Korean

Benu ***

Benu
22 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 685-4860
Website

For more than a hundred years, the Michelin guide is hailed as the dining authority throughout Europe. In 2005, they expanded their reach and crossed the Atlantic to the United States in to New York City. A year later the San Francisco and the Bay Area edition was published bestowing its highest accolades to only one restaurant, Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Yountville. Unfortunately, San Francisco failed to impress the Michelin inspector. For eight long years it waited for a restaurant worthy of the third star, then finally in 2014 a pair of two stars was elevated to three.

Benu is one of the four restaurants with three stars currently in San Francisco. Its head chef and owner Korean born Corey Lee, is a product of Thomas Keller kitchen. He held the sous chef position at the French Laundry, and was one of the opening chef of Per Se in New York. His extensive resume included stints at Michelin starred establishment such as Guy Savoy in Paris, Pied a Terre, Pierre Koffman in London and Daniel in New York. He opened Benu in 2010 in the Financial District and immediately received two Michelin stars, and eventually attaining the third star in 2014. Along with Saison, they were the first in San Francisco to accomplish this feat.

The restaurant is tucked in a historic building accessible through a courtyard. Its kitchen are visible through large windows from Hawthorne Street. Benu’s main dining room has tall ceilings, soft lighting, and uncovered dark oak tables paired with thick padded chairs that are tightly spaced from each other. The interior is minimalist with plenty of black, white and dark gray colors. There is no bar or lounge, only a waiting area by the entrance. And directly behind the hostess desk is a smaller dining area that looks down on main dining room.

There was only one dining option at Benu, a tasting menu priced at $295. The meal started with “small delicacies” beginning with a Chinese specialty called the thousand year old quail egg which has a delightful cured saltiness. While its sauce provided a terrific rich element to it. Next was the oyster, pork belly kimchi served in warm and cold temperature with a tongue pleasing hint of kimchi fieriness. The marinated mussel stuffed with glass noodles has a sweetness that managed to fittingly blend with the mussel deep sea brininess.

A tart of buttery monkfish liver with trout roe and radish was next. Perfectly complementing the monkfish liver were the bitterness from the thinly slice radishes. That was followed by the prawn wrapped in jelly fish with comte sea weed, fresh off the fryer and served burning hot. The meaty prawn was tasty and the wrapping of jelly fish and seaweed added a beautiful crispy texture. Then came the blood sausage with squid and sesame leaf. By adding squid and sesame leaf, not only gave the homely blood sausage a certain refinement but also created an interesting mixture of flavors that works together.

Grilled chicken wing stuffed with abalone liver was marinated in soy sauce for a wonderful salty sweetness and the abalone liver stuffing was a pure joy. The shark fin pho with truffles and crab was not actually made with shark fin, instead the restaurant used Jinhua ham, crabs and other ingredients to replicate it,. The pho was prepared very well with a nice subtleness paired with sharp notes of truffle. Then came bread course, freshly baked sprouted grain bread served warm and accompanied with orange blossom honey infused ginseng butter.

First course, is the restaurant signature dish lobster coral xiao long bao with homemade soy sauce and vinegar. At first bite, the xiao long bao was oozing with tremendous amount of robust flavors, which is eventually followed by delectable filling of lobster roe. Dipping it in homemade soy sauce and vinegar adds a sublime mixture of salty and sour.

Next course came in threes and served all at once with a bowl of high quality white rice from Japan. The caviar with hand-pressed sesame oil, sesame leaf and daikon has a superb subtle salinity, the sea urchin marinated in fermented crab sauce, thinly sliced kohlrabi was full of buttery goodness and the lightly-cured mackerel, fresh ginger, sake lees pickles has an excellent clean pickle taste and light spiciness to it.

The meal continued with the barbecued quail, Chinese artichoke with red cabbage and black truffle sauce, double bouillon of quail with mountain yam. Whole barbecued quail was shown to the table before the server brought it back to the kitchen and prepared. The quail meat was tender, juicy, and nicely flavored with truffle sauce (that also worked well with the mountain yam on the plate). Served on the side, was an amazing steamed truffle bun with a delightful truffle cream. Another addition was the savory quail stock with mountain yam. In this course the kitchen resourcefully used the three main ingredients to create different dishes.

Beef rib braise in pear, daikon cooked in beef jus, scallion and chrysanthemum salad were the last of the savory plates. The scrumptious rib was superbly done with very good textures and flavors which was ascended by the pears sweetness.

