazing, was very interactive and happily answered questions. It was great watching him cook. Overall good experience, would return with a group.

    LAND 'N SEA
    Franchesca L.

    We walked into Benihana on a Thursday night around 6:30pm and we were seated right away. When we walked in, our server was already introducing their new Wagyu options to the others at our table. When it came time to order, the restaurant was so loud that I couldn't even hear our server. I would say that the service was not amazing the whole night. Our chef was great and it was only his fourth week working there. I could tell he was trying his best. However, our server paid minimal attention to us and seemed annoyed the whole night. When she came over to ask others for their dessert preferences, I asked if I could order after we finished our meal. She then told us our meal didn't come with dessert anyways, which was not the point. She then checked and realized our meals did come with dessert and brought over our ice cream before we were done with the man course. Of course, the ice cream melted. Overall, the food was ok, but definitely overpriced. The filet mignon quality was average. The chicken fried rice barely had any chicken and it was a $9 add on. I definitely wouldn't recommend going for dinner, but they did have some specials that seemed like a better deal if you want to sit at the bar. Maybe that would be better.

    S L.

    I stop by for special lunch promotion " power lunch @ $15:95 , on Thursday around 1pm. Restaurant is clean not busy and food it come fast. Service was good but food was okay!

    BENIHANA TRIO (left) & WAGYU - A5 JAPANESE TOKYO BROIL (5OZ) (right) | IG: @nomwithelaine
    Elaine N.

    I've been wanting to go to this restaurant for awhile now and I finally recently visited it! I went here around 4:11pm on a Sunday and I was surprised by how there wasn't a long wait. Anyways, we were quickly seated with another group of people at the grill area. Everyone's meal comes with soup, salad, fried rice or rice, and vegetables along with their choice of meat they want. We ordered the A5 Japanese Tokyo Broil and also the Benihana Trio for our entree items. Most people at my table ordered the same item, such as the Benihana Trio, but I ordered the A5 Japanese Tokyo Broil from their special menu. Anyways, since I was the only one who ordered from their special menu, I was given a black plate with a leaf. Everyone's entrees came with soup, salad, veggies, fried rice, a shrimp appetizer, and dessert too! That meal was so filling! I'd recommend this place! This place is a fun dining experience! They have a chef cooking everyone's meals in the center and made a show out of it too. Also, all the food tasted good and was filling, BUT the portion size here isn't as large as other teppanyaki type restaurants I've been to.

    Dinner menu 1/2026
    Ali F.

    I've eaten at various Benihanas so I'm not a novice. We came for weekend lunch but we were offered the dinner menu and were pushed to order from the dinner menu. They do have a lunch menu and it's cheaper pricing but you have to ask for that menu at this location. Never experienced that before as both are usually put on the table. Since we were convinced to order the dinner, we went with the filet minion which I've gotten many times and the yakisoba trio (chicken, beef and shrimp). Then it's $9 extra to get fried rice (has chicken) instead of the default steamed rice. Foodwise, both dishes were over seasoned and ended up salty which was not necessary since they have dipping sauce for the items. The yakisoba was cooked in a katsu sauce which was meh but there was also too much sauce. Now that I'm looking at the dinner menu, they forgot our shrimp appetizer! It says it comes with green tea too but it wasn't given automatically. After an expensive lunch that wasn't even a celebratory meal, I'm not too satisfied as it was mediocre and I felt like they were trying to rack up the bill. By the way, there is a 6% extra charge for SF Healthy Mandate here. The restaurant was about half empty so there was no problem getting a table. Probably because not everyone is looking for an expensive lunch. For birthdays you get a song, a scoop of ice cream, and a physical Benihana photo.

    Fancypants X.

    My fondest memories at Benihana Japantown were large family gatherings decades ago (do Filipinos even have small gatherings?!) Six of us dined here recently for an impromptu dinner; it was easy to secure a last-minute 9:30pm weeknight reservation. Our teppanyaki chef really made our evening; he was funny, personable, & most importantly, used an excessive amount of garlic butter. I was shocked to see Benihana's dinner prices in comparison to their reasonable lunch deals. A few times during the pandemic, we ordered chicken & shrimp & all its accompaniments for two people at the low, low price of $38. At dinner, my trio of filet mignon (which was tender & flavorful), colossal shrimp, & spicy hibachi chicken was almost double the price...for one person. Definitely a nostalgic place for me -- the flavors of their chicken fried rice, onion soup, sauces, & sometimes-dry proteins are ingrained in my adolescent memories -- but my visits to this location & others in the chain are few & far between.

    Tiffany C.

