The reactions of (L)-menthyl chloroacetate ((1R,2S,5R)-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl chloroacetate) with aromatic aldehydes under Darzens condensation conditions produce mixtures of four isomers of (L)-menthyl-3-arylglycidates in approximately equal quantities, of which (L)-menthyl (2S,3S)-3-arylglycidates spontaneously crystallize when kept at the room temperature for a week. (L)-Menthyl (2S,3S)-3-arylglycidates, in contrast to the mixtures of (2S,3R) and (2R,3S) isomers of (L)-menthyl 3-arylglycidates, which in reactions with benzene-1,2-diamine at boiling AcOH give 3-hydroxy-4-aryl-4,5-dihydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepin-2(3H)-ones, provide enantioselective formation of (L)-menthyl (2S,3S)-2-hydroxy-3-(2-methylbenzimidazol-1-yl)-3-arylpropanoates.