BenuExcellent foodBenu was recommended to me by a friend who is a former professional chef. I chose to order from the a la carte menu and the food was truly excellent. I will have to try the tasting menu next time.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMSuch artistry in presentationSuch artistry in presentation and excellent, courteous, gracious service only enhanced exquisitely delicious food. The tasting menu was delightful and delicious. Hype notwithstanding, this restaurant is special and worth the price! Bravo!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMtasting menu at BenuFlew in from LA to celebrate 2 of my girlfriends birthdays and Benu was our destination. The restaurant looks like it belongs in montecito county. Beautiful yet serene garden that leads you to the restaurant. modern yet with no frills. quiet and elegant. Friday dinner was a 15 item tasting menu. started off with their version of lavash. it was made from buckwheat and nori with sesame seeds. thin as paper and tasted incredible. Set your pallet for the tasting menu without making you feel full. I wish I can describe every single one of the dishes but, there is no space for that. Notable dishes: oyster. pork belly, kimchi. incredibly delicate yet full of flavor. left us all wanting for 20 more. I recommend this restaurant for every occasion.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMAs usual, Benu's food is greatAs usual, Benu's food is great and never fails when I need to wine and dine important people.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMNot to Bad at all!I've had the great pleasure of dinning in Chef Cory Lee's restaurants before (Per se & TFL) and I have to say, he's getting even better. I haven't dined at Benu since it opened a while back. While I enjoyed that meal I felt that the kitchen was still going through growing pains.
This experience was much different and much more fluid and effortless both shown in the food and the service. The wine staff was very accommodating and very helpful with the wine selections that I let them pick out. The intensity of the food was brilliant and focused without being rich and weighty.
I was very impressed and I can't wait to go back soon!4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMWe did the 17 course tastingWe did the 17 course tasting menu. The whole experience from the taste, presentation, service, beverage pairings was amazing. That was by far the most money we have ever spent on a night out but we were thrilled with the evening and would recommend it to anyone.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMFood is a bit eclectic - thisFood is a bit eclectic - this is not a criticism - simply an observation. Asian fusion is probably a good characterization. Very clean kitchen. Platings are impeccable.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWe did the Chef's tastingWe did the Chef's tasting menu which for 3 of the 4 was incredible. We were disappointed that 1 person in our party who was a pescaterian was given all the same dishes- if the dish had meat the meat was left out- so 4 of he courses were awful. At such a high end, sophisticated, culinary gem you expect them to have substitutions for dietary restrictions not just remove the meat leaving you with an incomplete entre which was flavorless. The service was impeccable. Great wine list.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Service, food Good not GreatWe did the a la carte menu on a Thursday night. Our server was the best, period. The staff was superb. The food while inventive and very good, was not as good as I expected it to be. I like the creativity, but at the end of a meal like this, you want it to be outstadning, not just good. I would like to try the tasting menu, as I think this might be something very special. However, at $180 per person plus wine on top of that, I am not sure if it is worth it.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat i feel in Benu.I went to Benu late night around 9p.m. First, i saw energetic kitchen scene before i walk inside to Benu. It made me so excite for sure. Then i sat look around restaurant i was feel quite comfortable people looks enjoy the food. I had 15 courses tasting menu. Actually i can't describe in my word. It was way beyond what i expected. Each courses so amazing and fabulous. Service was perfect. I want to go again so bad.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMwow!Amazing! We dined ala carte. Each dish was perfection. The marriage of flavor, texture and presentation was impeccable. Certainly lives up to a ** Michelin rating. Service was warm and efficient. The dishes have an etherial quality; portioned to please and excited, without hindering enjoyment of the next course or a walk afterward. When in San Fran again, will make a point of setting aside time for the tasting menu. Only surprise was the number of twenty-somethings dining as such an upscale restaurant.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMA meal to remember!We went to Benu to try the tasting menu after reading about it in Food and Wine magazine. We were treated to one of the best meals of our lives. The unique ingredients, variety of courses, cleaver use of serving ware, and attentive, knowledgable servers made it an experience to remember. The price of the tasting menu is high, but we appreciated its worth once we saw all of the hard work that went I to it. The decor is pleasant but non-descript, allowing the food to provide the true flavor for the evening. It you are looking for a truly special meal, Benu will not disappoint!