Benu has been the most anticipated restaurant opening in recent memory. Without a question. I was pretty thrilled to get one of the first seats on its second night. Unfortunately, it was a 9:00 seating so I knew it was going to be a late night considering I was going in for the full tasting menu. Walking up to the restaurant, there is an array of light beaming from the kitchen as large panels of glass separate the kitchen staff from the street-side gawkers. An austere and elegant courtyard welcomes the visitor, with the interior of the restaurant clean and similarly somber in its muted, beige and cream tones. For future bloggers, be warned that the ambient lighting late in the evening is not conducive to great natural photography so I apologize for the darkness of the images.

Sesame Lavash – served in a specially carved box which separated out the dark, crispy thin rectangles. Black sesame and salt was the predominant flavor and it would be a precursor to the evening that sesame was one of the most-used Asian ingredients.

2008 Alzinger Grüner Veltliner – Showing a tremendous amount of mineral and spicy qualities, I enjoyed this wine tremendously, but found it a bit too strong with too many citrus components for the following two dishes.

Thousand-year-old quail egg, black truffle, ginger, scallion – Our first taste and somewhat disappointing. I could not detect any black truffle and the extremely texture of the egg masked its flavors. Moreso than any ginger or scallion, it was the flavor of citrus oil with predominated.

Tomato, cucumber, dashi, summer blossoms – Perfectly spherical tomatoes with an explosive Molecular “tomato” that displayed a bright squirt of tomato essence. Very clean flavors with the dashi providing that Asian influence of austerity and balance. A nice, light start without overpowering the palate right off the bite.

2006 Juliusspital Wurzburg, Escherndorfer Silvaner Trocken – in a Matteus-shaped, this delightful wine produced a faint nose of clean, cut grass and fresh apricot. Bright and acidic on the entry, layers and complexity developed in the mouth. This was a fabulous wine which worked considerably better with the next two courses than the previous pairing.

Mountain yam, bottarga, lime, radish, perilla – The mountain yam crunched like fresh jicama in the mouth and yet blossomed to produce a gooey, gelatinous texture. This was an experiment in the lovely juxtaposition of textures and flavors as the crisp wine cut through the film in the mouth produced by the yam. The bottarga was sliced wafer thin and added a salt component with the perilla a hint of mint and the radish a touch of spice. All the flavors were reserved and slightly muted, were very well conceived and executed.

Caramelized anchovy gelée, peanuts, lily bulbs, chili, basil – In this dish we are working into stronger flavors, expanding the tasting menu with more contrast, both in textures and components. While both the gelée and the peanuts provided salt, the difference in smooth and hard crunch was balanced out with the bright lily bulbs, chili and basil. I especially liked the wine pairing with this course as well.

2007 Catatt Sancerre – I was surprised to experience so much cat piss in the aroma. Something I usually get from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc moreso than a French Sancerre. This was a wine with huge amounts of lemon rind and acidity that ultimately was very successful with the first of its pairings and less so with the second.

Veal sweetbread grenobloise, cauliflower, parsley, lemon, caper – Very tender morsels of sweetbread were fried to give a rich, crunchy exterior. The citrus component in the wine played well with the moderately-utilized lemon in the grenobloise. I was especially pleased with the amount of capers but believe my dining companion found them too overpowering.

Haiga rice porridge, abalone, lemon, sesame – In this regard, this was the first truly unsuccessful dish of the evening. The congee was so overwhelmed with candied lemon as to be a distraction. That citrus was compounded with the Sancerre and reflected in the wine with monumental imbalance. I found the abalone, cut into perfect squares, to be shockingly tough and chewy. The first dish to go completely unfinished.

Hitachino Nest, Japanese White Ale

Eel, feuille de brick, avocado, crème fraîche – Hard to detect in the photograph, the four-inch fried feuille de brick was wrapped in a monogrammed slip of paper and nestled in a specially designed platter, with a groove for the savory cigar and a small vessel for its dipping sauce. The crème fraîche was studded with fleur de sel and while the brick-wrapped eel was fun for the crunch factor, again these were muted flavors and no avocado tastes could be detected whatsoever. The Japanese white ale was a great companion beverage, giving the “bar food” mentality a heightened sense of fun with fried bits and beer elevated to haute cuisine. Surprisingly oily, but still fun.

