Benten Tenjin Area

As you pass though Benten's 400 year-old wooden gates, relics of a former temple, you step into a sumptuous world reminiscent of the film "Memoirs of a Geisha." The decor evokes images of an Edo-era festival; the dining room is soaked in rich reds and scattered with period furniture, with a central tableau featuring a small, flowing stream spanned by a bridge. Somewhat surprisingly, in stark contrast to this wabi-sabi interior, the background music is soft Dixieland Jazz, which reinforces the retro feel but gives the space an upbeat mood. The menu is no less surprising, featuring the seasonal selection of "World Dishes: Jibie." Jibie is the Japanese restaurant term for game, and Benten's diners can savour the rich taste of such items as rabbit with an assortment of autumn vegetables (780 yen) or wild boar croquettes (580 yen). Chicken thighs cooked lightly in yuzugosho paste (880 yen) make a fine selection for more familiar fare. Keep an eye out for the four original varieties of soy sauce available, for example, matsutake mushroom sauce served with barracuda, or liver sauce served on saury. The menu is filled out with many familiar, home-style dishes such as sashimi, agemono, and nabemono, all served with exquisite attention to detail. Benten's food is creative, delicious, and very affordable, and the interior and ambience is simply other-worldly; an ideal place to bring friends and family from overseas, but be warned that the menu is only in Japanese.

Ceasar Salad 680 yen, Chef's Shrimp 'n' Mayonnaise 630 yen, Zaru Tofu 480 yen,
free-range chicken salad 630 yen, shochu 380yen~ , draft beer 480 yen
17:00 ~ 02:00 - (Fri., Sat., and days before nat. hol. ~ 04.00 / Sun ~ 24:00)

Last updated September 2006