After we went skiing we had a birthday dinner scheduled for n at Benihana in Newport Beach.
The chef hat kids menus kept them busy while waiting to be seated.
Hosting seven active 8 and 9 year old boys was quite an experience! D saw a co-worker and they were joking how we have a big family–ha!
I was going to skip the fried rice, until I remembered that it is a big part of the “show”. The boys’ commentary during the onion volcano is pretty funny.
There was a lively rendition of happy birthday for n. I think we heard it about three other times that night for other parties as well. Are they really singing in Japanese the second time? I do not even know!
For dessert, there was a choice of rainbow sherbet or vanilla, chocolate, or green tea ice cream. n received a special sundae with some whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a pocky stick.
This was our keepsake photo taken by the server. The boys also chose a ceramic mug to as a souvenir since I signed up for Kabuki Kids. I also bought Ramune soda from Cost Plus World Market as a favor.
All in all, the party worked out well. I think it works for a wide range of ages, too. I liked that there was minimal planning, and that the Benihana experience includes food and entertainment. I do not know why, but hosting birthday parties makes me anxious. My only regret is that I should have told the parents to pick up the boys in two hours, instead of one and a half hours. I felt bad that they had to wait around while we were eating dessert and picking out the mugs since the service was a bit slow.