San Francisco, CA – Benu Restaurant (Tasting Menu by Chef Corey Lee) – Part 5

Restaurant: benu (Tasting Menu – Part 5/5)
Cuisine: New American/Euro-Asian/Pacific Northwest
Last visited: May 7, 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA (Financial District)
Address: 22 Hawthorne Ln (at Howard St)
Phone: (415) 685-4860
Transit: Howard St & New Montgomery St
Price Range: $50+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Chef/Owner Corey Lee
• James Beard Award winning chef
• 2 Michelin Stars
• Innovative New Asian cuisine
• Pacific Northwest cuisine
• Sophisticated/upscale
• Local and global ingredients
• Seasonal menus
• A la carte menu
• Chef Tasting Menu
• Cocktail/wine program
• 48 seats
• Reservations recommended
• Valet $15
• Corkage $40/bottle (2 bottle limit)
• Dinner Tues-Sat 5:30pm-9pm
• Tasting Menu only for Friday & Saturday

**Recommendations: Tasting Menu ($180/person + optional wine pairing $150)

The name benu comes from the mythological Egyptian bird Bennu, or Benu, which relates to the phoenix or heron. They are considered self created birds relating to ideas of rebirth, resurrection, renewal, longevity, the rising of the sun, and also the rising of brilliance. Benu, or as I interpret be nu (new), is a place where old ideas are given new meaning. This is a bird that sings a rehearsed lyric rather than an improvised song. This is Chef Corey Lee’s benu.

benu. It was a plan B which turned into a plan A very quickly. Originally I had my heart set on The French Laundry, but after talking to people who had dined at both I was highly recommended to go to benu. Comparing them would be apples and oranges, but apparently benu was more suited for my tastes, and the rave testimonials had me on my toes. Almost everyone I talked to put it on their “best meal of my life” list, and Follow Me Foodie to San Francisco Round 2 seemed incomplete without it.

Sometimes it is about timing, and benu is in its prime but it hasn’t yet peaked. This fine dining restaurant is still considered a baby, but it is already training for the Olympics.

Chef and owner Lee opened benu in 2010, and although the style is very different from the traditional French Laundry, it pays homage to one of the founding godfather’s of French fine dining. Chef Lee worked under Chef Thomas Keller at The French Laundry for 8 years and was chef de cuisine for the latter half. Being classically trained in French cooking, his 2 Michelin Star restaurant benu is an eclectic and creative mix of Asian inspired Californian cuisine. It is expertly executed with French, Asian and New American techniques.

Talking with Chef de Cuisine Brandon Rodgers, as James Beard Award winning Chef Lee was attending the James Beard Awards in New York.

Chef Lee is born in Korea and raised in the US, and he brings a strong sense of identity and respect for his culture to his menu. Having a natural palate and understanding of Asian ingredients and flavours helped the menu translate with ease. Even though the concepts and components were at times simple, the courses were intelligently put together.

Being Canadian born Chinese I experienced the menu very differently. I was expecting it to be more Korean influenced, but after watching Lee’s interview here, I understood why everything seemed Chinese influenced. He admires Chinese food. There is a lot of overlap in Asian cuisines, but each one is very different and unique. Many Asian cuisines draw from Chinese cuisine, but Chinese cuisine itself is very broad and covers various regional and diverse styles of cooking in China.

“Asian fusion” is one of the most undesirable way I would want to describe the menu, just because the word has been so misused. It carries negative associations with failed attempts of “con-fusing” Asian and North American cuisines. It is a food trend from the 90’s, and although not all of it was awful, most if it belongs in the 90’s.

The menu at benu is not “fusion”, but carefully thought out and influenced by Chef’s cultural upbringing and Asian heritage. Each course was specific to an Asian culture, which is ambitious considering almost all of his training is in classical French cuisine. However if I didn’t know, I would be fooled.

If you are familiar with Chinese cuisine, or even Asian cuisine, meaning you grew up eating food from these cultures, you will experience and relate to benu’s Tasting Menu differently. For me it was personal and at times nostalgic and even challenging. I appreciated it on another level since I had a point of reference for many dishes. Some of the dishes and ingredients would be new and “exotic” to one who was unfamiliar with traditional Chinese and Asian cuisine, so even sense of excitement varies. My excitement was more for his interpretation and ideas rather than his introduction to flavours and ingredients. Regardless, understanding the menu is largely based on cultural familiarity.

I was very surprised they even offered an a la carte menu. I expected it to be a Tasting Menu only restaurant, but being located in the Financial District I could understand the need for broader menu options, perhaps requiring less time. The Tasting Menu is the heart of benu and it could be even stronger if it was the only feature.

