béni - Surprises and Blessings all rolled into one

Since I had passed my N5 Japanese Proficiency Test, I immediately knew “beni” means red in Japanese when I passed by this restaurant in Mandarin Gallery—that was when I took note of this establishment. And I found out later that it means blessings in French. Nice wordplay, I must say. And the name actually embodies what the food here is all about. There is an element of surprise hidden in each dish, and this surprise is like the colour red: bold and striking. Enveloping these surprises is bliss in tangible form that feel like blessings.

The posh interior of the restaurant takes on a pretty unique concept with the open kitchen being right in front of the counter seats. Really, the action is right before my eyes. The kitchen crew is unbelievably disciplined and committed to preparing the dishes. They go about doing their thing without much of a sound, saved for the occasional instructions from head chef. So unless one wants to have some private dining space, getting the counter seats will be nice for gaining some insight on how the food is prepared. And oh, I got to say that I love the beautiful crystal-like napkin holder and spoon rest. These little things add a touch of elegance to the place.

Like with all French meals, bread is first served, and it is one of the best breads I have in restaurants. In fact, it is on par with those of Odette and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Served warm, the buttery goodness packed into the thin sheets of dough in the croissant rendered this bread to be good enough to be eaten on its own. When eaten with French butter and a dab of seaweed sea salt, it is pure indulgence. Mini baguette and bread with sun-dried tomatoes are oh-so-good also.

Amuse-bouche of the day is one of the best oysters I ever have. Instead of soaking the oyster in condiments with strong flavours like we always do with raw oysters—I am absolutely guilty of it, Chef Yamanaka opts to let the sweet briny flavours of the fresh raw oyster stand out on its own, with the accompanying creamy vegetable foam accentuating the flavours. Sea water jelly and just a dot of mignonette are added for that extra kick to the taste. This dish says it all about my love for oysters.

Salmon Confit is a pretty dish that does pretty well to keep the expectations there after the amazing amuse-bouche. The salmon and salmon roe feature strong flavours that are tamed and refined by the subtly sweet Japanese butterhead sauce and an interesting ensemble of thinly sliced carrots—3 types of them— and a variety of radishes. The root vegetables add a refreshing element to the dish, and I suggest to eat them together with the salmon.

Next is the mushroom cream with truffle royale hidden underneath. Just when I thought the oyster will be the best dish of this meal, this cold appetizer comes in to fight for the top spot. It is served cold, and without the heat as distraction, I can fully appreciate the silky texture of the custard and the rich, complex earthy flavours of the truffle and the different types of mushrooms used. The little surprise comes in the form of the incredibly tiny croutons and drops of oil. These incorporate small bursts of excitement into the taste and texture. I never know mushroom soup can be this good, until now.

The scallop that comes up next is the biggest scallop I have seen, and it tastes very good due to great preparation, the truffle dressing and celeriac puree. About forty percent cooked, the scallop is soft and chewy, easy to cut. And the nutty overtones of pureed root vegetable, celeriac, adds complexity to the overall taste without eclipsing the sweet, delicate flavours of the scallop. With decadent truffle dressing drizzled over them, the complexity of the taste is mind-blowing.

I personally feel that it is not easy to prepare fishes, and not every top-notch restaurants can get it right for their fish mains. Well, chef Yamanaka has the Amadai from Kyoto prepared in quite a different way, and it works. Instead of being pan-seared to get that coveted taste of charred meat, the amadai here, without a crust of char, showcases the clean taste and smooth texture of the tilefish. The extra dimensions in taste come from luxurious, umami rich, lobster sauce and three types of mushrooms, including the rare porcini, which is mycorrhizal, meaning it only grows in certain specific environment. The crispy scales may look monstrous, but it adds an interesting texture to the dish. And it is a nice departure from the usual rubbery fish skin. I usually have difficulty finishing the fish skin but not the fish here.

Mont Blanc is the perfect dessert to end this meal. I always love the nutty and earthy flavours of Japanese chestnuts, and this place takes it further and makes it more luxurious by adding lemon meringue chip, whisky ice-cream and macadamia nuts sautéed with honey and butter. I love the macadamia nuts because they are so crunchy and flavourful. And yes, it complements the Japanese chestnut cream very well. It had been a while since my visit to Robuchon where I had a dessert that made me swoon in delight. This dessert does it for me.

The petit fours are good also, with the one that has smooth, rich pistachio cream being exceptional, I also like the gold flake on it. And this is the surprise of the petit fours.

By the way, the champagne actually tastes sweeter with the food.

Service is very professional and all the staffs are very knowledge. It is a nice touch that the head chef serves up some of the dishes. This is going the extra mile. It will be perfect if they have a service staff assigned to look out for any patrons in need of anything.

I love how Japanese quality produce is used in these French dishes. It creates something different yet remains grounded in its French roots. I love all the dishes to the bits. I can say this is the best restaurant I have visited in 2018.

My Thoughts: Amazing, amazing, amazing

Nearest car park: Mandarin Orchard Hotel's car park, or Ngee Ann City's car park
Nearest MRT: Orchard

333A Orchard Road
#02-37 Mandarin Gallery
Singapore
Contact No: 91593177