Review: Benu
The open courtyard right in front of Benu’s entrance.
After spending countless hours reading articles and watching Youtube videos on Corey Lee’s acclaimed restaurant in SF’s tech district, I could hardly wait to eat here. Benu’s concept is Asian fusion, which is an area that has seen a lot more failures than successes, so it was exciting to see that Chef Lee has not only re-invigorated this cuisine but was also awarded his third Michelin star in 2014. After scoring reservations two months prior, I finally had the pleasure of dining here on April 8, 2016.
The meal started with a plethora of Small Delicacies. Even though it was only listed as one course on the menu, it actually consisted of 9 different small bites. The most memorable ones were the Sturgeon Cavier with Wintermelon Porridge and the Pork Belly with Kimchi.
After the Small Delicacies portion of the menu was the Bread with Butter infused with Orange Blossom and Ginseng, which was followed by the Thousand Year Old Quail Egg. The quail egg sat on top of some delicious potage and ginger.
Next up was the famous Lobster Coral Xiao Long Bao and the Shrimp Roe Noodles, two of our favorite dishes of the night. The dumplings were bursting with juice and were clearly made with great finesse; in fact, Chef Lee revealed in a Youtube video that each dumpling had to be pleated 18 times exactly!
The next few dishes we had were not as memorable, but were nevertheless very delicious. The Bamboo Shot was accompanied by a Black Truffle Bun, which was the true winner in that dish.
For the last few meat and savory courses, we were served the Smoked Quail, the Beef Braised in Pear, and the “Shark Fin” with Egg White Custard and Jinghua Ham. The quail was perfectly cooked, but seemed to be the odd one out in the menu as it didn’t really have obvious Asian influences. As for the shark fin dish, the shark fin itself (which is actually made of gelatin) was mostly there to add texture to the dish – the egg custard underneath was far more enjoyable.
Now for my favorite part of any meal – dessert! There were two main sweet courses – a Sesame Leaf Ice Cream and the Dried Apricot, Osmanthus, and Almond dessert. The latter reminded me of a Baked Alaska, which is what I’m assuming Chef Lee was going for. Both were delicious.
And to finish off our meal, we received a mini Acorn Pudding with Black Truffle along with Dried Persimmons and Fresh Fuji Apple. The persimmons also had walnuts in the center, and the server informed us that the fruits had been drying outside for 8 months.
If I had to describe my experience at Benu in one word, it would be “subtle.” All of the dishes were meticulously executed and demonstrated the perfect balance of creativity and restraint. It’s not surprising at all that this place has three Michelin stars, and I look forward to the next time I can eat here again.
Drying, Hanging Persimmons – these are dried for 8 months before served.
The Kitchen