Sunset casting golden light over dark ocean with a silhouetted island and scattered clouds.

BENU

From San Francisco to Jeju Island, Korea

White hardcover book titled 'benu' by corey lee with black minimalist lines and embossed publisher name Phaidon.

You might be surprised to hear Corey Lee describe the food at Michelin three-star Benu as “fusion,” without a hint of irony. Whatever he calls it, his singular blend of Korean and Cantonese traditions with laser-focused fine-dining technique has made the tasting menu one of the great dining experiences in the world. You might also be surprised that a chef known for control and precision would choose to work with a photographer who does some of his best work improvising on the fly. I was. This project took us from his San Francisco restaurant to Jeju Island, where I spent a once-in-a-lifetime day freediving with the Haenyeo. Corey knew what he was doing all along.

Small dark bowl with creamy soup and a half clam shell on a white plate over a dark wooden surface.
Open cookbook showing a page with text about a thousand-year-old quail egg dish and a photo of a plated dish with a small bowl containing a quail egg in creamy broth on a white circular plate.
Open book with a recipe titled 'monkfish liver, seaweed, onion juice, citrus' on the left page and a plated gourmet dish on the right page on a dark wooden surface.
Open book showing text titled 'jasmine chicken and dates' on the left page and a dish with sliced chicken and berries on a blue-patterned plate on the right page.
Open book showing a nighttime street view of a brick building with warmly lit windows and visible interior activity.
Open cookbook displaying a page titled 'salt and pepper squid' with text on the left and a dark plate with a modern squid dish on the right.
Gourmet dish with a round yellow custard or mousse, garnished with green and purple leafy vegetables and drops of sauce, served on a white plate on a dark wooden table.
Square slice of layered terrine with pink and beige meats, garnished with small green leaves, mustard-colored dots, thin vegetable rings, and a carrot curl on a black plate.
Sliced pale pink sashimi-style fish arranged in a curved row on a white plate with blue floral patterns, garnished with small red spheres.
Small gourmet dessert with an orange translucent wrapper and cream topping served on a decorative black pedestal inside a large white plate.
Four slices of brown bread and a small dish of honeycomb on a wooden tray next to a tall glass of herbal tea with ginseng root.
Elegant white flower-shaped ceramic bowl with a gourmet dish topped with finely sliced herbs and spices on a dark wooden surface.
Elegant white bowl on a matching plate with a lid in the background, containing a broth with thin strands of garnish.

In faux-shark-fin soup, Corey mimics a prized texture while showing that you don't have to do harm to carry on tradition

Transparent jellyfish floating inside a glass jar filled with water against a dark background.
Top view of a floral patterned bowl with tea and ice cubes garnished with small purple flowers on a wooden surface.
Black textured crisp topped with white dollops, green leaves, and yellow garnish on a black plate against a dark background.
Close-up of a textured triangular piece of dark chocolate with crumbs on a black surface, next to a shiny black object.
Night view of a brick building with large windows showing chefs working inside a warmly lit kitchen.
Group of chefs in white uniforms standing on a rooftop with city skyscrapers in the background.
Large cargo ship with Chinese flag sailing in harbor with city skyscrapers and cloudy sky in the background.

The book juxtaposes the studied perfection of Corey's food with real world grit

A young man in a white shirt sitting alone on a wooden bench inside a dimly lit ferry, looking out the window.
Two divers wearing traditional diving suits on a boat at sea with waves and rocky outcrop in the background.
Female divers in black wetsuits preparing for sea diving with orange buoys in a calm coastal area with rocky hills.
Underwater photo of a person in a wetsuit and orange vest holding a blue net basket.
Elderly female diver in a black wetsuit carrying a large bundle of seaweed on her back near the water.
Open book showing text about 'haenyo,' female divers of Jeju Island, and a photo of an older woman in scuba gear carrying a net of seaweed on her back.
Open book showing a photograph of haenyeo divers in wetsuits with goggles and orange flotation buoys in coastal waters near rocky cliffs.
Open book with a photo of a snorkeler underwater next to a fishing net or cage.
Open book showing a photo of a person in a wetsuit with goggles standing on a boat at sea with waves and a rocky island in the background.
Open book showing a two-page underwater photograph of a diver in a wetsuit working among seaweed and ropes with water bubbles above.
Rows of traditional large dark ceramic jars with lids, some topped with stones or bricks, surrounded by grass and small wildflowers.

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