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| - Chef Matt Carter, already known for Zinc Bistro and the year-old The Mission restaurant, is getting a lot of buzz for his latest venture, Nine 05.
Named for its location at 905 N. Fourth St., the Asian restaurant occupies the former home of Fate. Carter and his team have completely changed and modernized the venue into an ultra-cool hip modern space.
The outdoor bar is great, and it comes with a weekend night DJ. The dining space outside is fairly large and can accommodate decent sized parties. With the cooler weather coming, this will be a good place to hang out for a drink and a bite.
Service at Nine 05 is what I like to call triple A: amazing, attentive and attractive. During two visits, my party felt so welcomed and taken care of, we almost wanted to take off our shoes and stay longer.
On my second visit, manager Jennifer Mara even remembered my favorite beer from my first visit, Xingu ($5). It's this kind of attention that shows in the service and every aspect of the experience, including the well planned menu.
Plate presentations are some of the prettiest I've seen in quite some time. During both occasions we shared appetizers, then each ordered an entree, which can be shared family style.
Portions are generous, and the chef does a fantastic job keeping things from getting too heavy.
The crisp, clean flavors of the Cucumber Salad ($8) was a great way to get things moving. The bright and light Octopus Sashimi ($12) had a wonderful flavor from the pickled chilies, more sweet than spicy, yet balanced, though the octopus was a little on the chewy side.
Fried items were piping hot, starting with the Tomato Katsu ($9), which was lightly breaded and nicely crisp. Beware of that first bite, these were hot, hot, hot! The heirloom tomato was nice and ripe resulting in deeply satisfying flavors.
The Rice Cakes ($7) had a nice crunch, but these were really to show off the tasty cilantro-lime coconut yogurt drizzled onto the plate. If I had a bowl of that yogurt I would have dipped everything into it. Good stuff!
Duck and Foie Dumplings ($11) were good, but I wish the foie flavor would have been more pronounced. It's a personal taste.
The Korean Chicken Wings ($8) were tender, crispy, meaty and interesting with the topping of chili threads. I've actually never had a chili thread before, so small and thin but wow, what a flavor explosion!
Entrees were a blast, beginning with n ample bowl of Red Curry Mussels ($18). These plump bad boys were made for the fragrant coconut and lemongrass curry broth. The chef also piles on thick slices of bread so as not to waste even a single drop of the complex elixir.
Eating the Pork Belly Fried Rice ($13) was a pleasure, savoring each bite of tender hog and sweet spiked caramelized pineapple. I asked for a side of their pickled chilies to add a spicy sweet dimension to the tender rice.
Be sure to use the chilies also on the Tonkotsu Ramen ($15). A huge steaming bowl of richly flavored broth and noodles topped with pork belly, scallions and an egg. You know how I get when there is egg yolk involved, the flavor just drives me wild, while it adds a certain richness to just about any dish.
Desserts ($7 each) are limited to only a few thoughtful selections. The Blueberry Mochi Cake was moist and chewy, adorned with fresh berries and a scoop of lychee sorbet was refreshing. However, I would have preferred a different flavor of sorbet, since I'm one of those few people who think lychee tastes like soap. It's just a preference.
The Coffee and Chocolate Torte was more my style. With its fudge-like texture and smooth and flavorful chai ice cream, it's real winner.
With great attention to detail, delicious food and a superb staff, I think you will find plenty to be happy about after a visit here. On my way out I couldn't help but think of an excuse to come back, then I was told that the lunch menu is outstanding. What a perfect reason.
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