    Came here on a Saturday afternoon for a birthday celebration with super low expectations and it surprisingly exceeded my expectations! I've been avoiding this place for years because I've always remembered it to be expensive and not good. Jorge was amazing! He made the experience super enjoyable! I've been to a few teppanyaki places where I asked for medium rare and I would get a super cooked piece of steak. This time around I asked for rare because I expected it to be overcooked. Jorge made sure that my steak was rare. I was very impressed by that! I didn't get our servers name but she was amazing as well. Excellent food and excellent service this time around! (I do believe that it could be a hit or miss though)

    CJ H.

    I chose to dine at an off-peak time. It wasn't my first visit, so I knew very well that the chef preparing the meal each time could greatly influence both the flavor and the entertainment value. Some chefs tend to burn good ingredients or are not very skilled in their teppanyaki performances. Starting with the downsides: it was very cold outside, but too hot indoors. The water in the restroom was uncomfortably hot, and the chair backs were slightly sticky. Aside from that, the overall cleanliness was acceptable. The prices are relatively high. Lunch is around $40 per person before tax, which is slightly more affordable. Dinner, however, is quite expensive, averaging around $60 to $80 per person after tax. Now onto the positives. The ingredients were fresh and the food was delicious, especially the beef Hibachi Chateaubriand at $51 and the Ocean Treasure seafood platter at $60. The beef, paired with onions and mushrooms, was a perfect combination. Cooked rare, the texture was just right. There were also plenty of sides including hot soup, salad, grilled vegetables like onions and zucchini, and incredibly tasty chicken fried rice that is a must-order. Lobster and scallops are also signature items at this Benihana and were prepared perfectly. The chef's dedication and skillful teppanyaki performance made it a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds. I strongly recommend this Benihana in San Francisco to any food lover who enjoys teppanyaki cuisine. 挑了一個冷門的時間過來用餐,本來就不是第一次來,我深知每一次幫客人做菜的師傅不同,將會影響食物的美味程度和觀賞娛樂度。因為有些師傅會把好食材都炒焦,或是雜技也不夠熟練。 先講不好的,室外非常冷,但是室內過於炎熱,廁所的洗手水也是燙手的,椅子的椅背也略為粘,不然整體的衛生來說是算乾淨的。價格相對來講有點貴,午餐大概在人均$40稅前,稍微便宜一些;晚餐就非常貴,人均大概在$60-$80之間稅後。 接著優點就非常多了,食材新鮮、食物美味,尤其是我點的牛肉Hibachi chateaubriand $51和海鮮大餐Ocean Treasure $60。牛肉搭配洋蔥和蘑菇,絕配,煎至一分熟是完美的肉質,還有搭配一堆副食,像是熱湯、沙拉、蔬菜是煎洋蔥和小黃瓜、和超美味的雞肉炒飯,必點。各種認真的花式特技搭配做菜,真的是視覺和味覺的饗宴。我強烈推薦各位喜歡鐵板燒美食的老饕,可以來舊金山這一家Benihana享用美食。

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    Benihana - San Francisco Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Benihana - San Francisco

    Is there a hotel or motel next to Benihana?

    I believe there's something close Kabuki on Post St… Read more

    What's the max amount of people at a table? I have a reservation for 10.

    There are typically 8 seats at one table, but I believe they can fit up to 10

    Do you need a vaccination card to eat here?

    No, you don't need a vaccination card.

    Are they cooking in front of us again?

    Yes. I was there just last Monday. Chef was wearing mask

    Are they actually that strict on the dress code? Want to come here with friends for dinner but saying no spaghetti straps seems excessive? It's like a junior high dress code.

    You can wear whatever you want :) the only rule is "no shoes, no shirt, no service"

    How many people can they sit max to a table?

    Had a birthday dinner tonight and we were able to sit 10

    Is Benihana open for in house dining now?

    Yes

    I have a birthday coupon. I got an email saying that it is now valid for take out orders. Can you confirm if it is valid for take out orders on ANY day or just Monday-Thursday?

    Do I get any free dinner on birthday?

    You do! Just sign up for their rewards program before your birthday and then you will get a coupon for free $30 for your dinner. You just have to come with someone who will buy a dinner as well. You can use it in your birthday month, but I think… Read more

    Is the onion soup vegetarian or does it have a chicken broth base?

    Chicken broth.

    Why my steak was over cooked? N why our waitress ask for more tips??

    You know what? Yes they cook it in front of you. But they also have it written down! And you're there to enjoy your meal and watch the show! Also...how TF are you supposed to know exactly what steak is yours!? Don't be as$h0les people! Come TF… Read more

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    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    3.8(390 reviews)
    1.5 miSoMa
    $$$

    A friend of a friend suggested this place. And we weren't smart enough to try to make a reservation…read morefor Saturday night. We came in around 8:15 and was told it would be another 1hr and 15min for a table for us. Luckily about half hour later a table opens up. The menu is a little overwhelming because there are so many options. You can do AYCE for different levels of meat options. Or you can do sets for 2,3,4 etc. Since we've never been we tried their meat lovers set for 2. They were amazing. We really liked all their meat cuts. Some sauces used to marinades were too sweet but honestly even if it was too sweet I would still give it a 3/5. we also tried their spicy beef bibimbap but it was also too sweet. Tastes like sweet and sour sauce on rice. Everything else was really good. Even the salad. My kid finished the whole thing.