I opted for the 15 course Tasting Menu which more or less emulated the flow of a traditional Asian menu. It started off with a modern play on Chinese and Asian inspired appetizers and childhood snacks which I found the most fun, but the rest was not overlooked. Some of the courses were very homestyle Asian dishes while others were a test of skill. An Asian chef could spend a lifetime mastering some of those dishes, so at times it was ambitious but nonetheless dedicated.

The traditional dishes respected authentic flavours, but they also made it palatable to a larger audience by removing some acquired textures and tastes. I questioned the intentions of some courses, as it is a challenge to keep the integrity of a classic dish while giving it modern flair, but overall I found a good balance although not always consistent.

The main courses were perhaps less creative (which is common of many menus), but still refined, and the desserts were less committed to traditional Asian tastes, but excellent in their own identity. The value was more in the labour intensive and time consuming execution than perhaps the ingredients, so I would have preferred more of a balance, although the meticulous work was much appreciated.

Charles E. Williams’ signature, author and founder of Williams-Sonoma, on their famous pillar.

As for the room and experience, I wasn’t too crazy about the room, but it was spacious and open. It felt a bit corporate and it accommodated the Financial District context. At restaurants of this caliber I can appreciate tastefully done “theatrics”, full sensory experiences and stories to accommodate the food, but at benu it was simple and reliant on KwangJuYo custom designed porcelain. Custom made and fit for royalty dishes are not uncommon for Michelin star restaurants though, so creating a memorable dining experience exceeding the fine dining norm could have been taken further. Nonetheless, the food was the focus.

More often than not I get more excited about a meal and a restaurant when I’m actually in the moment, but in this case it was the opposite. It was a thought provoking meal I appreciated more looking back on it. I did not necessarily remember each course because of how amazing it tasted, but it was the consideration for a concept that had me intrigued.

To be honest, I did not have that toe-curling moment, but the execution, technique and development of each dish was so intense and fine tuned it was admirable. I could almost taste the determination for a third star. Although I haven’t tried benu with Chef Lee in the kitchen, the menu was well engineered, practiced, and delivered with confidence. The precision, knife skills, and attention to detail at benu I hold high in regard. It wasn’t necessary my favourite movie, but it was mindfully stimulating.

Although benu refers to the mythological bird, there were no smoke and mirrors in his menu. It was a different and refreshing change from the current “farm to table” and “foraged” themed menus. It didn’t even emphasize modernist techniques or push any molecular gastronomy, it essentially relied on traditional French and Asian cooking styles.

The concept of Asian inspired menus is commonly found along the West Coast (where it is heavily populated by Asian communities), but this bird flies to new heights. That may sound cliché, but given I am Asian, born and raised in Vancouver, and rather familiar with Asian food, I can’t say I’ve had anything quite like benu before. It was ingredient driven, but more importantly idea driven. Without a backbone and familiarity with Asian cuisine, the dining experience is limited, but the menu is still incredibly inspired and inspiring.

On the table:

Thousand-Year-Old Quail Egg – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Potage, ginger
• The highlight was the Thousand-year-old egg which I’m already familiar with and love.
• It was the concept I couldn’t get over though and it is a dish I will remember.
• Although I grew up eating Thousand-year-old eggs, I’ve never had a Thousand-year-old quail egg.
• It is not actually aged for a thousand years, but it is a preserved egg and it is most often made with duck eggs.
• Thousand-year-old chicken and quail eggs exist, but they are rare.
• These preserved eggs are often called Century eggs and it is a traditional Chinese delicacy, although not expensive these days.
• There is a traditional and modern method of preserving the eggs and I don’t know anyone making them from scratch. Most often they are bought at the store.
• The traditional method uses a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice husks. This plaster is coated around the egg and the egg sits for months until it is preserved.
• The modern way is easier and quicker, but I’ve never done either.
• The fact Chef Lee made Thousand-year-old eggs was impressive enough alone. He did an excellent job with it too.