2007 Prinz Riesling Spatlese Jungler – Lovely aromas of green apple, with a sweet entry. I can see why the sommelier chose to pair with the fake foie gras.

Monkfish liver torchon, apple relish, turnip, ramps, sorrel, mustard, brioche – Creamy and rich, the ankimo itself was perfectly prepared, complete with a thin gelée. Regrettably, the accompaniments were less than successful with brioche that was too thick and sweet, overpowering the delicate flavors in the liver and the mustard sauce, so creamy and potentially enticing, becoming strident next to the wine and completely diminishing the flavors of the liver. The apple relish showed brunoise sophistication, but failed to complement either the mustard or muted ankimo tastes.

At this point in the evening, my companion and I conferred that thus far, we were extremely underwhelmed with the evening. There was perfection in the execution, unquestionably. We could see the brilliance and vibrancy of the Asian flavors and the progression that the tasting was taking us, but we had yet to have any singular “wow” dish, although several of the wines were certainly impressing us. Precision dominated yet I could detect no soul or feeling. There was no “chi” or movement of emotion being experienced from the consumption of the food. I wanted and was hoping for transcendence and there was none to be found. But onward…

1977 Blandings Madeira – An amazingly delightful Madeira showing both rich caramel notes with balanced acidity and depth.

“Shark’s Fin Soup,” Dungeness crab, cabbage, Jinhua ham, black truffle custard – Finally, a “wow” experience. Coming from the subtle muted flavors, this was an explosion of flavor. The soup consommé was a mixture of earthy mushrooms, crab broth, and the faintness expression of the ham. We were delving into depths of umami and complexity, expanded with the elegance of the truffle custard. Truly an inspirational dish and, ultimately, the highlight of the evening.

2002 Kiuchi Dainjon Vintage Sake – Intense flavors in this heavy-bodied, full and rich sake.

Sea urchin, potato purée, corn, celery – After the strong and rich flavors of the soup, I was frankly shocked at the mediocrity of the sea urchin. Expecting the progression of the tasting profiles to continue, we were thrown back into muted flavors but worse than that, textures that were all too similar to define exactly what we were consuming. My dining companion, in taking a large taste, immediately asked, “Where is the sea urchin?” I could detect it, but because it was puréed out as smoothly as the potato and corn purées, the three melded together in a malange of blandness. The only differing texture component were crunchy bits nestled under the pillow of puff; small brunoise of what I assume was either celery and/or corn. It was honestly hard to tell. Neither of us finished it and we both left almost half in the dish.

2007 Franck Balthazar Cornas Syrah – Here again we had one of those amazing moments of experiencing a phenomenal aspect of the evening; a wine with such a gloriously rich and complex aroma that I would have been happing snifting and tasting this wine for some time. Levels of mixed peppercorns, dark woodsy fruits, and distinct rich herbs in the nose, a surprising bit of tannins in the mouth, this was a wine I will seek out for personal consumption.

Pork belly, sautéed lettuce, onion, spiced sugar, cherry and black olive sauce – An interesting offering of a pork belly which was tender and rich but again, an odd confluence of tastes which were offered that I didn’t understand. On the edge of the plate was a sprinkling of spiced sugar and yet caramelized sugars produced from the grilling of the meat and the sweetness of the balanced and grilled onions, and the sugars from the cherry and black olive sauce should have been sufficient. Yet when drawn together, the only flavor which came to mind was that of Hoisin sauce so I have to confer that this dish was an attempt at deconstructed Hoisin, but why? It was all so sweet as to be distracting. The flavors of the pork and lettuce alone were quite sufficient, even with just a touch of the cherry/olive component, but brought all together in one taste was too cloying and saccharine. The pork was so full of flavor all on its own, demonstration superlative execution and it was the amazing wine which successfully cut through all the sugars in the dish, making it enjoyable.

