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Benihana at Avani Pattaya
Benihana at Avani Pattaya is the local outpost of the famous Japanese-American teppanyaki brand, set inside the Avani Pattaya Resort on Beach Road. It's dinner-as-theatre: you sit around a communal hot iron griddle while a chef dices, sears and flips steak, seafood and vegetables in front of you, complete with the knife-juggling and onion-volcano routine the chain built its name on. Alongside the teppanyaki tables there's a Kabuki sushi bar rolling fresh sushi and sashimi, and the dining room looks out over Pattaya Bay, so you get a view with the show. This is one of Pattaya's more polished Japanese rooms rather than a cheap eat: expect hotel-restaurant pricing, with teppanyaki sets and premium cuts (Hibachi steak, Seafood Diablo, the 'Rocky's Choice' combo) pushing the bill up, though set menus and Hungry Hub-style deals soften it. The experience suits couples marking an occasion, families who want the kids entertained by the cooking, and anyone after a reliable, well-run teppanyaki night with a sea view. The trade-offs are the obvious ones for a resort restaurant: it's pricier than the town's standalone Japanese spots, the communal griddle seating means you may share a table with strangers, and it books up on weekends and holidays. Reserve ahead, ask for a window-side teppanyaki counter, and go hungry — portions are generous and the show is the point.
