Benu (restaurant)

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Benu
Benu (restaurant)
Restaurant information
Established2010;14 years ago (2010)
Head chef Corey Lee
Food typeAsian-inspired New American
Rating Etoile Michelin-3.svg (Michelin Guide)
AAA Five Diamond Award (2012-2024) [1]
Street address22 Hawthorne Street
City San Francisco
State California
Postal/ZIP Code94105
Country United States
Coordinates 37°47′07″N122°23′57″W / 37.785407°N 122.399112°W / 37.785407; -122.399112
Website www.benusf.com

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]

Contents

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

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 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

See also

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Corey Lee is a Korean-American chef and restaurateur based in San Francisco. In 2014, his flagship restaurant, Benu, became the first in San Francisco to receive three Stars from the Michelin Guide, making Lee the first Korean chef to garner that accolade. In 2019, Benu made its debut on The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Lee is also a two-time James Beard Award winner and a goodwill ambassador to Seoul.

References

  1. ↑ https://newsroom.aaa.com/2023/05/2023-five-four-diamond-lists/ Archived December 18, 2023, at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL ]
  2. ↑ "27 Best Restaurants in San Francisco". Condé Nast Traveler. September 26, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Benu and More in San Francisco". sfinsider.sfgate.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The World's 50 Best Restaurants 1-50". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. William Reed Business Media.
  5. ↑ Odell, Kat (August 6, 2024). "San Francisco's Benu Celebrates a Decade of Three Michelin Stars". Michelin Guide.
  6. 1 2 Goodyear, Dana. "Corey Lee: Wise Chef of the West". Food & Wine. Food & Wine Magazine.
  7. ↑ "Menu". Benu.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Benu: Corey Lee". Phaidon.
  10. ↑ "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)
  11. ↑ Crown Point Press
  12. ↑ "Benu". Phaidon Bookstore. Phaidon. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Benu". Michelin Guide. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  14. ↑ Odell, Kat (August 6, 2024). "San Francisco's Benu Celebrates a Decade of Three Michelin Stars". Michelin Guide.
  15. ↑ "2017 James Beard Award Winners". James Beard Awards. May 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ "2019 James Beard Award Winners". James Beard Awards. May 6, 2019.
  17. ↑ Addison, Bill (November 13, 2018). "America's 38 Essential Restaurants". Eater. Vox Media. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Benu, 2019". Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Benu". The World's 50 Best. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  20. ↑ Gordinier, Jeff (December 27, 2019). "The 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Decade". Esquire. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  21. ↑ "The Most Important Restaurants of the Decade".
  22. ↑ Kester, Jennifer (February 18, 2020). "Forbes Travel Guide Unveils Its 2020 Star Award Winners". Forbes Travel Guide. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  23. ↑ Michael Bauer (December 26, 2012). "Benu, chef-owner Corey Lee rise to 4-star level". San Francisco Chronicle.
  24. ↑ "Benu". AAA. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
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