Foods from Benji's
Comments
2012 Sep 29
When this place opened next to Big Rig Brewpub I was excited to see another Vietnamese option in my general neighbourhood. This is kind of what my wife and I call "upscale Asian" and it's a formula that has not always worked well in Ottawa. (ref/RIP: la Cuisine Pacific Rim
, TJ Pagoda's
) But it *can* work out (ref: Thi Fusion
, Pho Thi Fusion).
The fact is, Ottawans know good Vietnamese food, so an upscale place had better have excellent food if they want to justify charging a higher price. Nice decor is not sufficient justification.
The menu is limited compared to other Vietnamese restaurants and overall the quality is good. Not excellent by any means, but good enough. Prices for main dishes are uniformly $4 higher than you would pay for similar fare on Somerset. That said, if you live in the area and aren't able or willing to drive somewhere else, then Benji's is not a bad place to eat.
The fact is, Ottawans know good Vietnamese food, so an upscale place had better have excellent food if they want to justify charging a higher price. Nice decor is not sufficient justification.
The menu is limited compared to other Vietnamese restaurants and overall the quality is good. Not excellent by any means, but good enough. Prices for main dishes are uniformly $4 higher than you would pay for similar fare on Somerset. That said, if you live in the area and aren't able or willing to drive somewhere else, then Benji's is not a bad place to eat.
2012 Sep 29
I chose the "everything" Pho. Knowing that upscale Vietnamese restaurants have small bowls, I opted for the Large. I believe this went for $12 and it was maybe what would pass as a Medium in most places.
While the overall portion was not generous, there was a lot of meat here. Thumbs up for that! The broth was relatively bland though; this restaurant could not survive as a Pho joint alone.
While the overall portion was not generous, there was a lot of meat here. Thumbs up for that! The broth was relatively bland though; this restaurant could not survive as a Pho joint alone.
2012 Sep 29
The Goi Cuon was pretty good quality, and the shrimp was exceptionally plump. What floored us is that we only received *one* for the $5 we paid. Normally, one pays ~$4 for two of these.
Is it recommended? Yes, but only if you're feeling wealthy.
We went over to IKEA for dessert after, and paid $1.99 for a slice of chocolate almond caramel tart to even out our financial Karma. ;-)
Is it recommended? Yes, but only if you're feeling wealthy.
We went over to IKEA for dessert after, and paid $1.99 for a slice of chocolate almond caramel tart to even out our financial Karma. ;-)
2013 Apr 1
I visited Benji's this past Saturday at lunchtime with my family. It is upscale in décor which is a nice change from most Vietnamese restaurants in town.
They have a lunch menu which consists on soup of the day, one choice among several mains (shrimps and vegetables, general tao, garlic chicken, thai beef and one more dish which I cannot remember) over your choice of steamed rice or vermicelli and a coffee or tea.
I opted for the shrimps and vegetables which did not disappoint. My family members had the General Tao which was sweet and spicy, the garlic chicken which was similar in taste to my dish but with more garlic, and the thai beef. Everyone was happy with their selection. The soup of the day was spicy and sour tom yum shrimp.
We ordered tea to begin and were not charged for it. We still got coffee after the meal. We were sure if the jasmine tea counted or not but it didn't.
Agree that it is a bit more expensive than most similar restaurants but it is a nice change from the usual.
They have a lunch menu which consists on soup of the day, one choice among several mains (shrimps and vegetables, general tao, garlic chicken, thai beef and one more dish which I cannot remember) over your choice of steamed rice or vermicelli and a coffee or tea.
I opted for the shrimps and vegetables which did not disappoint. My family members had the General Tao which was sweet and spicy, the garlic chicken which was similar in taste to my dish but with more garlic, and the thai beef. Everyone was happy with their selection. The soup of the day was spicy and sour tom yum shrimp.
We ordered tea to begin and were not charged for it. We still got coffee after the meal. We were sure if the jasmine tea counted or not but it didn't.
Agree that it is a bit more expensive than most similar restaurants but it is a nice change from the usual.
Ratty