Rocky Aoki, creator of the Benihana restaurant chain, died

July 12 2008

[Rastus]

Hiroaki "Rocky" Aoki, founder of Benihana, died on July 10.

[Rastus]

No article link, because I saw the news on the AP. I love Benihana, and it's not uncommon for me to order "Rocky's Choice."

By the way, his daughter was a supermodel. Devon Aoki. If you're a guy, you might just want to do an image search. ;-)

Have to imagine this has been posted, since nothing gets missed here. But, I couldn't find it with a search. Sorry in advance.

[Fox_Mulder77]

Here's the pic:

[Fox_Mulder77]

And here's "Rocky"

[Rastus]

Thanks. He kind of looks like Pat Morita with Weird Al’s hair in that shot. Heh.

[Army Air Corps]

What was Rocky’s Choice? It has been a veeeeeeery long time since I have seen a Benihana (the place where I live has a couple of similar establishments, but no Benihana).

[angkor]

http://www.benihana.com/locator.asp

[Rastus]

It’s both steak and chicken. Usually, I just get the Hibachi Chicken, but sometimes you have to live right on the edge.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Bummer. I’ve been to 5 or 6 different B.H.’s The very best by far was on Ventura Blvd in Encino, CA.

[Rastus]

I’d like to try it. I find quality differences just in the ones in town.

[Army Air Corps]

Thanks. The nearest location to me is in Las Colinas...about 290 miles away. :-)

[goldstategop]

He will be sadly missed. I once went to Benihana's with my father and the communal Japanese style dining where cooks prepare food in front of you is both entertaining and a culinary delight. If you haven't been in this Japanese steakhouse, you haven't really experienced great food in the company of wonderful people.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[FlyVet]

Oh, dear....

Anyway a lot of prominents lost this weekend. Rocky Aoki, Dr. DeBakey, Tony Snow, Bobby Murcer.....RIP

[Rastus]

If you’re ever crazy enough to make the drive, I’d recommend the one on 635 and Coit. Even with a recent remodel, it looks more traditional than the Las Colinas location, and I think the food is a little better. Probably has to do with the fact that it is one of the original locations in the area (if not the original).

[al baby]

He was awesome a bit of a whack job met him a few times in MDR

[al baby]

He was awesome a bit of a whack job met him a few times in MDR

[P8riot]

Damn! Three folks important to me all died today, Tony Snow, Bobby Murcer, and Rocky Aoki.

Tony Snow we all knew and loved - he was FReeper,

Bobby Murcer's son is married to a friend's daughter,

and I crewed for Rocky Aoki for a Gordon Bennet balloon race back in the mid 1970's

Waiting for another shoe to drop

[Fox_Mulder77]

LOL! Yes he does. HEHE!

[Reaganez]

Devon was/is a supermodel?

Boy, is that term way overused.

Cindy,Christie and Tyra are supermodels.

[goldstategop]

Hiraoki "Rocky" Aoki combined the sensibility of West and East and he found a way to bring Japanese cuisine to America. We will not look upon his likes again, that's for sure.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[DeaconBenjamin]

Rocky Aoki, the founder of the Benihana Japanese steak house chain, died of acute pneumonia in New York on Thursday, a Benihana official said Friday. He was 69. A former Olympic athlete in wrestling, Aoki arrived in the United States in 1960 on an athletic scholarship. After losing the scholarship due to an injury, he continued to stay in the United States and opened an ice cream shop in New York’s Harlem. His green tea ice cream, with a miniature traditional Japanese umbrella garnished on it, became a wild hit.

He was credited with making Japanese food popular in the United States by starting a steak restaurant, Benihana of Tokyo, in New York in 1964. Serving American-styled teppanyaki, the restaurant chain turned out to be a robust hit, thanks to acrobatic performance by a knife-wielding chef in preparing and serving food. The chain has since grown and spread to Canada, Europe and Asia as well as other cities in the United States. He was also known for operating the suchi chain Haru mainly in New York. Aoki, whose real name is Hiroaki Aoki, was also known as an adventurer, crossing the Pacific aboard a balloon in the early 1980s. In 1980, he was the runner-up in a world powerboat championship.

Rocky Aoki, founder of Benihana steak house chain, dies at 69