Location: Manhattan Bldg, Route 16, Dededo
Phone: 649-3849
Hours: Mon-Sat 0700-2330
Sun 0700-2200
Facebook: Ben N Yan's
Price: $8-15
Doug:
I'm back! I missed the last installment of 5 Guys at the Mermaid Tavern due to taking some time off in Japan, where I had the opportunity to eat some great food, even Horse Sashimi! That was a great trip but I'm glad to be here for the Ben & Yan experience. The Mermaid Tavern looked like a great experience with some really good food too.
On to the good stuff. I'll say that the first thing I was happy about as I approached B&Y was that there seemed to be ample parking. The strip has multiple storefronts and the parking lot was fairly empty at around 11:20. The lunch crowd was either not that big or I was still early enough to luck out. Parking my truck was a breeze.
The restaurant itself was nice. The interior fairly large, but seating did fill up as lunch progressed. There was enough seating, however, and I did not observe anyone having to wait for a table. The atmosphere was nice, with plenty of Filipino décor and a large TV with Filipino news showing.
The guys were busy cracking jokes as we waited for everyone to show up. Our server came over a few times and eventually we ordered some appetizers: the Shanghai lumpia and fried Calamari. Can't really mess up lumpia. Standard taste and quality. I thought the Calamari was very good, the outside remained crispy down to the last one, and I even ate the batter that had fallen off. Both appetizers were served with tasty sauces. Beverages are canned or bottled, no refills or fountain drinks here.
Finally everyone showed up (no names mentioned...they know who they are) and we started to seriously browse the menu. There are a lot of dishes to choose from. Having lived on Guam since 2005, I have had my share of local and Filipino cuisine. But I was torn between trying something new or going with something familiar. Oddly enough, I settled in on their sizzling platters and ordered the Sizzling beefsteak. I needed my interpreter to help me with the pronunciation of some of the more exotic dishes (Zack, we needed you!) I think I fell for the "sizzling" description, just throw that in front of any dish and it would sound ten times better.
When the food finally was served, I couldn't help but be impressed by the amount of food we had. There was enough to go around and then some. I don't think anyone will go there and leave hungry. My sizzling beefsteak came out on a cast iron plate and was marinated strips of steak with caramelized onions. I wore white, not a good color as there was quite a bit of grease flying from the "sizzle". We hit it up family style, passing the dishes around until everyone had some of each dish. My beefsteak was not bad. Fairly standard marinated steak with onions. The ox tongue was surprisingly good. It reminded me of a very tender roast but with a lot smoother texture. The rest of the dishes were ok, including 2 styles of pancit, chopped snout, crispy knuckle, and soup.
I knew this review would be challenging. I felt like the food was good and tasted fine, but nothing really stood out as being great. I think the quality is on par with something you would be served at a party or someone's house. Not bad at all, but nothing outstanding. The service dropped off a little as the restaurant got a little busier. The biggest detractor for me was a sticker from Payless left on one piece of chopped red pepper in the dish that was delivered to the table. Not good, as I am left wondering what else they missed as the sticker was fairly obvious.
3 plates.
On to the good stuff. I'll say that the first thing I was happy about as I approached B&Y was that there seemed to be ample parking. The strip has multiple storefronts and the parking lot was fairly empty at around 11:20. The lunch crowd was either not that big or I was still early enough to luck out. Parking my truck was a breeze.
The restaurant itself was nice. The interior fairly large, but seating did fill up as lunch progressed. There was enough seating, however, and I did not observe anyone having to wait for a table. The atmosphere was nice, with plenty of Filipino décor and a large TV with Filipino news showing.
The guys were busy cracking jokes as we waited for everyone to show up. Our server came over a few times and eventually we ordered some appetizers: the Shanghai lumpia and fried Calamari. Can't really mess up lumpia. Standard taste and quality. I thought the Calamari was very good, the outside remained crispy down to the last one, and I even ate the batter that had fallen off. Both appetizers were served with tasty sauces. Beverages are canned or bottled, no refills or fountain drinks here.
