Benu
San Francisco’s modern minimalist marvel
VERIFIED LUXURY
Here are five things to know about us:
1. We verify luxury. Our highly trained inspectors visit every property we rate, evaluating based on up to 900 objective criteria. Our hotel stays span a minimum of two nights.
2. We pay our own way. No one can buy a rating; all ratings are earned through our objective inspection process.
3. Our global team of inspectors are anonymous at all times, so they have the same experience as a typical guest.
4. While we inspect both service and facility, our Star Rating system emphasizes service because your experience at a hotel, restaurant or spa goes beyond looks — how it makes you feel is what you will remember most.
5. We started in1958 as Mobil Travel Guide, and we created the original Five-Star rating system for hospitality.
Five-Star
These properties deliver an outstanding experience and consistently offer a highly customized level of service.
Four-Star
These are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.
Recommended
These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities.
Soon To Be Rated
As our highly trained, incognito inspectors work to assess properties, our editors check them out ahead of time and provide a sneak preview of what to expect.
For diners new to Benu,
it’s hard not to get excited when walking down the San Francisco alley that is
home to chef Corey Lee’s signature restaurant. Anticipation builds as you pass
by a large window showcasing a bustling kitchen filled with smartly dressed
chefs and waitstaff.
Turn the corner and walk
into a quiet Zen courtyard. Instantly it’s as if you’ve been transported to
another world. Little brown packages of meju — dried soybeans used to make soy
sauce and other condiments — hang from the ceiling, blowing slightly in the
wind. Black earthenware crocks for fermentation (called onggi) sit
covered in the yard. From
there, it’s a whirlwind of fine dining at its most dazzling.
Your coat is taken
before being whisked to a table adorned with a gold charger, spoon and set of
chopsticks. A sommelier pours a splash of champagne, and the parade of courses
begins. Each bite is mind-blowingly delicious, leaving you hungry for more.
Getting There
22 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105
TEL415-685-4860