2005 Château Potensac Medoc – Contrasting to the tannic Syrah we just finished, this 40% merlot, 60% cabernet blend was its antithesis, with a rich, smooth level wine

Beef rib cap, Bluefoot mushrooms, mizuna, pine needle honey – Hidden under the mizuna and not detected in the photograph was a small triangle of sausage to accompany the sous vide beef slice. The meat was extremely tender and rich, heightened with the wine pairing. The sausage was not very tender, but I appreciate the earthiness of the mushrooms and darker flavors in the sausage in contrasting with the rare beef.

2005 Jo Pithon Late Harvest Chenin Blanc – A deep yellow colour, it has a distinctive nose that is deep and sweet. The palate is concentrated, dense and complex with notes of dried apricot and layered spice.

Melon, sake, mint – Not a great pairing with the wine, we were much happier with this dish on its own as a palate cleanser. With micro leaves of mint placed atop the spheres of assorted melon, there was an infusion of mint as well in the broth that heightened the excellence of the dish.

Strawberry sorbet, buckwheat shortbread, vanilla – Again, we somewhat marveled at the choice of a wine pairing. Here again we have this bright fruit composition with the buckwheat shortbread crumbled around the sorbet. There were also macerated fresh wild strawberries of exceptional quality but it was an ingredient-driven dish moreso than one of execution and development of flavors. Texturally, I was ready for something with more tooth to it; an actual tuille cookie to bite into or a morsel of cake. We felt as though we just had two relatively simple fruit offerings with neither depth not

Chocolates – four chocolates were served in a specially carved box presentation which was artistically very interesting for me. The chocolates were a crème catalan with white chocolate, milk chocolate walnut, dark Valhrona chocolate, and a sesame nougatine. We shared these with a tea service and while they were very good quality teas, I would have appreciated the ability to pour my tea into another service pot or a strainer to remove the leaves; once a single cup was poured, the pot continued to brew, leaving me with a remainder that was too bitter and over-brewed.

The cost of the tasting menu was $160 with $110 wine pairing. To their credit, we asked to split the pairing as neither of us wanted to drink that much alcohol, but I believe we were given larger pours than a single pairing. The service was exemplary with one minor mis-step of having our still water replaced with sparkling later in the evening. I’m not a fan of sparkling as it tastes salty to me. We were the last ones out at 1:00 a.m., having sat down a few minutes before 9:00.

The meal was memorable for its execution and precision. I can understand and appreciate the development of Asian flavors which were being offered, however I feel there was such a preponderance of style over substance to have become a distraction. I wanted an epiphany and that “religious experience” which I have occasionally come to hope for. It is far too rare and makes me come to believe that I am truly jaded when it comes to haute cuisine.

The post Benu first appeared on Feast Blog.

The occasion of Lisa’s birthday was the reason for heading to my now-favorite San Francisco restaurant, Nombe.

Hakuro Suishu – Junmai Ginjo (winter water). A very, very smooth sake.

First course – Suimono; a salad sashimi-based salad with amazingly fresh and vibrant vegetables. Fresh, raw trout sat atop purslane, tofu, arugula, sea beans, chanterelles, squash blossoms, fresh pickled ginger, spinach, sunomono, radish, and a very light seafood broth. It would have been a perfect dinner for two and a more-than-ample meal for one. The chanterelle mushrooms were tender and provided a rich texture against the clean, brightness of the vegetables. The trout — which I thought was salmon based on the color — was rich with an ample amount of marbling to give enough fat to the entire dish to balance out all the healthy goodness in the vegetables.

Kubota Maju – Dai Ginjo. Luxuriously super clean and flowery sake. This was offered as an intercourse as Gil had a few sips left from a tasting a few days prior. He admitted this was the Cadillac of sakes and usually too expensive for most. A lovely gesture that it was comped for Lisa’s birthday.

