Bennachin

I went here during the annual Dirty Linen night which is one of the busier nights on Royal Street. The restaurant was very full. The seating area is fairly small and to get to the bathroom you must walk through the kitchen, not unusual for restaurants in this oldest part of the city. It is an awkward experience but the people in the kitchen were kind about waving me out the side door into the courtyard that held the bathroom. Because of the small dining area and close proximity to the kitchen, after about 20 minutes the noise level reached the point where I started to notice I was having trouble understanding the conversation around me. I went to the bathroom to put in my Loop earplugs which helped me get through the meal without a full shut down. I don’t particularly like using my Loops because, while they block background sound and help me focus on individual voices, they feel slightly disorienting because people’s voices are distorted and I have trouble moderating the level of my own voice when I speak. However they are better than needing to leave a place early because I can’t process human speech. I ordered the Jama Jama which was spinach, rice, and plantains - very tasty! Anyone looking to avoid strong flavors would do well to skip this particular restaurant. Overall my experience was positive despite the noise level. The staff were pleasant and the food was delicious. It should be noted that they do no serve alcohol but there is a convenience store across the street where you can purchase wine or beer to bring into the restaurant to have with your meal. If I go again I’ll probably aim for a weeknight or lunch when it won’t be as crowded.