Seasons of Japan: East Meets South

This past month was a bruiser. So many restaurants and venues–some new, some old–went kaput. Some were already on life support since December (Assi Natural Market and Seasons of Japan), while other closures were a complete surprise (Chakra and...

As the saying goes: when one door closes, another opens. This time, it's literal. Last week we saw what looked like the permanent closure of Seasons of Japan at Westpark Plaza in Irvine at Alton and Culver. This week, right across the way in the...

A few weeks ago I posted that Seasons of Japan in Irvine, which opened in the summer, looked like it was closing for good. As it turns out, it is not closing…yet…even if it wants to. Last week, it posted a sign that said: “Due to our lease...

On Seasons of Japan's corporate website, the Irvine address of this Georgia-based chain still bears the word “Now Open” in red and with an exclamation point. It debuted earlier this summer. Our middling review of it published in the fall. But it's...

Many people probably know Benihana, the iconic Japanese-style hibachi restaurant that debuted in 1964 where chefs grill proteins on a teppanyaki (steel griddle) and put on a show. Benihana counts beating heart-shaped fried rice, an onion volcano,...