Benemon — Restaurant in New York

Food: Everything I had was absolutely delicious! For appetizers, you can't go wrong. The edamame were spiced just right--not over salted as is often the case. Best shrimp tempura I have ever had. It was incredibly airy and satisfying, with a delicious tempura sauce. As good as the appetizers were, the donburi stole the show! I had the Nanban Don and once again the spicing stood out. The tempura chicken was perfectly spiced with a very savory sauce. I usually don't order much fried food because I always feel like I want to curl up in a ball and die afterwards. However, here, I was really impressed with how the chef was able to impart the delicious texture and flavor that frying gives, without over-doing it and leaving me feeling bad afterwards.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere was great. I was with a large group, but this would be a perfect spot for a date! The music was a great eclectic mix of R&B, jazz, and smooth hip hop. I really liked the lighting as it was a soft yellow. Nice exposed brick wall and beautiful woodwork throughout the restaurant. I actually had a chance to talk to the manager and found out that he made all of the wooden benches in the restaurant. Everything seemed very well thought out and cohesive and was trendy, but not over the top as is far too often the case. Very intimate, but not too loud, which is a difficult balance to strike.

Service: The service was also very good. Since I hadn't been to Benemon before I asked the server what dishes was his favorite and he offered great recommendations and clearly was well versed in the menu.

Overall: I can't recommend Benemon enough, especially for the price. I will definitely be going back, and am excited to try the rest...

Made a resso for 7 pm on a Thursday for me, my sister, and brother-in-law. Looks like we didn't need even need one. Although the place is small, it still wasn't even half full.

I've been wanting to try Benemon for a while since it has such great reviews on Yelp. They also marketed themselves as 'Japanese comfort food', which I thought would be a nice change of pace from all the sushi and ramen places out there. While I'm sure the dishes on their menu probably are considered comfort food, it wasn't very comforting because it wasn't very good.

To start, we had the karaage fried chicken. It was super oily so I was only able to stomach one piece.

For my entree, I went with the pork katsu curry. The pork cutlet was actually perfectly fried. I tend to stay away from pork chops and cutlets for that very reason, but I decided to take a risk and I was pleasantly surprised. What I wasn't pleasantly surprised by was the curry. It was really salty and sour, like they had put too much vinegar in there.

I tried a bite of chicken from my sister's oyako don (grilled chicken, onions, scallions and eggs cooked in a rich soy sauce broth) and wasn't a fan. It seemed like a pretty small portion. The chicken also had that old leftover taste, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that the portion was small.

Nothing else on the menu really appealed to me and of the dishes that I did try, I didn't like it that much so I doubt I would come back. I haven't seen a lot of places that boast Japanese comfort food, so I guess I'll just have to keep searching for one that I...

Benemon serves up modern Japanese small plates + comfort dishes in the East Village.

modern Japanese-toned interior--warm wood interior. medium-sized open airy space with a good amount of natural light with softer interior lighting. there's plenty of seating in terms of groups of two as well as a couple of larger tables tucked in the back. there is small bar (beer, wine, sake, etc.) that is centered in the space. a casual eatery great for small group dinners, date nights, and relaxed business meals.

the food? really good. good portions. competitive prices. the menu is a variety of shareable small plates as well as entree-sized rice bowls.

the karaage is Japanese fried chicken chunks. crunchy bites of savory chicken. the dipping sauce is spicy mayo. it comes together nicely as a dish when you want something fried but not oily. $8

the fried potatoes tossed with anchovies, garlic, and mozzarella is an interesting tapas-styled dish. think Japanese-styled patatas bravas

the pork curry katsu is a rice bowl dish. an island of Japanese white rice. a sea of Japanese curry. and a fried breaded sliced pork cutlet. it is an ample serving and will slay most HANGRY appetites! $15

there a variety of beers, wines, and sakes in terms of adult beverages.

the service is friendly and fast. definitely ask the servers here if you are unfamiliar with Japanese eats. Benemon gets quite busy in the evening, so there may be waits for dinner.

drops mic cuz chopstickin'...