    This place was right across the street from the hotel we were staying at (Intercontinental) and…read moresince our feet were tired, we figured why not just walk across the street? It was very unusal and we didn't really know what to expect from a short read of a few reviews. Glad we made the walk, very high quality meats and fun to do the BBA with the meats. We ugrated a few to higher quality meats (like $5 for both of us) and that was well worth it. I didn't care for the Japanese fried chicken, sorta cold and in the future I would try to sub something else. I really liked this place, I will come back for sure when I am in SF for a conference I know this place now!

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    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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    Niku Steakhouse - Grilled maitake mushroom

    Niku Steakhouse

    4.3(994 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$$$

    Came to celebrate my brother's graduation from his master's program and Niku is the perfect spot to…read moretreat someone to an amazing experience. We sat at the chef's counter so we could watch them prepare every dish and grill some beautiful steaks. Service was exceptional, from the moment we checked in at the front desk, the team made it a point to congratulate my brother. They remembered his allergies from my OpenTable comments and let him know that he could have everything on the menu. We ordered the bone marrow, beef tartare, ribeye, 3oz of the off-menu A5 wagyu, broccolini, and the hojicha dessert. Everything we got was a hit! Loved their take on avocado toast as the first bite, we knew the meal was going to be amazing from the first bite. The beef tartare was the best I've ever had and I've never had bone marrow that I didn't enjoy. This version was delicious with the toppings of short rib pieces that were balanced with the pickled bits and mustard seeds. Both appetizers were must gets for us! The ribeye came out overdone, and luckily it came out again shortly from the kitchen along with some on the house pickled veggies. The second time the ribeye came out was the perfect medium rare. The meat quality was delicious, the ribeye was tender and marbled very nicely. The A5 was an 11/12 on the wagyu marbling scale and it was truly a treat, 3oz for the two of us was definitely enough. I loved the fresh grated wasabi and the pickled veggies to cut through the richness of the meat. Dessert was fantastic, and I can't finish this review without shouting out their cocktail menu! The two drinks I had were super delicious and I would come back just to explore more of their drinks. It's a special occasion spot and worth it to experience at least once!

    5/10 Overall. We came with very high expectations…read more Unfortunately these expectations were not met. Of course the staff was excellent as you would expect from a restaurant on this level, but the food was honestly underwhelming. We ordered the following and this was my opinion: Beef Tartare 7/10 the yolk made it memorable and crispy beef tendon was an amazing touch. The Pea Agnolotti 7/10 was very buttery and rich, just a very small portion. Salmon which was a 7/10. Crispy skin but not as much flavor as I expected. The 14 day dry aged ribeye 6/10. Ordered medium came out rare and dry! Very bland no juices! The staff noticed and asked if they could reheat it for us which we agreed. (How a steakhouse of this nature gets that wrong in the first place is beyond me) After the steak was brought back it was very good. 7.5/10 after reheated. Now here is the real problem. We ordered the "Waygu Tomahawk" 3/10. This was almost $300 and we asked for this cooked medium since you want ot render the fat on a large fatty steak like this. When it finally came out (very long wait time) the steak was cooked to the proper temp, but absolutely bone dry! Not a drop of juice in the plate or the meat itself. To the point I had to ask my party if I was over criticizing it. To my surprise the entire party agreed with my observation. We all we very disappointed with the what they call the "Westholme Wagyu Tomahawk". I have eaten at many nice steakhouses and honestly if that was wagyu it was the lowest grade possible. They should not label it a Wagyu. I dont even know if it would pass as prime in my book. Extremely disappointed in this dish For sides we enjoyed the grilled brocolini 7/10. Nice and charred and went well with the miso and furikaki. The dinner rolls 6.5/10. A little dry as well. Good flavor. Lastly we had the crispy potato cooked in wagyu fat 9/10. This was my highlight of the night. Amazing flavor and not greasy at all. Light and crispy! Overall I was so excited to come here but left very disappointed. I am starting to leave hobest reviews as we are fortunate enough to eat at many high end restaurants and I know what to expect. I give this a 5/10 overall with a lot of room for improvement. The side dish was the start of the night and that is simply kot enough from a nearly $1k dinner.

