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| - This restaurant has been on my radar for a while now but I was always somewhat skeptical. I loved the idea of the restaurant, kind of like chose your own prix fixe, but I was also aware of the possible Archille's heel of this place -- the portions, pretentiousness and what not. I did not want to have a meal of just micro greens, jellies, and foams. So, I decided to dine here tonight because I was feeling for lighter fares. My boyfriend and I went for the 5 courses for $55 per person and -- even though there were the above mentioned frills --we were actually quite full after the meal. The dishes I really enjoyed were the octopus (I never thought I'd say this but the fava beans were blowing my mind!, the tagliatelle in uni sauce (even though I would prefer a more thicker pasta), the pickled mackerel, the deviled eggs with truffles, and the tiny shrimp slider things (they were complementary so I forgot what their real names are). All the dishes were very complex and meticulously thought out -- every element had its own preparation before being part of the dish. However, the whole experience for me in general was simply overwhelming, even though I had moments of genuine glee sprinkled throughout the meal. This may be because both my boyfriend and I did not enjoy the meats of our meal: my duck and his onglet. I didn't like how much fruit there was with my duck and the onglet was VERY heavy handed with the seasoning. That may be the issue for me; the flavours were great, but the meal ultimately lacked "grounding" -- or substance. Even with Japanese omakases, there are not heavy dishes but there is usually a lot of rice in the makis and sushis towards the end of the meal. That is what my meal lacked tonight -- even though I was full, I did not feel satisfied. I think I was pleasantly surprised because my worst fears did not come true, but my expectation about what this place could be were not met. That being said, I do encourage anyone who enjoys having all parts of their palates explored in one sitting and discussing the food with their dinner companions to go.
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