Benu in San Francisco

I can understand why Benu has a three Michelin stars. The entire menu is impeccable and all the attention to the detail is incredible. I was blown away by the coordination of services and the complexity of the flavors that were all so harmonious. Definitely an experience leaving you wanting more.

Good: 1. There is a lot of food, so if you are hungry you can get really full. 2. The service is good. 3. The ingredients are fresh and good quality.Bad: 1. This is Asian fusion food that I think unfortunately not comparable to authentic Chinese cuisine or a top notch sushi place. The dishes look fancy with nice ingredients, however, are made with less layers of tastes, mediocre cooking skills, and dominant salty sauces. I personally think the food can have a bit of more innovation and preserve the tastes at the same time. 2. The inside of the restaurant is a bit dark and furfinshed with minimalism styles, which feels nothing much to look at.

An absolute culinary journey. Chef Corey Lee is an expressive creator, his dishes are immediately memorable and dont rely on the embellish element (although all very visually appealing!) but more the substance and ethos of his craft and use of textures and intricate flavors. The entire staff were a delight to us during our time, which simply added to the overall experience.

Loved the menu, very filling and tasty! The staff were all friendly. 👌🏼 And if I may just mention — its so refreshing to see a true Asian restroom with a decent bidet and a fancy roll of tissue paper. 😅 Appreciated the birthday cake, too. 🎂🙏🏼🤗

Benu offers very creative use of Asian ingredients and flavors. The menu is heavily influenced by Korean cuisine with some Chinese flairs. Food, wines, and service are simply amazing. This is the only 3-Michelin-star in SF that provides free valet parking. The staff were some of the warmest and most welcome that I have met.

I had a great experience at Benu. Everything I tried was delicious. I loved how small the portion sizes were so that I could try more things. Even though they recommended against sharing our mains, my friend and I ordered different ones and found that there was more than enough food for us to both try both. Also, the infusions were free (and tasted amazing).

Im glad I went once. For a $500 dinner- I personally wouldnt go twice. Dishes were very good but if youre someone accustomed to Asian food, not as much of it was new or innovative as Id have hoped. Service is impeccable. I felt that Id made a better choice at 8 Tables for ~half the price. Full meal pictured.

One of the best meals Ive ever had in my life. Even the water tastes inexplicably delicious (and lmao they even offered me free refills whenever I wanted since I worked nearby). Theyve set the bar pretty high, many other 3 stars have been a disappointment. Truly hats off.

Made a trip to San Francisco mainly to visit Benu and I had very high expectations given its distinction. Beautiful entrance through a nice garden and elegant restaurant. Aesthetics on point, decor is simple and modern. Cuisine was contemporary Korean with many Asian influences. You start with surprise small delicacies and then you pick the next three courses from the menu, one raw seafood course, one cooked fish and last, a meat course. I find that unusual for a three Michelin starred restaurant and kinda break the surprise thrill journey. Food and flavors were very good but I can’t say they were truly exceptional or that I was impressed in comparison.I didn’t feel they pushed the boundaries of gastronomy. Courses weren’t really creative or innovative. Plating and presentation were ok but nothing artistic, eye catching or what you expect from a top 100 world’s best. Service and staff were the best part, welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. Pairing was delightful and complimented courses very well. Desserts were just ok and simple, nothing outstanding. Overall, we had a good experience but underwhelmed for a destination venue.

8/30/2023: Visited Benu for my coworker’s birthday.Ambience: You’ll walk past a small courtyard that is filled with fermentation urns as you make your way to the entrance. Once inside, I found the decor to be minimalistic with bright earthy tones. There were no aesthetic elements here that stood out - quite simple, almost as if done on purpose to avoid pulling your attention away from the food.Food: By far, the small dishes were my favorite part of the menu. These come rapidly and are about 6 or 7 in total. All were good but my favorite was the sea urchin. You do have some options on the menu - I chose the soondae (pork blood sausage) and river eel. The presentations were done well and the waiters did a good job of explaining the menu as it came. As it was my coworker’s birthday, they had printed a personalized message on the menu and brought out a small cake at the end.Service: no complaints here, the service was superb.