Japanese Cuisine On The Harbor
By Danny & Amandar / foodie@longislandernews.com

With the harbor in the distance, Northport’s Benkei offers creative Japanese cuisine with tradition, balance and freshness in mind and provides a soothing atmosphere to take it all in.

Our host Sam, who’s owned Benkei for three years now, is a Korean émigré who trained in the art of crafting sushi at Huntington-area Japanese restaurants. You’ll see him behind the well-stocked sushi bar, chopping fresh ingredients and rolling them to order. With a focus on providing authentic Japanese cuisine, the deep menu offers dozens of sushi rolls, some of which draw inspiration and flavors from corners of the world you might not expect.

With soft music playing, Benkei’s ambiance, created by earth tones, wood trim, dark tables and bamboo at each table, is soothing, making this a top choice for an intimate date night. Amidst the calm, there’s a bit of whimsy on the walls thanks to artwork created by one of the waiters. Sam said he hopes to make the cozy dining room a gallery to showcase local artists.

Like the atmosphere, one thing you’ll likely notice about the cuisine is how well-balanced the plates are. Flavors complement each other and don’t overwhelm, serving to highlight the fresh ingredients. Benkei’s irresistible yellowtail appetizer ($10) combines the sweet flavors of miso yuzu sauce with a kick from thinly sliced jalapeno peppers and cilantro.

Tuna lovers should check out flash-seared, thinly sliced Tuna Carpaccio ($9) in a white pepper sauce with a hint of horseradish. We devoured the shrimp asparagus rolls ($10), which are dressed in a garlic butter sauce and served up hot, crunchy and delicious.

Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura ($18), combining flash-fried shrimp, yams, string beans, broccoli and eggplant, is lightly breaded, soothing finger food that warmed us right up on a blustery winter day. Lovers of spicy sushi will be right at home with the fresh and stimulating Sunny Roll ($12.50), a crunchy tuna roll topped with spicy tuna and crab salad, a combination that gave us everything we like about sushi in one dish.

For a great closer, look no further than Banana Teem ($6) on the dessert menu. Flash-fried bananas, scoops of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, and topped with a chocolate drizzle. It will melt in your mouth from the first spoonful.

In addition to adding more art to the dining room, Sam’s working on a new menu he’ll be unveiling in the coming weeks. He also plans to add Japanese-style cocktails and top-shelf wine to Benkei’s already impressive sake list. If you’ve not been here in a while, it’s definitely time to plan a return visit.

Benkai
16 Woodbine Ave., Northport Village
(631) 262-7100
Atmosphere: Calm and peaceful
Price Range: moderate Hours: Closed Monday; Lunch: Noon-2:30 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday; Dinner: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5-10:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday, 5-9 p.m. Sunday