• In upscale traditional Chinese restaurants in China it is common to see preserved duck eggs with pickled ginger served as an appetizer.
• Another common Chinese preserved egg dish is Century Egg with Pork Congee, and this is chef’s modern interpretation of it.
• Century Egg with Pork Congee is one of the most popular congee choices for the younger generation, so this was a bit nostalgic for me.
• Congee is Chinese comfort food and traditionally it is eaten for breakfast.
• It is rice porridge often served with savoury and preserved condiments.
• It is inexpensive, so congee is considered “peasant food”, but chef served it with potage.
• Potage is a thick and creamy soup often considered as French-style porridge due to its consistency.
• This warm potage tasted like a sweet caramelized onion soup with a mild raw onion spice in the aftertaste.
• I could also taste some celery and perhaps potato used to make the potage and it was aromatic and layered with flavours.
• The texture of the potage mimicked a Chinese congee, but it was smoother and more desirable to Western palates.
• A traditional congee would be flavoured with either pork bones or dried scallops (expensive congee is made with dried scallops).
• I could also taste the pickled ginger at the end which tasted like the pink ginger served beside sushi.
• The Thousand-year-old quail egg tasted authentic and just like the ones from the store, except saltier and it had no ammonia taste.
• I know it sounds dangerous, but the Century Egg has a mild ammonia taste which is acquired. It is safe to eat though.
• The black part is firm and jelly like and the yolk is creamy and rich.
• The yolk was a bit too salty, so he could lessen the salt in the brine for such a small egg, but I still enjoyed it.
• I could appreciate the idea and technique in this dish and it paid respect to Chinese traditions and flavours.
• It was modern and ambitious, but well thought out and I loved it as the first course. It was a bold and black start.

Buckwheat Lavash – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• With toasted nori and sesame
• This “complimentary bread” was a fun Asian inspired childhood snack.
• I still remember bringing packs of seaweed to school to eat during recess.
• This is a childhood favourite for many Asian kids growing up with immigrant parents.
• The “bread” was executed as nori, but the nori was used as the seasoning. It was a neat idea.

• It was a light and crisp single layer of dehydrated buckwheat lavash, which is a soft and thin Persian flatbread or Middle Eastern cracker.
• This was not soft and much thinner than traditional lavash, but the seasonings were Asian and a bit Middle Eastern.
• I could taste ground black sesame seeds, nori, and various spices that were not very obvious.
• The nutty flavour was most dominant, followed by sweet and then salty, but I could have used more seasoning.
• The flavour was reminiscent of black sesame paste found inside Chinese glutinous black sesame balls.
• I didn’t think “seaweed” in flavour, but the texture and idea had “packaged seaweed snacks I used to eat in elementary school” all over it.
• They were not really addicting because of their flavour, but just fun to eat because of the memories.

Oyster, pork belly, kimchi – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• This was time sensitive and I had to eat it in one bite so it was hard to pick it apart. 
• There were so many flavours, temperatures and textures coming at once and I’ve never had anything like it. Well there is the the “Hot Potato” from Alinea, but this was still very different.
• It was an interpretation of a shao mai (pork and prawn dumpling) served at dim sum.
• The ‘phyllo cup’ was almost like a fruit roll up, but it was a dehydrated (?) and crisped up kimchi gel sheet.
• The kimchi component was the modernist twist and it used gelatin and agar-agar to execute.
• It allows for a slower flavour release so I could taste the kimchi in the beginning until end.
• The whole thing was warm and inside was a small raw (?) oyster which popped like a bubble and filled my mouth with briney oyster juice.
• I think the oyster was raw or gently poached but it was hard to tell because it was sitting on top of warm pork belly.
• The pork belly was also stuffed inside and it was minced up and the size of rice.
• It was tender, fatty and rich and I wasn’t expecting it to be minced up like that.
• In shao mai the pork is executed as a meatball, so this texture was a surprise.
• There were different layers of savoury meat and seafood flavours and the inside was creamy and moist, but the outside crisp.
• There was a slight spice from the kimchi shell throughout, but it had the tendency to stick to the teeth.
• It did not stick from being sticky, but from being a dry gel sheet.
• The kimichi shell had the same texture as a baked wonton wrapper.
• It is not a texture I really like because it tends to be too brittle and disruptive, but gel sheets are often like that.
• It was still a very good hors d’oeuvre and an unique combination of ingredients I would have never considered combining.

Anchovy Salad – 4/6 (Very good)

• I remember many Asian kids (especially Taiwanese) bringing fried anchovies as a snack to school, but I was not one of them. 
• Traditionally these fried anchovies come in packages with fried chilies and roasted peanuts, but I wasn’t introduced to them until after elementary school.
• However, that version is a traditional Chinese way of enjoying fried anchovies and this was more inspired by Korean cuisine.
• Myulchi Bokkeum (stir fried anchovies) are a popular side dish in Korea. It is ideal with beer and replaces the American peanuts.
• I am a huge fan of anchovies and the natural umami they have, so the more the merrier.
• These caramelized and fried anchovies were generously sprinkled over a scoop of ancho chili Yukon Gold potato salad and fresno chile.
• Fresno chilies are a bit spicier than jalapeños, but similar. It wasn’t that spicy, but there was heat.
• Each chili was curled to the shape of the anchovy and placed carefully on top for the perfect pop of colour and amount of heat.
• The crispy anchovies are likely marinated in sweet soy, rice wine and sugar.
• They are sweet, salty and nutty from added sesame oil and sesame seeds to finish.
• They taste like salty sweet fish jerky and I love them for texture and flavour – think Asian Crunch N’ Munch.
• The potato salad had some hard boiled eggs so it was a bit like an egg salad too. Asians love egg salads and eggs in general.
• There were also finely minced celery and cucumber and a bit of ancho chili for heat.
• The potato salad was almost mashed and it was quite starchy in texture with a touch of mayo to bind everything together.
• I loved the flavours of the dish, but the potato salad component seemed a bit basic and homestyle for this caliber of restaurant.

