Let’s talk food and cocktails. Generally speaking, most of my friends only think Japanese beer and sake when it comes to pairing Asian food and drinks. But that’s not the case at all. In fact, I had a chance to team up with Benihana to show you how they are rock’n it with their cocktails.
Chef Gibo was my guide for the day and after showing me how their signature dishes are made, we moved onto some of their most popular dishes and cocktail pairings. Below are a few of my favorites.
The Hibachi Salmon and Exotic Mojito ~ I love this pairing because the sweetness of the Mojito enhances all the savory flavorings of the salmon, while providing a cooling effect that has a way of cleansing your palate to keep every bite fresh and lively.
My personal favorite of the day was the Seafood Diablo paired with the Yuzu Margarita. The Yes is so unexpected in a margarita, that you’ll find yourself ordering a second one. Good thing there’s a full plate of perfectly cooked seafood to keep you on pace.
If you are a seafood fan, this one is for you. The Ocean Treasure dish is a colossal serving of scallops, jumbo shrimp and lobster that’s paired up against the tropical Baby Blue Ocean cocktail. You will love how the sweetness of the rum and the pineapple vodka balances the richness of the seafood.
The last selection of the day was the Deluxe Treat, a classic filet and lobster dish that was paired with a Red Plum Sake Sangria – a fun play on all your favorite drinks. Catch them in the summer and they will flip this to a peach sangria.
For more on Benihana, visit http://www.benihanacrave.com/, and share your Benihana moments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #senseacrave.
*This sponsored post was created as part of my Benihana “senseacrave” participation. All opinions are my very own.
I have heard AMAZING things about Benihana, and I’ve been dying to try it out! Your post, and those cocktails, made me realize I need to go there NOW!
Love the bright blue on that cocktail!
oh my gawd, all this food was from Benihana??!!! I haven’t been there in years. . that Seafood Diablo with the Yuzu Margarita looks amazing!!!!! love this post!
I flipping love this! I am always looking to expand my cocktail horizon.
I love how precise all the cuts are and hello, LOBSTER!
The colors are awesome and the food sounds soopa tasty!!!
OMG, this food looks fantastic. I need new cocktail ideas, so this is perfect!
All that just looks amazing, the cocktails and the food. Yum.
This is how I want to start out my Friday night! Wish I had a Benihana in my area.
I want all of this!
I am always happy to talk about cocktails. Yes to all of this!
Mmmmm…I want to enjoy all of those pairings, too. Beautiful!
Some fun colors in those drinks!
Whoa, this food looks incredible. The pairings, yum!! 🙂
This is a brilliant post! I never know what cocktails to pair with Asian food. It’s so hard but you basically did the work for me!!
Exotic mojito?! Count me in! Such beautiful cocktails.
the color of the red plum sake sangria is incredible! love the cocktail pairing suggestions
These photos, food and drinks all look great. That last sangria is totally calling my name!