    Photos
    Niku Steakhouse - Perfection at work

    Perfection at work

    Niku Steakhouse - Beef tartare

    Beef tartare

    Niku Steakhouse - Crispy Potato w/chickpea miso

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    Crispy Potato w/chickpea miso

    Sanraku

    Sanraku

    3.9(2k reviews)
    1.0 miLower Nob Hill
    $$

    Very good Japanese food right in the heart of downtown San Francisco! We stopped in for lunch on a…read moreTuesday and hit the jackpot with their lunch box special. For $18, you get an incredible spread: * your choice of gyoza, shumai, or tofu * a California roll or avocado roll * a protein of your choice Plus it all comes with edamame, miso soup, and seaweed salad. Honestly? That's my kind of deal. Everything we tried was delicious. In addition to the lunch box, we ordered a dragon roll and a dynamite roll, both of which were fresh, flavorful, and beautifully done. My husband went with the Una Ten Donburi. It was tasty, but at $30, it did feel a bit steep compared to the rest of the menu. The restaurant looked like your typical Japanese style space with the sushi rollers at the entrance and simple tables and decor. I do have two minor negatives worth mentioning. First, the edamame was cold and unsalted. I'm an edamame lover, and nothing beats it hot, freshly steamed, and generously showered in salt. So that was a little disappointing. Second, our server (I believe his name was Kayz) seemed visibly annoyed when we asked to split the check. As a server myself, I know this isn't rocket science, and guests should never be made to feel uncomfortable for something so standard, especially after there had already been a small mix-up with our roll order (we received two dynamite rolls instead of one dynamite and one dragon). We didn't make a fuss at the time because mistakes happen, but the attitude at the end definitely stood out. That said, the food itself was solid, the lunch special is a fantastic value, and overall we still had a good experience. I would absolutely return and would recommend this spot, just hoping for a smoother service experience next time.

    According to what I wrote on Yelp, I had a decent meal at their sister restaurant in the Metreon…read morewell before it shuttered, like over a decade ago. My meal apparently wasn't memorable enough to motivate me to visit this location, that is, until quite recently. I decided to have lunch here after a nearby medical appointment. It wasn't crowded at all. Only a couple of solo diners and a loud senior couple. I wasn't in a sushi mood and thought I'd go healthy with the saba shioyaki. However, at the last minute, I went with the $19 Ika Yaki, a whole BBQ squid sliced and saturated in teriyaki sauce with a dab of shichimi mayo (Photo 8). The portion was generous and the texture was firm with enough elasticity. Unfortunately the teriyaki sauce did nothing to enhance the dish, and I wished they served it on the side. I also ordered the $8 Agedashi Tofu, usually a foolproof appetizer for me. It certainly looked right (Photo 9), but I was unpleasantly surprised how tongue-burning hot it was. The cubes of tofu must've just come right out of the deep fryer. The dashi broth helped calm the heat down but a little too late. I'm sure glad I sprung for the $3 bowl of Rice (Photo 10). That calmed what was left of my tongue down. FOOD - 3 stars...execution errors mar the dishes here AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...spacious enough since it was empty, sushi bar seating was available SERVICE - 3.5 stars...attentive enough TOTAL - 3 stars...not my favorite Japanese spot RELATED - Exploring the Tenderloin? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/hu44dWMabs

    Photos
    Sanraku
    Sanraku
    Sanraku

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    Bubu - Uni ikura, Wagyu truffle, salmon avocado, and spicy scallop handrolls

    Bubu

    4.2(318 reviews)
    0.1 miLower Pacific Heights, Japantown
    $$

    The happy hour here is absolutely amazing. We wildly underestimated the proportion sizes, it's such…read morea great deal. Everything was delicious, and the flexibility is much appreciated. The filled meats were flavorful, the raw fish fresh. The service was good, but they would not allow takeout boxes. The restaurant is cute with lots of decorations and the receipt coming in a miniature barrel. Would definitely come again. There was a wait but nothing too crazy considering it was a super crowded weekend at Japantown.

    Tonight I ordered my usual rainbow roll along with the spicy salmon roll tonight. Both were fine,…read morebut neither left much of an impression. The spicy salmon roll wasn't spicy at all. I ended up adding soy sauce and wasabi to compensate, which helped but also masked whatever sauce they had on top, so you lose either way. The rainbow roll was decent, though one of the fish pieces tasted a little off and the avocado was firmer than it should've been. Pricing is actually reasonable by SF standards. $7 for the spicy salmon and $14 for the rainbow roll is pretty rare in this city. I had a DoorDash discount which made it an easy call, but at full price I'm not sure the quality justifies it. A solid option if you catch a deal, but I wouldn't rush back otherwise.

    Photos
    Bubu - Interior

    Interior

    Bubu - Crispy Salmon BuBu (HH 2 pc-$5)

    Crispy Salmon BuBu (HH 2 pc-$5)

    Bubu - Hand rolls: Spicy Salmon Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, hamachi jalapeño roll

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    Hand rolls: Spicy Salmon Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, hamachi jalapeño roll

    Benihana - San Francisco - teppanyaki - Updated June 2026

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