Tengumai Jikomi – Yamahai Junmai. A richer, more lingering sake to accompany the rest of the meal.

Hano Okazu – So many dishes at once. Served in small, 3″ plates, following our glorious salad came a veritable Japanese smörgåsbord:

• Wagyu Beef ~ Ever so lightly grilled as to preserve the integrity of the marbling. Served with sliced scallions and shredded daikon, this tender offering proved rich and satisfying.
• Squash ~ Fresh yellow squash and zucchini were very thinly sliced, marinated in a light rice wine vinegar and served with fresh greens.
• Bitter Melon ~ Contrasting flavors to all the other vegetables, here chunked bitter melon is served alongside caramelized onions which gave a level of tender sweetness to the crunchy melon.
• Chicken Livers ~ Chicken livers are coated with a sesame-studded spicy breading that was just slightly hot enough to entice without being overpowering. Served with fresh cilantro, I pushed those greens aside but Lisa enjoyed that element. I was just happy with the crunch of the exterior which yielded to the tender interior.
• Chicken Gizzard ~ Yet another slightly spicy offering, the gizzards are marinated with bits of red pepper and white and black sesame seeds. Perfectly chewy (the way a gizzard should) with a tangy bite to counter-balance the spice and crunch of the livers.
• Pickles ~ Chef Nick makes his own pickles and these are not to be missed. Not just a palate cleanser, these become an integral part of the meal.
• Minnow ~ Little miniature fish, deep fried and tossed with diced peppers and a chili paste, I was anticipating a mouth-burner, but they were not too hot at all. Lisa particularly enjoyed these little morsels.
• Kimchee ~ Probably one of the hottest offerings, I had to relegate most of this dish to Lisa who has a higher tolerance than I do. I tried a portion and preferred the remnants of the flavors which existed on the sliced zucchini pickles.
• Pig’s Ears ~ Hidden under wafer thin radish slices were ribbons of sliced pig ear. Hands-down the favored dish of the evening, neither Lisa nor I had ever tasted such a uniquely tender preparation. Usually it is the consistency of hard, chewy rubber bands, we were both astonished at how flavorful the thinly sliced ears were but also how delightfully tender.
• Seaweed Salad ~ I purchase a very similar concoction to this at Nijiya market, but what comes pre-made in plastic containers in a grocery store is not nearly as savory and flavorful as this. Uniform slices of seaweed, carrot, and daikon is all lightly dressed and garnished with white and black sesame seeds.
• Eggplant ~  Hidden under bonito flakes and scallion were freshly roasted, seasoned eggplant. This was a favored dish of mine as the saltiness from the bonito countered the sweetness in the eggplant.
• Rice with Fresh Nori ~ My consistent favorite that I usually always save for breakfast.

All of these tiny plates surrounded a giant platter of pork shoulder from Llano Seco Farms. Here the pork is presented as both succulent slabs with heavy rivers of fat to be negotiated in its consumption, but also golden fried chicharrons (fried pork rinds). Served with a rich dark sauce and creamy mayonnaise, we topped the meat with a bit of lime juice. Seared to give just enough to give a dark, rich crust, the interior was tender and moist and while a little difficult to eat with chopsticks, ripping the luscious meat with our teeth was primal and satisfying.

Dessert courses finished out this more-than-ample meal. The waitress behind the counter started opening a half-bottle of pink sake and we were both intrigued. I’m sorry I didn’t get its name, but a few moments later, Chef Nick arrived with a small clay dish of house-made Ume and Coconut sorbet and proceeded to pour the sweet sake over the frozen delight. Almost a palate-cleanser this easily could have happily finished the meal for us, but there was more. Bedecked with birthday candle was a mochi cake and knowing what a Fried Dough Ho I am, a smaller serving of his infamous Seagull Eggs with strawberry jam. The mochi cake gave that classic chewy texture with hints of sweetness and a bit of creamy topping. I love the beignets that Chef Nick produces but believe they are better when made larger and stay fluffier; the smaller versions get a bit tough but are still well-loved by yours’ truly.

