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American Hiro: The Adventures of Benihana's Rocky Aoki and How He Built a Legacy
“Traveling the world with my father, watching him interact with people, famous and ordinary, observing up close his balls-out sense of adventure, and having a larger-than-life personality to live up to had a profound effect on me and the formation of my character.”
—From the foreword by Steve Aoki, Grammy-nominated producer and Billboard award-winning DJ
Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki was a man who succeeded in everything he pursued. From world-class wrestling, ballooning, underwater exploration, and car and boat racing to founding Benihana, Rocky’s passion for life infected all around him and accelerated the exchange of Japanese culture and cuisine with America.
Rocky’s rags to riches story, from dishwasher and busboy to owner of a multi-million-dollar restaurant empire, is a wild American dream realized unlike any other. Running and expanding the business would be all-consuming for most people—not to mention battling the perception of otherness—but Rocky would not be deterred. His determination for the business rivaled the drive he demonstrated in his other interests, some of which almost killed him.
American Hiro by Jack McCallum, who had full access to Rocky Aoki and those in his enterprises, provides the only full inside account of one of the most famous symbols of cultural assimilation and capitalistic zeal in modern US history—a champion in business, sports, and life.
—From the foreword by Steve Aoki, Grammy-nominated producer and Billboard award-winning DJ
Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki was a man who succeeded in everything he pursued. From world-class wrestling, ballooning, underwater exploration, and car and boat racing to founding Benihana, Rocky’s passion for life infected all around him and accelerated the exchange of Japanese culture and cuisine with America.
Rocky’s rags to riches story, from dishwasher and busboy to owner of a multi-million-dollar restaurant empire, is a wild American dream realized unlike any other. Running and expanding the business would be all-consuming for most people—not to mention battling the perception of otherness—but Rocky would not be deterred. His determination for the business rivaled the drive he demonstrated in his other interests, some of which almost killed him.
American Hiro by Jack McCallum, who had full access to Rocky Aoki and those in his enterprises, provides the only full inside account of one of the most famous symbols of cultural assimilation and capitalistic zeal in modern US history—a champion in business, sports, and life.
224 pages, ebook
Published May 17, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 7, 2023
I have never been to an actual Benihana restaurant (except maybe when I was very young) but as a child my family would occasionally go to a local, family-owned (I think?) teppanyaki or hibachi-styled restaurant. My parents really never cared for it (more expensive, took longer) but of course I loved the spectacle and the show, etc. So I was super excited to see this book.
This is the story of founder Rocky Aoki and his life. How he Aoki who did not attend a Summer Olympics as a wrestler but would go on to found this restaurant chain in New York City, from its formation, the concept behind it, how it expanded, etc. Much of the book is dedicated to Aoki's life, from his childhood to Japan to moving to the US to his marriages and family, etc.
Overall this was mildly interesting but is probably only for the most hardcore fans who are interested in Aoki himself. I wanted more about Benihana or even about the business aspects of the restaurant (even though business management-type books aren't really my thing) and was not particularly interested in his life outside of the restaurant.
Ultimately this is a skippable book if you're specifically interested in the history and background of Benihana or hibachi restaurants or its business strategy, etc. You have an interest in Aoki himself this might be interesting to read but I would not rush out to find a copy.
I was lucky that my library had a copy, and I would ultimately recommend it as a library borrow. I wouldn't be surprised to see this in the bargain bin either, which would be a good option if this isn't a title your local library system plans to purchase for its own collection.
This is the story of founder Rocky Aoki and his life. How he Aoki who did not attend a Summer Olympics as a wrestler but would go on to found this restaurant chain in New York City, from its formation, the concept behind it, how it expanded, etc. Much of the book is dedicated to Aoki's life, from his childhood to Japan to moving to the US to his marriages and family, etc.
Overall this was mildly interesting but is probably only for the most hardcore fans who are interested in Aoki himself. I wanted more about Benihana or even about the business aspects of the restaurant (even though business management-type books aren't really my thing) and was not particularly interested in his life outside of the restaurant.
Ultimately this is a skippable book if you're specifically interested in the history and background of Benihana or hibachi restaurants or its business strategy, etc. You have an interest in Aoki himself this might be interesting to read but I would not rush out to find a copy.
I was lucky that my library had a copy, and I would ultimately recommend it as a library borrow. I wouldn't be surprised to see this in the bargain bin either, which would be a good option if this isn't a title your local library system plans to purchase for its own collection.
July 16, 2024
This is a exciting summary of the upbringing, rise, and evolution of Rocky Aoki, the founder of Benihana. The author explores Rocky's childhood in Japan (and his parents' business that shaped his own career trajectory), education in New York, early work founding Benihana, and the ways that he enjoyed his wealth and promoted the brand all at once. This was definitely more of a biography of Aoki than a book about Benihana, but Aoki's life is quite interesting.
As someone who unironically love hibachi I was excited to learn more about the pioneer who brought this theatrical and culinary gift to US soil. I love that MacCallum did all of the research work to learn about and document his life. At the same time, I found this book quite underwhelming - I thought that the chapters were a bit haphazard when they could have been more cohesive. While I enjoyed reading all of the anecdotes he collected, I was hopeful to learn more about how Aoki shaped his business and adventures and how his business adventures shaped him. For that reason, while I'm glad I read this book, I have trouble giving this one a positive review.
As someone who unironically love hibachi I was excited to learn more about the pioneer who brought this theatrical and culinary gift to US soil. I love that MacCallum did all of the research work to learn about and document his life. At the same time, I found this book quite underwhelming - I thought that the chapters were a bit haphazard when they could have been more cohesive. While I enjoyed reading all of the anecdotes he collected, I was hopeful to learn more about how Aoki shaped his business and adventures and how his business adventures shaped him. For that reason, while I'm glad I read this book, I have trouble giving this one a positive review.
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