Eel – 4/6 (Very good)

• Feuille de Brick, crème fraîche, lime
• With all due respect to the custom made dishes, but this reminded me of an ash tray especially with the “feuille de brick” cigar, or even cigarette with the benu white wrapper.
• I wasn’t sure what chef was trying to do here.
• At first I thought Chinese “Yan Yan Sticks and Dip” (a childhood snack similar to Pocky sticks), and then I thought maybe fish n’ chips or a modern spring roll.
• It was a very thin strip of eel wrapped up in a tight cigar (feuille de brick).
• The feuille de brick tasted like many layers of egg roll wrappers.
• It smelled savoury and a bit oily and it was darker in colour.
• I’m not sure if it soaked in too much oil during the frying process or if it needed an oil/oil temperature change.
• There was some green onion and eel inside and the inside was a bit gelatinous which is typical of eel’s texture.
• The crispy thick wrapper was so thick it was a bit chewy too.
• It contrasted the fatty eel skin well, but I was hoping for more eel meat flavour and texture.
• It was very rich and a bit greasy, but delicious with the crème fraîche accented with lime salt.
• The crème fraîche was phenomenal and it made me feel like I’ve never had crème fraîche before (far from the truth).
• It was very savoury crème fraîche with a pop of lime salt and the texture was of whipped marshmallow cream.
• It was thick like mayo with a good tang and acidity which cut through the heavier eel stick.
• There was a nice build up of Asian inspired snacks, but this was the only one without an obvious point of reference.

Monkfish Liver – 4/6 (Very good)

• Apple, green almond, black olive, brioche
• Foie gras is banned in California, so as a result I got monkfish liver.
• For anyone thinking it is a great alternative, think again. Monkfish is not sustainable and almost extinct.
• I love foie (and yes, it can be sustainable and ethically raised), and I also like monkfish and monkfish liver.
• Monkfish liver is the foie gras of the sea and it is often the “foie gras” course on a traditional Japanese menu.
• In this case chef treated the monkfish liver exactly as he would a foie gras torchon. Both are considered delicacies.
• A Japanese chef would typically execute monkfish liver (Ankimo) in the same way, but top it with grated rasdish, wasabi and ponzu.
• This recipe was inspired by Thomas Keller who makes a Torchon of Monkfish Liver with Green Apple Jelly and Ossetra Caviar.
• This was Chef Lee’s own version on that dish, but it didn’t have the caviar.
• For the price of the menu I think the caviar component should have stayed.
• It is apples and oranges to compare foie gras to monkfish liver, but if I had to choose it would hands down be foie gras.
• Although the monkfish torchon was expertly executed I missed the foie gras the entire time, and I was hoping it would be good enough to make me forget.
• The Torchon of Monkfish Liver was cured and brined before being gently sous vide and/or steamed in sake.
• The texture was lighter than foie gras.
• The texture was of silky soft tofu or a savoury panna cotta.
• It was rich and buttery and I could taste a fishy flavour.
• Naturally it does have a fishy flavour, but this fishiness was a bit stronger than I prefer so I’m not sure if it was overcooked. I don’t doubt the freshness in a kitchen like this.
• It was meant to be spread on the airy light, fluffy and toasted brioche, but it didn’t spread well because it was not creamy enough.
• It broke apart more like jelly, but it did not have gelatin.
• It was topped with crunchy sous vide pickled green apple jellies and green almonds.
• Green almonds have a very delicate flavour and they taste like juicy lilly bulbs. They are considered Spring time delicacies.
• The way these two components were executed, they shared similar textures.
• Traditionally foie gras is paired with fruit to enhance the flavour, but in this case the pickled apples jellies cut through the richness in a delicate way.
• Foie gras is often served with walnuts for texture, but the green almonds matched the softer and milder flavours of the monkfish liver.
• Instead of balsamic reduction it was a sweet and salty black olive reduction which played into the umami and made it more savoury.
• It was very good, but the portion quite large and I did start to get a bit tired of it.
• The textures were all a bit jelly-ish so I was hoping for more contrast.
• I really missed the foie and the caviar embellishments. If I had the Thomas Keller one to compare to I’m not sure how I would feel about this one.