The post Nombe first appeared on Feast Blog.

I have become a broken record on the state of Yakitori in San Francisco; you can’t throw a dead cat in any neighborhood of that illustrious city and not hit a Japanese restaurant, yet there is a not a single yakitori establishment anywhere in it’s small confines. Yeah, I have heard of a few in South San Francisco or down on the peninsula, but in San Francisco proper, there is nary formal barbeque utilizing the essential Kishu Binchō-tan, or charcoal wood. This means my occasional trips to Southern California always necessitate a visit to a Yakitori restaurant, of which there are a plethora (go figure). Shin-Sen-Gumi has been my go-to yakitori for years but on the occasion of hitting L.A. for my birthday, old friend and local food writer Richard Foss suggested a new joint he had heard good things about, Izakaya Bincho in Redondo Beach. It was slightly surreal because Redondo was where I called home for almost a decade and left over seven years ago for the wiles of Napa (eventually decamping for San Francisco). Odd to walk the boardwalk, hear the Saturday night mating calls from nearby Naja’s, a local watering hole, and see the changes in a neighborhood I had known so well…

We arrived to this tiny, 24-seat establishment to see “Reserved” signs all over the restaurant. Okay, so it must be popular. Snagging a seat at the bar, we got to watch husband-and-wife team, Tomo and Megumi work the entire restaurant. With strains of industrial shamison music in the background, Tomo is the master of the charcoals and moves with the speed of svelte leopard. Megumi, his wife, elegantly clad in kimono and obi, acts as waitress, hostess, server, and dishwasher. When we indicate that sake will definitely be ordered, Megumi presented us with a basket of glass cups from her refrigerator; pre-chilled, we get to choose which cup we wish to drink from. Of course wanting to eat as many different flavors as possible, we ordered the “Bincho,”  the largest chef’s selection of ten skewers for $25.00. We let Tomo know that challenging meats were definitely acceptable. While Tomo was preparing our skewers, Megumi started us out on our sake as well as some edamame and cabbage salad. He double-checked, “You sure? It is stuff like liver and gizzards…” You betcha, Tomo!  Our skewer selection was as follows:

• Meatball (better than Shin-Sen-Gumi’s!!!! Could it be true?)
• Thigh with leek (I adore leeks)
• Thigh with chopped onions (might have been my favorite chicken dish of the evening; complex and rich and we wanted to eat every single bit of onion after the meat was gone)
• Wings, flattened with a crispy exterior (a tad salty, but tasted great)
• Thigh with cheese (the least successful of the night — well, just plain wrong actually. The grilled meat, dipped in teriyaki sauce, is then topped with a slice of plastic-wrap cheese-like-product until melted)
• Thigh with perilla leaf (complex and elegant)
• Cartilage (deep fried and very fresh tasty with its chewy interior contrasting the light crunchy breading)
• Liver (oh yeah, baby, it is getting good. Even Mr. Rick who is not a liver fan ate more than a single bite)
• Hearts (so tender and interestingly served fileted instead of served whole as I am accustomed to having them served)
• Gizzard (I am giddy at this point)

Knowing we were going to want to taste other bits on the menu, we also ordered the shiitake mushroom skewer which is stuffed with chicken meat and served with ponzu sauce. Another dish was eggplant soup, tender chunks of eggplant fried and served in a rich broth with a ton of green onions and topped with grated pickled daikon radish. This was an incredibly rich, complex soup despite the limited ingredients.

We also ordered a skewer of ginko nuts and a rice ball, but at this point in the evening, the restaurant was packed and it was obvious that Megumi and Tomo were a tad overwhelmed. With a bit of a delay, our meal had settled sufficiently to where we realized we didn’t need more savory. Canceling those last two dishes, I did order dessert, a final skewer of grilled marshmallows. Cheeky and a bit unorthodox, I’m sure. I didn’t care. It was a charming, fun finish to a delightful evening. It might actually make me considering moving back to my old home…

Yakitori Bincho
112 N. International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 376-3889

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