With chefs juggling pepper grinders and wielding knives with show-offy skill as they grill your order before your eyes, entertainment is built in to the Benihana experience. so is a fair amount of noise, which comes as a relief for any family that finds itself with the only toddler at a table full of couples -- it would take a serious, sustained squawk to stand out from the sizzling grils, outbursts of applause, and the drums and singing that mark birthday celebrations.

The environment is exceptionally kid-friendly, and the younger set makes up a good portion of the clientele on any given evening, many of them waving around balloon swords or wearing elaborate balloon hats crafted in the lobby by an ever-present artiste.

A rather pricey kids' menu offers only Japanese entrees -- teriyaki steak or hibachi chicken, for example. Coming in at $10 or $12, the meals include soup (a mild onion broth that's surprisely kid-pleasing, if my toddler is any indication) or salad, a shrimp appetizer, rice, vegetables, and ice cream.

With skillfully grilled seafood, steak and chicken dishes (or sushi) for the grown-up contingent, Benihana comes across like the elegant offspring of Disneyland and Iron Chef.

-- By Traci Cumbay