Benu

Absolutely Divine! Each 'bite' is it's own expression of flavor and talent. They have a lot to be proud of. I tried things I would have never tried on my own. Albeit now, I doubt others will live up to the new expectations! I will say, having read the other reviews here, they should try a few newer things, as it seems they've been doing the same set for 5+ years, making repeat visits bland in terms of originality.

In the heart of San Francisco, benu melds East Asia ingredients with innovation of Western fine dining. We experienced an amazing night here to celebrate one year of memorable time we spent with each other. 🥂 Other than staples like the thousand-year-old quail Egg, lobster xiaolongbao, and barbecued quail. highlights of the night also include the caviar potato, short grain rice with raw spot prawn, and sauteed river eel. An immature pro tip is to always pick option one on their menu when you are offered choices. 🫣 Price point is undeniably steep and unless you don’t care about it at all, do not go to Benu if you just enjoy eating. Of course Benu offers astonishing flavors, but it’s more for a tasting experience with the ability to appreciate all the nuances that have been put into every dish. Benu is non-categorizable, it’s self-defined. It’s fineness to the top, and an ode to the beauty and complexity of Asian gastronomy.

I was reading some of the comments and I’m hoping not to say them again, as someone who eats a lot of Asian food and fine dining I believe it was a great representation of Asian fine dining. Is it pricey, yes, but is it A) worth the money (my opinion yes) and B) do you get your moneys worth (again yes). If there was one “negative” it was that there wasn’t a somm (that I saw). *That being said* the staff was very knowledgeable and knew exactly what they had and where we wanted to go with our drinks. Again, I’ve seen and been at other top Michelin restaurants that don’t have somms. I would highly recommend them!!

8/30/2023: Visited Benu for my coworker’s birthday. Ambience: You’ll walk past a small courtyard that is filled with fermentation urns as you make your way to the entrance. Once inside, I found the decor to be minimalistic with bright earthy tones. There were no aesthetic elements here that stood out - quite simple, almost as if done on purpose to avoid pulling your attention away from the food. Food: By far, the small dishes were my favorite part of the menu. These come rapidly and are about 6 or 7 in total. All were good but my favorite was the sea urchin. You do have some options on the menu - I chose the soondae (pork blood sausage) and river eel. The presentations were done well and the waiters did a good job of explaining the menu as it came. As it was my coworker’s birthday, they had printed a personalized message on the menu and brought out a small cake at the end. Service: no complaints here, the service was superb.

The best meal we’ve ever had! Each dish was incredible and perfectly portioned, the progression between courses was thoughtful, the balance between traditional and fusion was surprising, the staff set a wonderful tone and provided great insights….. I could go on and on! We found it pointless to try to pick a favorite dish because everything complemented everything so well.

I'm glad I went once. For a $500 dinner- I personally wouldn't go twice. Dishes were very good but if you're someone accustomed to Asian food, not as much of it was new or innovative as I'd have hoped. Service is impeccable. I felt that I'd made a better choice at 8 Tables for ~half the price. Full meal pictured.

Ben Overall, we had an excellent meal here to celebrate my birthday. When we arrived ~ 30 min early, we were seated in a little antechamber lounge. Oddly there were no drinks or interaction, which I found a little atypical for a restaurant of this caliber. Taking a look around, we notes a stark minimalist design with exposed beams, white walls, and tasteful art. Seevice was polished and showed a caring touch when the moved is away from an obnoxious lightweight patron. Onto the food. We enjoyed every course of the modern asian menu but there were some highlights. The common theme was good knifework and excellent presentation. Thousand yr old egg. Rich creamy wasabi. Mussel stuffed w noodles and veggies. Delicate beautiful. Prawn wrapped in jellyfish. Crispy. Sea urchin on beef tartare. Delicious. Rich. Balanced w raw onion and faint spice Blooming tofu. Beautiful tofu looks like a camomile. Very delicate. When you spoon the little chili oil spheres the burst. Frog- tender, aromatic Oak taco- iberico ham, truffle, acorn. Earthy. Salty Sourdough w ginseng honey butter. Lobster Xiao long bao. Good not best. Nice thin wrapper. Ginger a little strong. Deconstructed roll. Prawn, seaweed, rice. River eel Steamed sea bass tender Beef rib. So tender and rich. Delicious. Thick reduced beef soup. Omija and olive oil. Well balanced flavors. Refrshing. Milk pudding on caramel. Peaty aftertaste Burthday cake Mint merengue Benu Overall, we had an excellent meal here to celebrate my birthday. When we arrived ~ 30 min early, we were seated in a little antechamber lounge. Oddly there were no drinks or interaction, which I found a little atypical for a restaurant of this caliber. Taking a look around, we notes a stark minimalist design with exposed beams, white walls, and tasteful art. Seevice was polished and showed a caring touch when the moved is away from an obnoxious lightweight patron. Onto the food. We enjoyed every course of the modern asian menu but there were some highlights. The common theme was good knifework and excellent presentation. We actually enjoyed the off menu starters more than the main courses. Mussel stuffed w noodles and veggies. Beautifully sliced into one millimeter slices. Delicate and beautiful. Sea urchin on beef tartare. Delicious. Rich. Balanced w raw onion and faint spice Blooming tofu. Beautiful tofu looks like a camomile. Very delicate. When you spoon the little chili oil spheres burst. Oak taco- iberico ham, truffle, acorn. Earthy. Salty Sourdough w ginseng honey butter. Lobster Xiao long bao. Good not best. Nice thin wrapper. Ginger a little strong. Deconstructed roll. Prawn, seaweed, rice. Steamed sea bass tender Beef rib. So tender and rich. Delicious. Thick reduced beef soup. Omija and olive oil. Well balanced flavors and nice way to join together all the flavors. Refreshing. Milk pudding on caramel. Peaty aftertaste Surprise delicious birthday treat was a nice touch

Made a trip to San Francisco mainly to visit Benu and I had very high expectations given its distinction. Beautiful entrance through a nice garden and elegant restaurant. Aesthetics on point, decor is simple and modern. Cuisine was contemporary Korean with many Asian influences. You start with surprise small delicacies and then you pick the next three courses from the menu, one raw seafood course, one cooked fish and last, a meat course. I find that unusual for a three Michelin starred restaurant and kinda break the surprise thrill journey. Food and flavors were very good but I can’t say they were truly exceptional or that I was impressed in comparison. I didn’t feel they pushed the boundaries of gastronomy. Courses weren’t really creative or innovative. Plating and presentation were ok but nothing artistic, eye catching or what you expect from a top 100 world’s best. Service and staff were the best part, welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. Pairing was delightful and complimented courses very well. Desserts were just ok and simple, nothing outstanding. Overall, we had a good experience but underwhelmed for a destination venue.

I had a great experience at Benu. Everything I tried was delicious. I loved how small the portion sizes were so that I could try more things. Even though they recommended against sharing our mains, my friend and I ordered different ones and found that there was more than enough food for us to both try both. Also, the infusions were free (and tasted amazing).