Monsieur Benjamin is a MUST TRY for date night!

FINALLY!!!!!!

I’ve been searching for a dinner restaurant worth blogging about.

(I’m not slacking guys, I promise! I’ve just been eating at not-so-blog worthy places. It’s tiring and fattening lol)

Monsieur Benjamin is a real winner. By the end of the meal, I was in heaven.

I haven’t been this impressed with a French meal in SF since…  The French Laundry?? <– I know, super cliché. But when I heard that Corey Lee was the man behind Monsieur B, I knew it was going to be epic.

Some background: Basically, he’s been killing it lately. His other restaurant, Benu, was awarded with THREE Michelin stars this year. And he’s worked at The French Laundry under Thomas Keller for quite some time before venturing off.

So anyways, if you guys are ever looking for a hip, new, classy date-night restaurant & bar serving up some of the best French bistro dishes, then this is your place.

The vibe is casual-chic, with a bustling bistro feel and an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs meticulously work their magic.

Their menu is divided into 6 sections from small plates to appetizers to main courses and sides. With over 40 items to choose from, I sampled as much as I humanly could in one sitting.

For appetizers:

+ You must try the foie gras ($27), which melts in your mouth like buttah. It was a tender slab of pure fat, beautifully seared and served over a fresh bed of lentils and leeks. The recent ban on duck liver made this especially enjoyable, although my vegetarian friends would probably condemn me for enjoying it so much.

+ The frog legs (12.50) were also a huge surprise. The sound of it freaked me out, but the taste was too good to resist. The fried legs are glazed in a sweet & sour sauce, with hints of garlic and lemon.

+ The mussels ($16)… OMG the mussels. I don’t even like mussels. The broth it was simmered in is very flavorful and rich with hints of garlic. It comes as a huge portion and is definitely big enough to share among friends.

+ The bone marrow ($18). Holy Cow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such huge chunks of bone marrow before.

PS: this is the only pic of the appetizers I’m going to show you guys. I was sitting in really bad lighting & had to use my iphone light for this pic. LOOK at how big these things are:

Side: I couldn’t stand having awful #foodpics, so I politely asked the waitress to put the rest of our food at the VERY well-lit bar counter. (and yes, this is real life lol)

SO moving onto the entrees:

The quail ($32) – was phenomenal and super moist with a crispy outer layer. It arrives beautifully presented on a bed of cooked savoy cabbage. Once you slice through the crisp skin of the bird’s puffed breasts, you’ll find an herb infused sausage patty that oozes out flavorful juices to the tender quail meat below.

And yes, it tastes as amazing as it sounds.

The sauce server is a mixture of quail drippings and vin jaune added a mild sweetness to the dish.

The second most impressive dinner entree of the night is the steak frites ($42). The steak was cooked perfect to a medium rare with a nice sear. And honestly? I think it was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had (which is saying A LOT ). If you’re undecided on what to order here, you’ll never go wrong with this dish. Every bite practically melted in my mouth with minimal chewing.

Sooo. To sum it all up:

Monsieur B. is a hip new restaurant & bar in Hayes Valley serving traditional French bistro dishes with seasonal ingredients using modern techniques. Come here for date night, girls night, basically… any night for an awesome bite. 

PS: they also open late… till 1 AM.

Yeah. You’re welcome.

XOXO.

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