The “Omija and olive oil” made from a Korean berry has a soothing bitterness that refreshes the palate. Dessert of Neufchatel cheesecake, dry-aged persimmon and cocoa nibs was a refined version of the cheese cake yet not as rich. Honeyed persimmon sauce with cocoa was cleverly use as a sweetener. Surprisingly, this was the only dessert in this particular evening. To end the meal were Shinko pear, sweet rice cake, a fantastic chilled rice tea and a toasted mint.

At Benu, the tasting menu of fourteen or so small courses were served in different paces. The “small delicacies” in the beginning were brought out in rapid succession while the other courses arrived in a slower manner. This was an impressive dinner that showcased highly technical cookery, and perfectly executed food with sophisticated Asian flavors. There were traditional Asian dishes that were brilliantly recreated and refined. Beverage pairing was designed by Master Sommelier, Yoon Ha (one of only two hundred fifty master sommelier in the world) priced at $210 and comprised of eight glasses of wines, beer and sake. It also include a pour of Blandy’s 1973 Verdelho retailed at $220. The pairing rightfully complements the different flavor elements of each dish.

Though the restaurant had a relaxing vibe, it still had the fine dining finesse and professionalism. Its young staff worked the dining room impeccably. They were well-trained, full of energy, and polite. Service was particularly attentive yet not overbearing. The chefs that also served the food were equally oriented and friendly as the servers.

Wine Pairing:

Dinner here is pricey and to many it’s a once in a life time experience. The complete meal with wine pairing plus tax and service charge makes Benu one of the most expensive restaurant in America. What justifies the high price tag is a dining experience that can be easily be the finest any one can ever have.

After leaving the confines of the French Laundry, Chef Lee became one of America’s top toque and flourished as a restaurateur. In addition to Benu, he also has the one Michelin star In Situ and the French bistro Monseiur Benjamin. All three restaurants were a success in their own rights. But his flagship Benu, is a special San Francisco dining destination and is among the preeminent restaurant currently in the country.

Danji

Danji
346 W 52nd St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 586-2880
Official Site

When a restaurant receives raving reviews after only a few months it opened its doors to the public and a star for each year that it has been in full operation by the Michelin guide (including the 2013 edition), then it must be worth a visit . I’m talking about Danji here, a modern Korean restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen where the chef and owner Hooni Kim previously cooked for some of New York City’s most notable restaurants like Daniel and Masa. Chef Kim’s interpretation of Korean cuisine combined with his French technique in small plate offerings has been impressing this city’s demanding diners for the past few years.

This tiny restaurant on West 52nd street has a total seating available for less than 40 people. Danji’s narrow layout is designed with a beautiful golden bar top in the front that can easily get crowded from guest waiting to be seated due to the restaurant’s no reservation policy for parties less than six. The bar is followed by two communal counter tables both accompanied by white frame high chairs. In the back are a series of two top tables and a long bench. The space is decorated with clay pots that are displayed along the whitewashed brick walls, hanging light bulbs from the ceiling and a section divider that showcases an assortment of wooden and metal spoons.

The staff is informative and warm. Old guests are welcomed while new ones are instructed that the menu is located in the drawer of the table. They will answer all of your questions about the menu and will even provide recommendations to make the meal more enjoyable.

Danji’s small plates are very good and reasonably priced. There is no item that cost more than $20. The menu is divided into “modern” and “traditional” dishes with close to ten items on each. A party of four can easily run through the entire menu.

An earthly bowl of mushroom risotto with truffle oil is a great intro to a wonderful meal and a side order of the trio of kimchi is an excellent compliment to each plate.

The best dish that I had here was the Poached Sablefish w. Spicy Daikon. This happens to be SPE certified .The poached sable fish has a nice soft texture and soaked in dark, sweet sauce that is very appealing to the palate. The chef, as well as our server recommended ordering a side of white rice to soak up all the succulent sauces after devouring the fish.

I enjoyed the spicy ‘K.F.C.’ Korean fire chicken wings. It has a nice crunch and spiciness. Another outstanding plate was the Spicy Yellow Tale Sashimi. The fresh fish that Chef Kim uses for the was so tender that it melts in your mouth and the jalapenos add a nice kick with every bite.

