And I must say that the food at Benu totally captured my heart. Chef Lee took many Asian comfort foods and elevated them to a completely different level. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of eating at a ‘fine dining’ restaurant while also being embraced by the comforts and memories of home and my family with his food. The chef’s tasting menu showcased a multitude of flavors, textures, and techniques…
1000 Year Old Quail Egg – a remake of the classic Chinese preserved duck egg, Chef Lee refined it by using quail egg instead and adding slices of ginger and green onion. To me, the yolk is the best part of preserved eggs, so the small quail egg didn’t have enough of that pungent, creamy yolk to counter the bland, gelatinous white exterior.
Lonsdale – fun and delicate. The large green bubble burst in my mouth, filling it with a cool and slightly sweet liquid of green apple. A bit of gin balanced the sweetness, and basil gave it an herbal finish. This reminded me of the ‘mojito bubble’ that I had at minibar…I’m loving this trend of cocktails in a bite!
Sea Urchin & Almond Tofu, Caviar, Sparkling Grape – the almond tofu was a bit too thick, but its milky, nuttiness accentuated the sweetness of the creamy sea urchin inside. All nicely balanced with the salty pearls of caviar and the acidity of the sparkling grape foam.
Spanish Mackerel, Pain de Mie – incredible. I love, love, LOVED this dish! The fish was cooked between two thin slices of crispy bread, but it looked like one seamless piece (almost like pork belly). I was swooning over the moist, meaty fish with its salty, garlicky crust…perfectly balanced by the dehydrated slivers of lemon. The flavors and textures were similar to fried fish, but so much more sophisticated. I’m already planning on coming back for this dish on the a la carte menu...it’s *that* good!
Eel, Feuille de Brick, Crème Fraiche (right) – a playful dish with a “cigar” of wild Japanese eel wrapped in paper thin layers of crispy feuille de brick (even thinner than phyllo dough). The eel tasted similar to a white fish but more savory, and was exquisitely paired with a dip made of crème fraiche and lime salt.
Caramelized Anchovy, Peanut, Lilly Bulb (left) – not a lot of substance, but interesting experience of taste and textures…jelly cubes with a subtle anchovy flavor, tiny salted fish, crispy peanuts, and cool, fresh petals of lily bulb.
Mountain Yam and Shrimp Soufflé (back) – Like a moist fluffy cake, but more starchy and with a subtle shrimp flavor…reminded me of the Japanese tamago.
Monkfish Liver Torchon, Brioche – one of my absolute favorites! This was very similar in style and technique to the foie gras torchon I had at French Laundry, although the use of monkfish liver (instead of duck liver) made it much lighter with soft sweet undertones. Creamy, luscious liver spread over a warm, buttery brioche…sexy, elegant, and rich all at once. I even licked my knife to make sure I got every last bit!
“Shark’s Fin” Soup, Dungeness Crab, Black Truffle Custard – such genius! The custom-made bowl held a thin layer of silky, black truffle custard at the bottom, which was covered by a warm dashi (fish broth), faux strands of “shark fin” made of gelatin, and sweet, succulent pieces of crab…sooooo sumptuous and delicious! I would have never thought of truffles with Asian food, especially something as traditional as shark fin soup, but I was floored by how good this dish was. The black truffle added a whole new dimension to the soup.
Pumpkin Porridge, Lobster, Black Truffle – again, Chef Lee demonstrates his creativity with Asian cuisine by taking something as humble as rice porridge and turning it into something so luxurious. I loved the sweetness of the pumpkin and lobster against the distinct earthiness of the truffles. I also appreciated having warm, comforting courses (soup and porridge) in the tasting menu – it goes down so easily and is especially soothing after drinking lots of wine.
Eight Treasure Duck – like a duck sausage filled with a bunch of indistinguishable components. I mainly tasted the salty duck with a bit of honey-like sweetness. Not bad, not great.
Beef Rib Cap, Matsutake Mushroom – most disappointing dish of the evening. After being pampered by such lavish dishes, I was expecting melt-in-your mouth beef. Instead, this was dry and chewy. Our waitress explained that the firm consistency was normal for this particular cut – my suggestion would be to serve a different cut. (Note: she did offer to get me something else when she noticed I hardly touched my beef, but I declined since I was getting full. At least the matsutake mushrooms were prepared well.)
Huckleberry Sorbet, Yogurt, Lemon Curd, Vanilla Sponge – the huckleberry was tart and vibrant, tasted like a mix of strawberry and blueberry. Fruity and refreshing on my palate.
Chestnut Custard, Cranberry, Mace Ice Cream – the chestnut and mace (similar to nutmeg) flavors reminded me of the holidays and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. A great dessert for the fall season.
Petit Fours – delectable chocolates cleverly encased inside a sleek wooden cube
There were a couple of misses on the tasting menu, but the high points more than made up for them. Next time, I’m going to order off Benu’s a la carte menu since it also featured some of my favorites from the tasting menu (I especially loved the seafood dishes). I also appreciated the thought and creativity that went into the design of the ceramics and plates.
The only thing I didn’t particularly care for about the restaurant was its bland interior. It had a cold, unfinished feel with the high ceilings and beams, sharp angles, and the almost all white décor. The service also lacked warmth, but was very polite and attentive. With a little more tweaking and finesse, Benu could be something magnificent. The restaurant has a lot of potential, and I look forward to the continued growth of Chef Lee’s career.
BITE METER: Benu – 4.0 bites (out of 5.0)
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