All is Well at Bene

Photo: A warm, intimate interior welcomes guests to Bene

In a city like Macau finding a restaurant with good quality food, decent portions and at a price that won’t break the bank can be a trying task. So when we visited Italian restaurant Bene in the Sheraton we were pleasantly surprised.

Photo: Hanging chandeliers and long curtains give the restaurant a classy feel.

The interior of Bene is open and inviting. Large windows along the side and rear walls of the restaurant make it feel even more open. We especially liked the long hanging translucent curtains that separate the tables along the windows for added privacy. Hanging chandeliers and dark paneled walls give Bene a very classy feel.

The menu is plentiful, offering a wide array of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, meat and seafood dishes as well as traditional Italian desserts. To start is a breadboard with three different types of bread.There is a small loaf with olives, cherry tomatoes and rosemary, breadsticks and thin cracker-like wafers. Be sure not to fill up on bread because the portions are Bene are large to encourage family-style sharing.

The expansive menu is a direct product of Executive Sous Chef Gaetano Palumbo’s philosophy and experience. He has been serving up traditional yet modern Italian cuisine at Sheratons in both Bangkok and Macau since 2006. Prior to that Gaetano gained experience at top Italian eateries in Rome after he received his title of both master Italian chef as well as being a certified sommelier. Born in Sicily, he attributes his love for food and cooking to the community he grew up in. “In Sicily, cooking is a central part of the community and family life.” Gaetano explains. “Growing up in such an environment, I was drawn to cooking from a very young age and have grown even more passionate about food as I have traveled around the world cooking”.

To start off, we tried vitello tonnato (MOP168). Thin layers of roasted, milk-fed French veal loin were topped with a sizable dollop of tuna-caper sauce. The sauce was thick and the saltiness of the capers paired nicely with the veal.

The insalata giulio Cesare (Casear salad MOP98) was up next. A generous portion of romaine lettuce tossed in creamy Caesar dressing with chicken, bacon, slow-cooked egg, capers, shaved parmesan and croutons. While all the dishes we tried at Bene were good, the salad, while a good example of a Casear salad, is just that and we would perhaps recommend being a bit more adventurous, unless you are absolutely craving a Casear salad in which case this will hit the mark.

Next was crema di zucca con capesanta al Parma (butternut pumpkin soup with seared Hokkaido scallop wrapped in Parma ham MOP98). The soup was creamy and sweet and a perfect match to the salty ham-wrapped scallop. The intense flavor of the ham overpowered the buttery scallop a touch.

Photo: The carbonera e Castelmagno is one of Bene's most popular signature dishes

One of Bene’s best selling dishes is the carbonera e Castelmagno (MOP158). It has the traditional ingredients of any pasta carbonara: bacon, egg yolk, parmesan and cream, but comes to the table steaming in a large wheel of Castelmagno cheese. The pasta is tossed in a recess in the wheel, imparting an extra richness. As the dish cooled, the sauce thickened quite a bit (so if you’re a slow eater you may want to pick up the pace). Overall this is a great dish where the freshness of the pasta, which is made daily, comes through.

The second pasta dish we tried was the lasagna al forno (MOP158). A rich beef ragout is layered with perfectly cooked pasta sheets and parmesan. The portion was reasonable, hearty and flavorsome and is the perfect dish for a cold winter night.

The risotto in salsa anatra, fegato grasso e marsala (MOP198) is very rich and is served in a very sizeable portion and is by no means light. Made using carnaroli rice, the risotto was cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of bite. The richly flavored foie gras served on top and the large amount of duck-laced rice combined perfectly with the Marsala wine. Although duck isn’t a favorite of mine, I was surprised how much I liked it. I would definitely order this dish again.

The last entree we tried was my favorite. Brasato di manzo costato al vino rosso, piselli e patate (Piedmont red wine braised beef cheek with roasted potato and green pea sauce MOP228). The beef cheek was incredibly moist and fell apart at the merest touch, so no knife required. I was again surprised at the generous portion of meat, which was accompanied by two roasted potatoes that were topped with tomato and served next to a green pea sauce. The flavors in this dish complimented each other exceptionally well.

For dessert was zuppa di fragole, gelato al parmigiano (warm strawberry soup with parmesan ice cream MOP88). The combination of soup and Parmesan for dessert intrigued me. The ice cream was served on top of crumbled biscuit and topped with slices of fresh strawberry. The warm “soup” was poured over the ice cream at the table. There was no detectible cheese flavor in the gelato (which is probably a good thing) but it was very smooth and creamy. The strawberries were a great match. This is a great alternative to the standard tiramisu and panna cotta.

Bene is a great place to get fantastic Italian food, and with the large portion sizes and reasonable prices, it is somewhere that can be frequented time and time again. Bene also offers a great lunch deal and would be ideal for “Ladies who Lunch” or casual business meetings. For a celebratory birthday, you would be in good company at Bene, as the evening we visited we heard three jaunty birthday tunes being sung throughout the course of our meal. We can’t wait to see what Chef Gaetano has in store for Bene in 2015 and beyond.

Open from 11am to 3pm for lunch and 6pm to 11pm for dinner

www.benemacau.com

For reservations call (853) 8113 1200

*All prices are + 10% service charge

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