Chicken Velvet – 5/6  (Excellent)

• Black moss, chrysanthemum
• If you’re unfamiliar with Chinese Chicken Velvet soup, than this texture would be very new and interesting.
• However even being familiar with Chicken Velvet, this was still very impressive.
• Compared to traditional Chinese Chicken Velvet, this was a modern method of making Chicken Velvet which was more refined.
• Chicken Velvet soup is a very homestyle soup that is apparently easy to make (according to Chinese mothers, but I’ve never attempted it).
• This version looked quite exciting, new and unique.
• Every traditional Chinese meal starts with a soup, but if it is a formal Chinese banquet dinner than the soup comes out after a few courses in.

• The soup tasted like a quality chicken stock and it was complex, clarified, clear and clean.
• I could taste a hint of ginger initially and in the aftertaste.
• I could also taste some celery, onion and perhaps dried scallops or dashi to give it that savoury umami.
• The ginger was quite obvious and it gave the soup spice and heat.
• I found it a bit too gingery though because it was spicy and almost overwhelming.
• The strength of the ginger was stripping the saliva away in my mouth like an unripe banana can.
• The chicken velvet dumpling was comparable to a chicken soufflé.
• It was super soft and aerated and made from minced chicken meat, egg, and meat/vegetable stock.
• Most of the chicken flavour came from the soup though.
• It was almost like a soaked mantou bao meets a fish ball meets a glutinous rice ball in texture.
• The dumpling was very pillowy light, juicy from absorbing the soup like a sponge, and incredibly cloud like.
• It was not chewy or bouncy and the traditional Chinese name for it also refers to the light characteristic of clouds.

• The black moss  (a type of photosynthetic bacteria) is a very traditional Chinese ingredient.
• It is considered a delicacy and symbolic for prosperity and wealth.
• It is very controversial because it is going extinct and destroying land as it gets harvested; so China has made the exporting of it illegal.
• It looks like very fine black hair and it melts in your mouth and tastes mushroomy.
• Most of what is sold and served these days is artificial black moss that is made to look and taste the same.
• The real black moss is actually dark green and extremely rare. This one looked black.

Asparagus – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Shrimp roe mousseline, morel mushroom, walnut, pea shoots
• This tasted excellent, but it was the only dish where I really lost the Chinese or Asian inspired theme.
• I looked at the dish from many angles and all I could see was the honey shrimp and candied walnut combination being Chinese.
• Honey shrimp and candied walnuts is more of an American-Chinese dish and it tastes great, but perhaps not as “authentic”.
• It was spring, so the right time for local Californian asparagus, morels, and pea shoots, but none are not native to Asian cuisine.
• The asparagus was sous vide and grilled. It was very tender and soft, but a bit stringy at times.
• The shrimp roe mousseline tasted like a Béarnaise sauce (hollandaise sauce with vinegar) and it reminded me of breakfast.
• I could also taste some clam stock, prawn shells and shallots in the sauce and there was excellent umami again.
• It was rich in flavour and ingredients, but it was aerated so the texture was light and there was still good acidity to balance.
• Think of a seafood stock meets a tangy hollandaise. This was more or less the “salad” course.
• I loved the various textures of the grilled morels and candied walnuts and the sweet, salty and tangy flavour combinations.
• It was a delicious dish, but I just didn’t see much Asian inspiration or ingredients besides the shrimp roe mousseline component.

Salt and Pepper Squid – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• At the moment I feel like every fine dining/New American restaurant has to have some sort of rice cracker chip on their menu. 
• Salt and pepper squid is a common snack in Taiwanese, Chinese and Korean cuisine.
• This smelled like “jiew yeem” chili salt squid found at Chinese restaurants. It was aromatic.
• It was made from dehydrated squid ink dough topped with perfectly diced tender confit squid, garlic puree, garlic powder, serrano chili and fragrant cilantro leaves.

• Every corner and bare space on the chip was taken in for consideration.
• Every ingredient and topping was placed on the chip for a reason.
• The confit squid cubes were “glued” on with garlic puree, so there was lots of umami and flavour.
• I would have maybe even liked it with black garlic, but the garlic powder and aioli did their jobs.
• It had a white pepper after taste and the textures and flavours were lovely, well contrasted and balanced.
• The sauces and toppings seemed free style, but the placement for each component seemed well thought out and intentional.

