BenBu is one of those best kept secret places that isn’t so secret. Although no one seems to know about it, it is always filled with diners from all walks of life. Our last visit had an older artist set up near the window while he sketched patrons onto gessoed canvases. He was a bit of a character and I think more of an attention seeker than artist, but typical for the place.
We tend to go here a fair bit, as the sushi and sashimi is excellent and modestly priced for the quality. You could do cheaper at the Sushi Train, but not by much. The staff is friendly, although service is pretty much relegated to when you can get someone’s attention. That’s not unusual for dining in Sydney, so not really a criticism.
Typically we’ll start with an appetizer of Yaki-Gyōza (Pan-fried Pork Dumplings) or Edamame and a pot of Genmaicha (green tea with roasted brown rice). Occasionally we’ll splurge on our palates a bit and get the Rolling Prawn, which is a fried prawn wrapped in potato noodle – simple and extremely delicious, almost like a tempura batter but a bit more substantial.
Rolling Prawn, wrapped in Potato Noodle and Fried
For a main, we’ve become partial to the Sushi and Sashimi Platter which consists of an assortment of daily fish and some Tuna Maki. The fish is always extremely fresh and the portions are cut perfectly for mouth size. I like the Unagi Nigiri (Grilled Eel Sushi, which tastes a bit too fishy for Angela), so I eat that as my treat and Angela gets the Tamago (Sweet Egg Omelette over rice, wrapped in Nori). It is tempting to just get a large combo platter and be done with it, but there is lots of great food at BenBu it is hard to stick with what you know is good. But it is always good to explore the menu a bit and we’ve found a few more favourites.
Sushi and Sashimi, with Tuna Maki
You can never go wrong with the Maki, especially the Crunch Prawn Roll (Tempura Prawn wrapped in seaweed and rice, with a hint of mayonnaise). The Spicy Tuna Roll is named appropriately. Hot, but flavourful. It demands a cold beer to be within arms reach, but the combo is superb.
Our newest favourite is the Fish Katsu Don (Katsu comes from cutlet and Don from the word for rice bowl). Katsu Don (alternatively katsudon) is usually made from Pork, Chicken or Fish. The Fish Katsu Don at BenBu is a batter-fried fillet that is mixed with egg just before serving over rice. The egg creates a loose omelette holding the whole dish together. Wonderfully filling, this is what I would imagine Japanese would consider “comfort food”. We tend to share one with another main, but realistically it would be enough for two of us with an entrée. Of course we never do that and end up way too full. Happy, but full.
Fish Katsu Don, with Nori garnish
We’re not sure what “BenBu” means, but it likely is a reference to “banbu” or bamboo in Japanese, as the decor evokes this motif. Regardless, BenBu is a great little place tucked along Stanely St in Darlinghurst. It is moderately priced, but the quality is high. Obviously popular with the regulars, but you may have missed this gem if you don’t frequent the area. Easily one of our favourite restaurants in the city.
BenBu
Entrées $6 – $9
Mains $9 – $22
BYO, Corkage $2 per person
Location:
80 Stanley Street
East Sydney 2010
Ph: (02) 9358 3415
I have benefited from growing up in Tampa by being exposed to wonderful Cuban cuisine. It has been a great treat to be able to share this with friends from time to time. And since we had some time, we invited some friends over for a dinner party with a Cuban inspired meal.
It’s not easy to find everything you need, as some of the ingredients simply aren’t available. For example, we’ve never seen a single plantain in the whole time we’ve lived here, not even at the Paddy’s Market. Also, our previously reliable standby, Vigo yellow rice mix, is not available. So we have to actually make the yellow rice from scratch.
However, there are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables all the time. The tomatoes and limes came in bulk from the Paddy’s Market, an enormous, crowded greenmarket kind of like the Haymarket in Boston. It’s not a farmer’s market per se, so there aren’t organics or anything like that. It’s all family-run stalls selling wholesale products. The quality can be hit or miss. You can end up with a great bargain, or you can equally end up with a bag full of fruit that starts rotting two days later. On the whole, however, it’s a better selection than the supermarket.
It all starts with peeling garlic for the mojo sauce. The mojo is kind of like a garlic-lime vinaigrette that is used to dress everything. In Cuba, it is kept on the table as a condiment.
The mojo is made with ample amounts of freshly minced garlic. Normally one would use a mortar and pestle to grind the garlic into a paste with seasalt. We don’t have a lot of kitchen equipment, so we just make do with a cutting board and chef’s knife. The garlic is briefly simmered in an equally generous amount of hot olive oil and then allowed to cool. This takes the harsh edge off and brings out that gorgeously nutty quality of the cooked garlic. Freshly squeezed lime juice is wisked in until the sauce begins to emulsify. Add salt and cilantro to taste.
Next is to marinate the pork loin in some of the mojo for a few hours. Zest is taken from a few limes to add to the pork marinate.
Cherries have nothing to do with Cuba, as far as I know, but they were in season so I decided they would make a good dessert (which they did).
Watercress and tomatoes. The watercress is dressed with mojo for a delicious green salad with a little bitterness. This is a very simple dish, but gets quite a lot of compliments. Great tasting food should always be this easy!
Frijoles negros (black beans) simmering on the stove. This is a staple for any cuban meal, and stands alone well as a meal by itself with white rice. The black beans have been soaked for about four hours and then simmered with water, bay leaves, cumin, onion, green pepper and garlic, with a generous splash of olive oil. Some people add a tablespoon or two of vinegar towards the end. I prefer mine without.
Arroz con pollo (chicken and yellow rice). Back home we would simply make this with a packet of Vigo yellow rice mix. Here, I start by browning the chicken thighs in a skillet and lining the bottom of the pan with the chicken. Then quickly sauté onions, red peppers, garlic in some olive oil that had been seasoned/colored with annato seeds (achiote). Mix in a couple cups of uncooked white rice and spread this mixture over the chicken legs. Then pour in 4 cups of warm water, in which a generous pinch of saffron has been dissolving. This is how the dish looks after an hour covered in a medium oven.
Finally the piece de resistance. Oven roasted loin of pork, cuban style. The pork had been marinated and then basted in the mojo sauce. At the table it was served with more mojo on the side, so that each person could adjust piquancy, according to taste.