The Bulgogi beef sliders were tasty. The beef seemed like it was marinated with some sort of Asian or soy sauce that is very recognizable. The fried calamari with wasabi mayo was cooked just right and minimal chewing was required to break it down. The wasabi mayo added another depth to the taste.

During the lunch, excellent rice bowls like farmers market bibim – bop and dup bop brisket bulgogi are available as well as the empanada-like handmade vegetable dumplings.

All of these savory dishes goes along with Danji’s decent selection of sake, soju and an Asian inspired cocktail list. A price range between $20 – $50 for a bottle of sake or soju, while the majority of cocktails are priced at $12.

Chef Hooni Kim might not be a house hold name yet like David Chang when it comes to Korean cuisine, but his cooking and his restaurant Danji are simply superb. The food and the hospitality are always on point. It was consistent throughout my visits to Danji.

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Do Hwa

Do Hwa
55 Carmine St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 414-1224
Official Site

Ask any person on the streets of New York City for a Korean restaurant and you would most likely be directed to Flushing Queens or Koreantown (aka K-Town) in Midtown Manhattan since these areas have the highest demographic of Korean population and businesses. I’ve never been to Flushing and quiet frankly the food at K-Town although not bad, just doesn’t do it for me. However there are a few Korean restaurants that have successfully ventured out from those areas. One such restaurant is Do Hwa in the West Village. Located on Carmine Street, this restaurant along with the neighborhood’s eclectic food scene makes the West Village a buffet of restaurants.

Do Hwa caught my eye while walking along Carmine Street after having dinner at a nearby restaurant. I was intrigued by the happy hour special on blackboard outside so I decided to take a peek. The place is dim, loud and caters mostly to the hip and trendy West Village crowd. Unlike restaurants in K-Town, there were very few Korean diners which lead me to question the authenticity of the cuisine. But other than the hot dog, pizza and the bagel, is there any niche food that’s a 100 percent authentic in NYC? Please let me know.

If one is into spicy food this the place to dine. One such spicy dish is the Dak Teegim crispy boneless fried chicken drizzled with jalapeno pepper sauce. Seasoned to perfection, it is juicy and soft while the jalapeno pepper sauce provided the right kick of spiciness. Starter dishes like the Dubu Junpan – seared organic tofu, scallion vinaigrette, and the Mak Gooksu cold buckwheat noodles topped with sesame kimchi, are pretty solid appetizers. The Dubu Jun seared tofu has a great soft texture and the Mak Gooksu has a sweetness that worked well with the kimchi. You are given 2 options with entrees – either with a grill, where guests can cook it on their own – served as a Ssam dish accompanied with chilli and miso sauces and other condiments like kimchi and vegetables; and the other option is already cooked by the kitchen. On one of my visits I went for the grill and had the Dak Gui chicken barbecue (thin breast slices) in sesame marinade; and the Seywoo Gui grill, peel and large shrimp with chili dipping sauces. The shrimps were fresh and so was the chicken. I also had the cooked in the kitchen Dak Gui which was very good with a very “far eastern” taste of mild sauces. Entrées are accompanied by condiments of cooked and pickled vegetables in small plates that can be a meal on its own.

The specialty drinks at Do Hwa is as good as the food. Such drinks were the Ginger Cinnamon Tea with Bourbon, where the bourbon dominated the taste while the flavor of the ginger tea complemented in the background; and the Jalapeno Margarita with pineapple and agave – which is spicy with the jalepeno and salt fusion and yet sweet with the agave and pineapple – a perfect combination.

The simple but chic décor along with its trendy staff of women gives the restaurant a hip setting. The dining room is dominated by black and white hollow block walls, concrete floors throughout and black wooden tables (some with a grill) partnered with black wooden chairs. While a white wall in the middle with Korean designs that plug the squarish cut out of the wall serves as a separator between the dining room and the bar area. At the bar guest can enjoy creative libations on the black wooden bar table where the paint is slowly chipping away showing the natural color of the wood. The happy hour menu is written on the wall and various movies are continuously showing in the bar area’s wall.

Before I began exploring the gastronomic beauty that this city has to offer I was a closed minded diner and would always think that if an ethnic restaurant is not in its own neighborhood, the food must not be good. Now, for me there are two types of foods, one that tastes good and one that tastes bad. Although Do Hwa may not serve the most authentic Korean cuisine and caters more to non-Korean diners, the food is still good and the atmosphere is enjoyable. Do Hwa is sure to offer a home cooked meal served family style that will leave you satisfied and more.

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