Lobster Coral Xiao Long Bao – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• I can’t think of one person who does not like xiao long bao (also known as XLB, juicy soup dumplings, Shangainese soup dumplings etc.). 
• This is a Shanghainese favourite and must try at any Shanghainese restaurant.
• I’m very familiar with this, so I might not have been as blown away as someone trying it for their first time.
• I was a bit nervous when I saw it on the menu. It’s a traditional dish I prefer ordering at a traditional Chinese restaurant, but I kept an open mind.
• A Chinese chef can spend his whole life mastering Xiao Long Bao, so to have it on the menu was ambitious.
• I could smell the broth right away and they were bite sized which is traditional.
• Usually they are piping hot, but these were served just hot. I was okay with that.
• The malt vinegar for dipping was served in the centre, but traditionally it has some slivered ginger in it too.
• Th dumpling skin was translucent and very thin, but thick enough to pick up without breaking which is ideal.
• The tip of the XLB was too thick though and it is usually pinched off during the wrapping process.
• The standard XLB is made with pork, but this was a gourmet version with lobster.
• Lobster XLB are common to find at upscale Chinese restaurants.
• The key is to have a lot of soup in the dumpling and in this case there was more soup than meat.
• The lobster meat was super soft and tender an the broth was rich, complex and flavourful.
• The lobster consomme had intense umami and I could taste garlic, ginger, onion, sesame, scallion and even a touch of butter.
• The touch of butter is not traditional, but it really intensified the broth and gave it a rich, round and smooth texture.
• It was an excellent XLB, but perhaps harder to appreciate when I’ve had just as good lobster ones at traditional high end places.
• It was hard to find value although the presentation for this XLB was much nicer.
• For a non-traditional Chinese/Shanghainese restaurant they still did a fantastic job.
• While it is a dish you don’t mess with, I would have appreciated a modern twist.
• The modern approach is Chef Lee’s style, and at this calibre of restaurant I think he could take on the challenge with a XLB.
• This also brought back to memories of the Black Truffle Explosion at Alinea.

Sablefish Custard – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Smoked daikon, beech mushroom, radish, okra
• Chawanmushi is a traditional Japanese dish, but many Asian cultures have their own versions of it.
• This savoury egg custard is comfort food and often made at home, but easily found on many Japanese menus.
• It was obvious what it was trying to imitate, but the style was very different and he reversed the composition.
• Traditionally this course is served steamed in a teacup with a wooden lid.
• Some ingredients are found on top, but a lot of it will sink to the bottom too.
• In this case all of it was served on top, and the ingredients were not very traditional.
• The ingredients were fancier and again the knife skills and meticulous placement of each garnish was well highlighted.

• Usually the ingredients in Chawanmushi will be some combination of chicken, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and various seafood.
• In this case he poached a large chunk of sable fish in the savoury egg custard in the centre of the chawanmushi.
• Sable fish is an idiot proof fish that is impossible to over cook, so it is almost always good. It is one of my favourites even though it is effortless.
• The flaky sable fish and custard shared the same silkiness and the crunchy garnishes were a nice, but modern addition.
• Japanese versions will usually have some round slices of Kamaboko (simulated crab meat with the pink swirls) on a chawanmushi, but instead he used radish.
• The very thinly sliced radishes were great for colour and crunch.
• Contrasting crunch and texture in a chawanmushi is not what chawanmushi is about, but I could appreciate this modern change.
• The okra was also a modern ingredient and he took out the seeds so it would not be as gooey or slimy.
• The slimy texture of okra would have been unpleasant with the silkiness of the custard, so I was pleased okra was used only for colour and crunch like the radish.
• My favourite part of the dish was the smoked daikon which were also pickled and crunchy.
• They were not incorporated into the custard and I could appreciate them even more this way.
• The savoury egg custard (panna cotta like) was quite natural.
• It was rich, soft, silky and delicate, but there was no soup broth underneath.
• Traditionally when you break the top layer of a chawanmushi you get a flow of dashi (Japanese seafood stock), but this one had none.
• I missed the savoury seafood broth, but I still loved this dish without it.
• I would have liked even more seafood in this besides the sablefish, but the ratio of components were balanced as is.
• This would be great topped with some caviar too and I just wanted one more premium ingredient or special component.

