Ben's 1615 - Dine and Dish??

**** Ben's has closed

Ya' know, I'm not really good at all these "blogging event" kind of things - except if Reid or Alan asks me to do something. After all, they may "know somebody, who knows somebody, who knows somebody, who's related to me". Maybe I'm really a "Flakey-flake" like Professor Salt says! LOL! But when I saw the subject of the most Delicious Sarah's Dine & Dish no. 5 - Asian Persuasion, I thought I had it made. After all, a good 70% of what I post is "Asian", and even more amazing I'm Asian! And so is the Missus! But of course, I have a bad habit of not being able to follow my instructions; so I had to ask Sarah if I could do Filipino:

Kirk said... Sarah - Is Filipino OK?

kirk: ANYTHING asian...though i will be honest i may have to check with some filipina friends because i've never been quite sure if filipino is asian. but no FUSION!!
(did i mention i have very strong feelings about asian "f*ew*sion"? LOL!)

Okay, I screwed up again! I ended up eating at a Filipino-Fusion Restaurant, and no it's not Yi Cuisine in LA. This one is called Ben's 1615 and is located in National City:

Located on Sweetwater Road, Ben's is owned by a local Physician and offers a variety of Filipino, and Fusion Filipino dishes. The restaurants decor is a definitive Southeast ASIAN, featuring bright colors and clean lines. There's even a "waterfall fountain". The menu is varied and divided into separate sections featuring Soups, Salads, Pasta(???), and Traditional Filipino "Favorites".

So after looking over the menu, we made our decisions, and were served these "buns", that really looked like.....well, you know!

Actually these pseudo-Pan De Sal, were nice and warm, but really just plain.

But if there was any doubt; that this was Asian food, this pretty much answered all questions for me.  A true monument to all that is Asian! The great pyramid of rice:

At sunset no less! This monument to rice came as part of  the Crispy Pata($13.75) that the Missus ordered. For those that don't know what Crispy Pata is; in short, it's a stewed pork leg(pata), that is then deep fried.

In this case, the "pata" is actually removed from the bone and chopped, much like lechon kawali. This actually decreased the "pork-fat" guilt. The lechon pata was fried to a perfect crisp and was alot milder in flavor and less greasy then the "normal" pata. I really don't know if I consider it more refined, but it was definitely alot milder in flavor. A ramekin of tasty adobo-like sauce(not quite lechon sauce) was provided for dipping as well.

I ordered the Chicken Pandan($8.50):

There were three large chunks of chicken, marinated in coconut milk, lemon grass, and sesame oil, then wrapped in Pandan leaves and deep fried. The chicken was very moist, with a nice crust developed from the frying, and a very pleasant mild flavor. The only item that didn't belong was the lousy sweet chili sauce. Adding the overly sweet sauce to any of the mildly flavored courses would just mask any flavor. The Missus actually enjoyed the chicken alot more then the pata, but the tastes and presentation left us a bit intrigued, and we'll be back to try other dishes.

Some Notes: As with many "fusion" type dishes "your mileage may vary", I've heard that there are some real "clunkers" on the menu. Specifically, I've heard from more then one person that the Pasta dishes are borderline terrible. Especially the "adobo-pesto's" .  I've also heard that the "bar" upstairs serves up some pretty good eats (specifically the "spicy seafood").

I don't know if this will qualify for Sarah's Dine & Dish, but I need to send some "gratitude" her way - especially for always being a good sport! LOL Sarah!

Ben's 1615
1615 Sweetwater Road
National City, CA 91950

Comments

[clare eats]

hahah

Well I think you managed to avoid the "fewsion" :P dishes, so surely that counts in your favour?

BTW u r soooo cheeky

[Kirk]

Hi Clare - You mean cheeky like those rolls...LOL! Time will tell, if I make the cut.

[noromdiam]

The place gets an A for decor. The pictures and description fo the food are appetizing, makes me want to go despite the YMMV factor.

[Jo]

OH MY GOSH! YOUR ASIAN!?!?! WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN??? ::smiles sweetly:: I guess the Magic Mic should have made me suspicious huh? ::wink:: ANYway, the crispy pata would definately be my dish of choice. I'm going to have to give that a shot when (if!) we have piggys of our own. Mills gave me "Culinaria Spain" for Christmas (early so it could be read and safely packed before departure). There are tons of pata recipes there as well. By the way, how the heck can you avoid fusion with Asian cuisine? After learning about Korean and Vietnamese cuisines in particular, it seems that everything laps over everywhere. Much like Euro, American and South American cuisines.

[Kirk]

Hi Norodiam - The decor is very nice, and if you've never had Filipino Food before this might be a nice intro. Te food as a whole is much lighter then standard Filipino fare.

Hi Jo - I've just started reading some of Penelope Casas's books, and am learning alot about the Cuisine of Spain. Your exactly right, where would Korea be without the Chili Pepper from Portugal, like wise Japanese food without tempura, introduced by the same. The more you look into things, the more you see influences and similarities....

[Pam]

adobo pesto??? hmm, i dunno. but those "buns" cracked me up!!!

[Jo]

Yup, the chili pepper is a perfect example. Native only to South American climes, the plant has only been in Portugal a few hundred years. Same goes for tomatoes & potatoes. Yet what would Korean cuisine be without this staple? Better question might be, what WAS Korean cuisine before the chili? Considering that red chili is sold in HUGE bags in Korean markets... The only thing more boggeling for me to contimplate than food history over the last 500 years is how language developed...

[Kirk]

Hi Pam - Very graphic "buns"....:o)

Hi Jo - I still kid my friends who enjoy "second generation Chinese food(Italian)" all the time!

[Jo]

::laughing:: About the only thing that is really "Italian" about spaghetti is the meat!

[Reid]

Hi Kirk,

I like pandan chicken and haven't made it in a while. Your post reminded me that I should...thanks!

[Kirk]

Hi Jo - And oregano????

Hi Reid - Can't wait for the post!

[milgwimper]

A lot of the kimch they think were spiced with chinese peppercorns, but when the Portugues introduced the Capiscum sp. pretty much that was the cats meow. ;)

[Jo]

Oregano is a weed found all over southern Europe AND the Americas. Maybe even more far flung than that. Heck, ALL herbs are weeds for that matter, even onions. I'm not sure that qualifies it as being of a particular nationality or not. Greek & Mexican cuisine both use it pretty heavily as well as Spanish. ::shrugs:: I'm not gonna say yes or no on this one. What I will say is this: 1 t. of oregano is supposed to have more anti-oxidant umph than a serving of berries. So, "shut up kids and eat your herbs!"

[Jack]

This place is on my list to return to. I'll stick to something more traditional on my next trip! I wonder if this place gets rockin later in the evening?

[Kirk]

Hi Mills - I'd say it's bit more then the "cat's meow"!!!

Hi Jo - But it's not Chinese!

Hey Jack - Hope you're feeling better. I heard the bar upstairs serves pretty good food, and something about a certain type of San Miguel???

[Jo]

Really? Are you certain?

[Kirk]

Hi Jo - I know the Chinese use it as a herbal remedy, but not in cooking.....

[milgwimper]

Jo,

The Mexican oregano is actually related to lemon verbena than in the Origanum sp. where most of the italian and the mediterranean/asian oregano belongs.

[Jo]

::rolls eyes laughing:: Mills, you are just way to smart for me! ;o)

[Greecelavarias 2000]

im wondering if there is a karaoke? Especially tagalog songs?/ hehhe...