Finally everyone showed up (no names mentioned...they know who they are) and we started to seriously browse the menu. There are a lot of dishes to choose from. Having lived on Guam since 2005, I have had my share of local and Filipino cuisine. But I was torn between trying something new or going with something familiar. Oddly enough, I settled in on their sizzling platters and ordered the Sizzling beefsteak. I needed my interpreter to help me with the pronunciation of some of the more exotic dishes (Zack, we needed you!) I think I fell for the "sizzling" description, just throw that in front of any dish and it would sound ten times better.
When the food finally was served, I couldn't help but be impressed by the amount of food we had. There was enough to go around and then some. I don't think anyone will go there and leave hungry. My sizzling beefsteak came out on a cast iron plate and was marinated strips of steak with caramelized onions. I wore white, not a good color as there was quite a bit of grease flying from the "sizzle". We hit it up family style, passing the dishes around until everyone had some of each dish. My beefsteak was not bad. Fairly standard marinated steak with onions. The ox tongue was surprisingly good. It reminded me of a very tender roast but with a lot smoother texture. The rest of the dishes were ok, including 2 styles of pancit, chopped snout, crispy knuckle, and soup.
I knew this review would be challenging. I felt like the food was good and tasted fine, but nothing really stood out as being great. I think the quality is on par with something you would be served at a party or someone's house. Not bad at all, but nothing outstanding. The service dropped off a little as the restaurant got a little busier. The biggest detractor for me was a sticker from Payless left on one piece of chopped red pepper in the dish that was delivered to the table. Not good, as I am left wondering what else they missed as the sticker was fairly obvious.
3 plates.
Drew:
Parking (5) - The parking lot is huge and had no problem finding a spot. The only problem though is their location. If you're coming north on route 16, you have to do a u turn in front of the mall. This can be pretty dangerous to do. There actually was an accident while we were eating.
Ambience (5) - It has an open and well lit layout. The tables are simple, yet the chairs have a nice monogram on each back. It was comfortable even though it got busy.
Service (2) - Our waiter was very friendly and helpful when we first arrived. He suggested a few popular dishes to try, because it was my first time. After we placed our orders and received our food the service became non-existent. He never came around to see how we were doing or offer new drinks.
Food (3) - I ordered the Crispy Pata and the Sisig, both were tasty. I've heard a lot of great things about BNY and had high expectations. Unfortunately they did not live up to the hype. Although the food was good, I wasn't wowed. None of the dishes stood out and made me want to come back.
Overall: 3.5 plates out of 5. Nice place, good food, bad service.
George:
When I pulled up to BNY I was kind of shocked because the building looked old. But as soon as I entered the restaurant I felt better it was nicely decorated. The service was good until we received our food after that they never checked on us. I ordered lechon kawali, it was good but then again anything fried is always good. Rate 2.5 of 5. Service sells.
Brian:
B n Y "Lengua estafada"-Beef tongue. I wanted to be brave so i ordered the beef tongue. Scared at first but first bite was awesome...thinly tender slices w/ mushroom sauce, garlic and bell peppers was a perfect combination. Taste was a cross between a roast n salisbury steak. Definately 5 out of 5 plates. Perfect portion for two people...a side a white rice and your set. Delish'.
Robbie:
First timer at "Ben and Yan", and was a good experience with straight up filipino food. I would have to say it brought me back to when I was little and my grandmother would cook us some of her filipino foods. I had the house special (couldnt pronounce the first part of name of dish)mixed seafood in creamy white sauce. It came in a family portion (gianormous bowl) with a locally inspired laddle (coconut shell). Very interesting twist. The soup itself could feed a family of four humbly with enough seafood to fill the bowl. Service was alright, I guess due to lunch hour rush. Environment is cozy, catering to the filipino culture TFC channel. I would give it a 5 plates out of 5 for food flavor and interesting presentation. Great place for home-like filipino food.
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