Roast Quail – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Turnip, ramp, mustard
• It was the start to the main meat courses and although they were less creative, they were nearly flawless.
• I’ve had quail numerous times, but this was the most tender I’ve ever had it.
• It was sous vide to the perfect doneness and it was so tender and succulent that it made me question every other “perfect” sous vide quail I’ve had.
• The fat was well rendered and the skin could have been seared or fried crispy, but I still loved it.
• It was accompanied with just the right amount of jus which was savoury, sweet, syrupy and rich.
• The jus was well reduced and I think there was a hint of sake and/or soy in the reduction.
• I think the sweetness came from sweet soy or sugar and I would have loved it to be reduced with fruit or vegetable juices for sweetness.
• The daikon was okay and a lighter alternative to potato. It was sauteed with a bit of quail thigh meat for flavour.
• It was topped with mustard seed and it reminded me a of a Chinese style “potato salad”.
• The pickled ramps were the acidity to the dish and overall it was simple, but complete and perhaps as good as it could have been.
• The highlight was the roast quail and I really haven’t come across one this perfect.

Beef Braised in Pear Juice and Charcoal-Grilled – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Lily bulb, sunflower, fermented pepper
• It was the last main course and he finished with beef.
• Pork is the most popular red meat (or “other white meat”) in Asian cuisine, but in this case he used a pricier protein.
• Seafood is even more beloved than meat in most Asian cuisine, so I wouldn’t mind more seafood, but I understand needing variety and appeal to a wider audience.
• Again, it wasn’t as creative, but for what it was there was really nothing to pick at.
• It was inspired by the traditional Korean flavours of Grilled Korean-Style Beef Short Ribs (Kalbi).
• It could also be inspired by the Chinese flavours of black pepper beef and black fermented soy bean sauce.
• The beef was sous vide and again incredibly tender, rich, fatty and moist.
• It was boneless short rib which is inexpensive, but it has a lot of flavour. It is one of my favourite cuts.
• The marinade tasted like Korean bolgogi sauce meets black bean sauce and it was sweet and savoury.
• It was braised in pear juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and chili so the marinade was infused throughout.
• I loved that the sweetness was from pear juice although sugar was likely used too. It was a sweet marinade and sauce.
• It was not spicy, but aromatic and slightly peppery.
• It was glazed and sauced with a black pepper gastrique reduced with pear juice and Chinese (?) vinegar.
• The sauce was sweet, savoury and tangy and it was a high quality jus.
• It was such a rich and heavy dish I was happy it was accompanied with fresh and almost neutral tasting lily bulbs.
• Being the last course I didn’t want anything too heavy in starches.
• The crispy caramelized soy (?) sunflower seeds gave excellent texture although not traditional.
• There was also some crunchy (Bosc? Or Korean pear?) pear compote which seemed compressed as well.
• It was the fruit chutney on top of the beef and it enhanced that sweet and savoury contrast.
• The whole dish was on the sweet side and the beef was also quite sweet which is typical of Korean cuisine.
• The flavours were built on a Korean palate rather than Chinese, but the concept seemed more Chinese.

The last savoury course was the soup.

The soup was poured at the table. Traditionally every Asian meal at home will start and end with soup. Soup is traditionally the only liquid at the table, although some people may have tea too. Soup at the end of the meal is the digestif, and if made at home it usually has health benefits.

This is the soup. It is not traditional to serve it from a teapot, but it was part of the presentation. They don’t leave the teapot at the table because some diners are sensitive to it, but it doesn’t bother me because I grew up with this stuff.

Yes, it was curled up in a fetus position and squished in a teapot (I think it needs a bigger teapot), but I appreciated them bringing it out and showing how it was made. This is how the majority of chicken stocks are made anyway regardless of the culture it comes from. It was made from a whole squab, vegetables, and various dried Chinese herbs and dried fruits.

Double Bouillon of Squab Infused with Dried Herbs – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• I’m biased because I am very familiar with these types of soups. It could be considered acquired, but I wouldn’t know because I grew up with it.
• The ingredients were Mountain yam, carrots, cloud ear mushrooms, gogi berries, dried Chinese dates, and squab sausage.
• The presentation was definitely upscale and modern, but the flavours were actually quite authentic. I was impressed.
• I thought it would be watered down to appeal to a broader audience, but it was very reminiscent to authentic versions my mom would make.
• The only difference was chef took out the medicinal qualities and flavours of a traditional soup to make it appeal to more palates.
• It was a savoury and sweet soup and usually Chinese soups are served piping hot, but this was very touchable hot. I would have preferred more hot.
• The soup was meaty and rich, but not oily.
• The salt came from the squab and the sweet came from the dried gogi berries and dates, so the flavours were pure and natural.
• It tasted like a very intense and complex flavoured squab broth. I loved it!
• The aromatics were a bit Western and traditionally an Asian style soup would never look this appetizing.
• It was palatable to the majority without being watered down, but it was missing the traditional Chinese herbs and bitterness.
• Making a daily Chinese or Asian soup is not simply putting ingredients that taste good together.
• The method to make a daily Chinese soup requires education and familiarity with Chinese cooking.
• It is not something anyone can do, although there are soups that are simply made just because they are good.
• However with soups this style, the process is usually much more intense.
• The type of soup served will take into consideration the climate, the person the soup is for, health benefits and the yin and yang philosophy.