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA delightful and tasty eveningSuperb tasting menu by a brilliant chef. Each course small enough not overwhelm and delicious enough to stand on its own. Quiet and classy setting that lets you settle on the company and the food. Service is precise, attentive and yet, not annoyingly intrusive. Very much looking forward to our next chance to go.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible, savory and artfulIncredible, savory and artful food. We did everything a la carte and loved it - abalone grenebloise, sea urchin with fromage blanc, quail with wood ear mushrooms...all visually and palatably delightful. The wine service was also excellent - speedy and knowledgeable sommeliers, with a short but sophisticated list by the glass. The architecture and decor are muted beautifully so you can focus on the incredible food. Highly recommended to any serious food lovers!4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent All AroundAn excellent tasting menu with very unique wine, beer, and sake pairing. We found this to be an exceptional meal. Everything seemed to be the right amount of food. We left satiated but not stuffed or hungry. The service was stellar without being stuffy. They also were very able to handle our food allergies. Certainly not cheap but a special 3 hour plus dining experience. I can't wait to return.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMVery expensive. Food alwaysVery expensive. Food always beautifully presented, some dishes more beautiful than tastey.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMwe had the tasting menu...wow.we had the tasting menu...wow. great place for a food focused celebration.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMnoteworthy experience.We went to Benu for my wife's birthday and had a great experience. This was our first time at a Michelin rated restaurant and they definitely lived up to their accolades. I was really impressed with the inventiveness of the dishes. My wife and I are both Korean, so it was really interesting to have some familiar flavor profiles shine through in completely new ways. Great meal, great staff, overall a memorable dining experience.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything you'd expect!Beautiful restaurant, amazing food, well executed, reasonably priced, everything you expect from a two star Michelin rating (inevitably a 3 star). Would live to have seen Corey, but other than that, met all of our expectations! The wine Som was also great!4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMBenu provided me with oneBenu provided me with one of the most unforgettable dining experiences of my life. It was truly incredible.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Atmosphere and FoodIt was a really good experience first time here. I think the service was probably the the best part of the meal. The food was very unique and was worth it.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible experience. ElegantIncredible experience. Elegant decor with superb food and service to match.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMOut of this World ExperienceIt's understandable why this place has three Michelin Stars. The food is amazing--the tastes, textures, presentation all reflect a very imaginative and highly sophisticated mind. Each dish hits on multiple levels and the many ingredients in each blend beautifully together. The service was the best I think I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. The room's aesthetic is exquisitiely simple--which makes the enjoyment of the 'food ceremony' that much easier. It's not inexpensive, but it is well worth the price. Highly recommend to anyone to have the experience of eating at Benu at least once.3/20/2013 12:00:00 AMOverpricedWorld class restaurant but not worth the price when there are other options that are just as good if not better. Try Sons and Daughters or Statebird Provisions instead.3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThe prix fixe menu togetherThe prix fixe menu together with wine pairing is a unique but expensive dining experience. The wine pairings greatly enhanced the meal.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMA Perfect EveningWe had a wonderful dinner at Benu. From the minimalist interior design, where the redbrick outside contrasts with concrete and wood inside, to the knowledgeable waiter who patiently explains all details of the 16 small courses to the master sommelier discussing varieties of burgundy, everything was perfect. The meal itself reflects the "state-of-the-art" in modern cuisine, small portions prepared with top ingredients. Every single dish combines contrasting textures, tastes and colors. Ideas from French, Chinese, Japanese and Korean origin are put together into delicious bites. Everything was well balanced and after 16 courses we felt happy and deeply satisfied. This was definitely one of the best dining experiences we ever had!2/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat's not to love about theWhat's not to love about the food here? Its fantastic, and so beautiful to look at....however, to that end, when will high-end restaurants in SF going to get rid of the cameras?? We were constantly distracted by the couple next to us with the giant camera who did nothing but take photos of their food....literally standing up at the table and taking shots...and why didn't they ask them to stop??....really spoiled the expereince (but not the food!) for us.2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM