Benu (restaurant)
| Benu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2010 |
| Head chef | Corey Lee |
| Food type | Asian-inspired New American |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide)AAA Five Diamond Award (2012-2024)[1] |
| Street address | 22 Hawthorne Street |
| City | San Francisco |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 94105 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 37°47′07″N 122°23′57″W / 37.785407°N 122.399112°W |
| Website | www |
Benu is the first restaurant in San Francisco to have received Three Michelin Stars. Located in the SoMa district, Benu was opened in 2010 by chef Corey Lee, the former Chef de Cuisine at the French Laundry.[2][3]
In 2019, Benu made its debut on The World's 50 Best Restaurants, and in 2024 celebrated ten consecutive years of receiving three Stars.[4][5]
Restaurant
[edit]Corey Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea and moved to the United States at age five.[6] Prior to opening Benu, he was the head chef at The French Laundry, working for Thomas Keller at both The French Laundry and Per Se for a total of nine years.[6]
At Benu, he serves a set tasting menu that features a wide variety of seafood and vegetables, a few meat courses, and some sweets.[7] Lee draws from many different cuisines, including Korean and Cantonese.[8] He states that “Benu is open to the influence of all different kinds of cultures. We have Asian influences, of course. We have Western influences. We have influences that are technique-driven. Some are flavor-driven. Some are ingredient-driven. But it accepts all those things and it defines the kind of food we serve.”[9]
In addition to the tasting menu, Benu offers an optional beverage pairing that includes beer, wine, and sake.
Benu is housed on the ground floor of a historic building that dates the back to 1922–originally the headquarters of the San Francisco Newspaper Company.[10] Crown Point Press, an art studio, gallery, and bookstore, now owns the building and resides directly above the restaurant.[11]
In 2015, Phaidon published Benu–a collection of recipes and essays that explores the restaurant's food, influences, and collaborators–with forewords by Thomas Keller and David Chang,[12] designed by Julia Hasting.
Awards and honors
[edit]- Three Michelin Stars[13]
- Ten Years of Three Michelin Stars, 2024[14]
- Best Chef: West, James Beard Foundation, 2017[15]
- Outstanding Wine Program, James Beard Foundation, 2019[16]
- Eater 38 Icon (Named one of America's 38 Essential Restaurants for five consecutive times)[17]
- Entered the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, 2019[18]
- Ranked 28th in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, 2021[19]
- The 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Decade, Esquire[20]
- The Most Important Restaurants of the Decade, Food & Wine[21]
- 5 Stars, Forbes Travel Guide[22]
- 4 Stars, San Francisco Chronicle[23]
- Five Diamond Award, AAA[24]
Gallery
[edit]-
barbecued quail -
mussels stuffed with glass noodles and fine vegetables -
hoshigaki
See also
[edit]- List of Michelin starred restaurants
- List of Michelin 3-star restaurants in the United States
- List of New American restaurants
- List of Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California
References
[edit]- ^ https://newsroom.aaa.com/2023/05/2023-five-four-diamond-lists/ [bare URL]
- ^ "27 Best Restaurants in San Francisco". Condé Nast Traveler. September 26, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ "Benu and More in San Francisco". sfinsider.sfgate.com. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ "The World's 50 Best Restaurants 1-50". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. William Reed Business Media.
- ^ Odell, Kat (August 6, 2024). "San Francisco's Benu Celebrates a Decade of Three Michelin Stars". Michelin Guide.
- ^ a b Goodyear, Dana. "Corey Lee: Wise Chef of the West". Food & Wine. Food & Wine Magazine.
- ^ "Menu". Benu.
- ^ Lam, Francis (June 8, 2015). "The Line Between Tradition and Innovation: An Afternoon with Benu's Corey Lee". The Breadcrumb Trail. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Benu: Corey Lee". Phaidon.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Crown Point Press
- ^ "Benu". Phaidon Bookstore. Phaidon. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ^ "Benu". Michelin Guide. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Odell, Kat (August 6, 2024). "San Francisco's Benu Celebrates a Decade of Three Michelin Stars". Michelin Guide.
- ^ "2017 James Beard Award Winners". James Beard Awards. May 1, 2017.
- ^ "2019 James Beard Award Winners". James Beard Awards. May 6, 2019.
- ^ Addison, Bill (November 13, 2018). "America's 38 Essential Restaurants". Eater. Vox Media. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Benu, 2019". Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ "Benu". The World's 50 Best. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Gordinier, Jeff (December 27, 2019). "The 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Decade". Esquire. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ "The Most Important Restaurants of the Decade".
- ^ Kester, Jennifer (February 18, 2020). "Forbes Travel Guide Unveils Its 2020 Star Award Winners". Forbes Travel Guide. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ Michael Bauer (December 26, 2012). "Benu, chef-owner Corey Lee rise to 4-star level". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Benu". AAA. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
