I’m too lazy to write about the entire dinner so I’m only going through some of my favorite bites of the night.
amberjack, pickled daikon, seaweed, avocado, cucumber
my favorite bite of the evening! it’s a play on kimbap where rice, vegetable, and fish are rolled in dried sheets of seaweed. with this particular take, the combination of crunch, chew, sweet, salty, acid, and creaminess are so carefully calibrated that my jaw just dropped. Incredible bite.
soy milk flower tofu, chicken consommé, chili oil
what can i say? flawless knife work on the tofu and pipin’ warm but crystal clear consommé. you wouldn’t think such a clear broth can carry such intense flavor and umami but it did! taking a slurp of consommé and tofu, the flavor complexity deepens with grassy notes of soy beans and a much needed accent of heat from the chili oil. it’s one delicious and comforting dish.
acorn pancake, black truffle, pesto, iberico ham
if you think this looks like a taco, you’re right. this is benu’s take on a taco. it’s a fun take given the relationship between iberico pigs, their diet of acorn, and truffle hunting pigs. how does it taste? brilliant. everything just works. the salty funk of the iberico just melds right into the pancake. and much like a well made fresh corn tortilla, this acorn pancake is pliant with a nice chewiness to it and perfumes each bite with its inherent nuttiness.
roast turbot, spicy fermented pepper sauce, braised chrysanthemum, radish, dried garlic flowers
another run-of-the-mill turbot course? not a chance at benu. this glazed piece of turbot is cut in such a way that includes the loin, belly, and engawa aka the fin muscle. from now on, i want all my fish to be sliced this way! along with its crispy skin, i had a chance to experience 3 different flavor, texture, and fattiness of turbot…all in one course. perfectly seasoned and cooked. very thought indeed.
barbecued quail, broccoli xo sauce, black truffle, truffle steamed bun
being a staple of benu, this quail is expertly cooked and finished with hot oil pouring over the bird continuously to achieve a perfect medium rare temperature along with semi-crispy skin. fans of quail wouldn’t wanna miss this hit.
impossibly delicate and moist. best bao in the world.
beef rib, baby anchovy, chilled lettuce and scallion sauce
another riff. this time, it’s korean bbq. the fatty beef rib is braised with pear before charcoal-grilling to get that lovely smokiness. when i take a bite of the beef rib with those umami-laden baby anchovy and the lettuce and scallion sauce, i’m instantly reminded of having a kalbi wrap…only on much more elevated fashion in both presentation and flavor!
milk pudding, salt, smoke, peat
the creamiest pudding i’ve ever had. the salty-smoky-sweet flavor combination is tried and true…a strangely addictive dessert.