I have to emphasize the attention to fine details again. These were the shavings of baby carrots in the soup. I’m sure they were not the carrots used to make the soup and give it flavour, but as a garnish it was lovely and appropriate.

Honey Sorbet – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Jasmine, lemon curd
• The pre-dessert was a dessert and palate cleanser in one.
• I was looking forward to dessert because Asian cuisines are not big on desserts, so I was excited to see what they would do.
• The Pastry Chef is Courtney Schmidig who was the head Pastry Chef at The French Laundry and also staged at Arzak and The Fat Duck.
• This dessert was slightly reminiscent of traditional Longan & Wolfberry Pudding or Lychee and Gogi Berry Jello served at Chinese restaurants.
• I think it was the jasmine tea foam and floral qualities of it that made me think of them.
• The honey sorbet was made from excellent honey bee farm quality honey. I could taste it immediately.
• It was real honey, but it wasn’t too sweet and it had floral qualities to it.
• The honey complimented the jasmine foam well and it was a light and refreshing dessert.
• It was elegant, just like the savoury menu, and the lemon curd brightened up the flavours.
• The tartness was a nice contrast and the flavour profiles were fresh, feminine, and spring like.
• The honey comb was a great garnish which added flavour as well as texture.
• I wouldn’t mind more or even a bit smaller to have crunchiness in every bite.
• The dessert had few components and it wasn’t really anything nouveau, but it was well done for what it was and it tasted excellent.
• It played its role as palate cleanser and dessert and was a great transition to the real dessert.

Cognac Truffle – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• The real dessert was the dessert I always like to end with – chocolate. 
• There is dessert and then there is chocolate, and the sweetness and satisfaction is very different.
• I prefer nutty desserts over chocolate, but there is something about chocolate that can not be replaced. I call it the dessert after dessert.
• This was the nicest chocolate truffle I’ve seen and eaten and it was very couture and Parisian in style.
• Truffles are often presented like jewelry in high end chocolate shops in France.
• It was a very large gold leaf and that garnish is very typical in Parisian chocolate shops.
• I prefer garnishes that add flavour or texture, but with the gold leaves I make exceptions since it is style.
• Chocolate is not an Asian ingredient or embraced in Asian cuisine so this deviated from the theme of the menu, although still excellent!
• Red bean would have been most appropriate, but it is often only appreciated by an Asian clientele which is not the majority clientele at benu.
• Chocolate is the safe dessert, even though it is not traditional or in harmony with the theme of benu.

• @$#%. It tasted as good as it looked, if not even better.
• It was the size of a billiard ball which was just enough because it was so rich.
• It was a milk chocolate praline mousse with a dark chocolate shell and cognac caramel.
• There was also some marshmallow, hazelnut and freeze dried banana.
• The chocolate truffle sat on a nutty and crispy bed of hazelnut and dried banana crumbs.
• The cognac caramel was excellent and I could taste the cognac without being boozy or overwhelming.
• It was good quality cognac and a very well made caramel that was actually caramelized and not just sugar.
• It was a buttery, creamy and smooth caramel that was not sticky or too oily.
• The fluffy milk chocolate praline mousse seemed almost aerated and it was very light and frothy.
• I could taste equal chocolate and hazelnut in the mousse and it was almost like Nutella.
• The milk chocolate was balanced with the bitter 70% (?) dark chocolate shell which did not snap when I cracked it, but it was still good quality chocolate.
• The dark chocolate shell was even all around and it was very well made and dusted with bittersweet cocoa powder.
• It was nutty with layers of chocolaty flavours and a long chocolate finish, but it wasn’t too sweet either.
• There was also some feuillantine (thin wafers) ganache and together with the dehydrated banana it satisfied that desired crispiness to contrast the creamy rich components.
• I could also taste some sea salt in the crumbs to bring out the flavours.
• There were many components, but I could taste each one and they all played a role in the dessert.
• It was almost like a premium version of a Ferrero Rocher and there was nothing really Asian about it all, but it was amazing!
• There were not many chances to showcase her talent and skills, but she made a lasting memory with this one.
• A chocolate truffle might sound a bit ordinary, but this really exceeded expectations.

Truffle Jewellery Box (similar to French Laundry)

The Petit Fours included: Dark Chocolate Miso, White Chocolate with Dried Fruit, Sesame Cherry & Peanut Truffle, and Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) Pâte de Fruit.