Benu
Benu has been on my list of Michelin starred restaurants to try. Originally I had reservations to go in March of 2020, but world events would cancel those plans. Our recent trip to San Francisco afforded me the opportunity to finally go and experience the 3-star Michelin rated Benu.
Here is the menu we had on May 10, 2022:
Century egg - Quail egg, potage, ginger
Mussel stuffed with multi-colored glass noodles
Jellyfish, radishes, chive
Lightly fried spring salad
Mackerel, seaweed, vegetables
Tofu, chili oil, consommé
Iberico, truffle, acorn
Abalone stuffed chicken wing, liver sauce
Sprouted oat bread, butter, honey, ginseng
Xiao long bao with homemade soy sauce and vinegar
Charcoal noodles with sautéed black bean sauce, giant squid, sesame flowers, fresh and dried caviar
Short grain rice seasoned with green onion, steamed taro root and huacatay salad, preserved white asparagus with spicy pollock roe, roasted squash omelette marinated in tomato juice, water kimchi with heart of palm, roasted rock seaweed
Mulhwe, iced water kimchi broth, curd fluke, sea urchin, sea cucumber, radish, sesame leaf, assorted seaweed
Steamed cod in a mustard bath, Chinese mustard greens, sour apple
Fried rabbit, liver soondae, wood ear, cilantro, sweet and sour rabbit jus
Deep fried rabbit head stuffed with brain and cheek meat
Barbecued quail, broccoli xo sauce, black truffle
Omija, olive oil
Milk pudding, salt, smoke, peat
As you might expect of a 3-star Michelin restaurant the service at Benu was superb. The pacing of the meal was excellent and felt neither rushed nor too drawn out. The menu format of Benu is a little unique, with the main three courses offering a selection for each diner between a few different dishes in each course. This allowed us to try a variety of dishes and flavors.
While we had an enjoyable meal at Benu, it was difficult not to compare it to the Michelin starred restaurants we tried in South Korea (as Benu has a heavy Korean influence) and other 3-stars we’ve experienced. With that comparison in mind, we found Benu to be a tad underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, the food was all well executed and there were no bad dishes. But, we found ourselves feeling less wowed than in other 3-stars (and at the 2-star Jungsik in South Korea). The highlight dish of the night for me was the acorn, iberico, and truffle taco.
Benu
22 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
www.benusf.com
