| rev:text
| - I've been here a couple of times for summer/winter-licious and a wedding party, but this was the first time coming here for regular dinner service. I remember this place being a lot better before and can't believe how bad it's gotten. Given the price point of this restaurant, I expected top notch service and food but was completely underwhelmed on both counts.
For appetizers, we had:
- Flammekueche ($25) escargot, smoked lardons, onion, truffle, fromage frais. The escargot was already removed from the shell, but came cold and didn't taste fresh (maybe from frozen). The truffle was completely tasteless and not aromatic at all. All this comes in a little tart with cream that just doesn't go well with the escargot. The chef should go back to the drawing board on this one. Not recommended.
- Saint-Pierre ($29) John Dory fish, fennel, garlic, legumes, saffron fumet. The portion of the fish was decent for an appetizer, but for almost $30, I wouldn't expect anything less. The fish was cooked well, and its firm flesh was still moist. The decorations on the plate were done well with the fennel sprouted to give it the look of a John Dory. This was the only dish of the night that we thought was well executed and had a decent portion size.
For the main course, we had:
- Agneau ($48) rack of lamb, braised shoulder, cucumber raita, smoked aubergine, pomme maxim, sauce au chevre. The lamb was decent but nothing special. The potato ring is a nice touch, and the lamb went well with the cucumber raita. However, with only two pieces, the lamb portion is too small for a dinner entree. The braised shoulder was soft and tender, but the taste and smell weren't very appetizing. The beans look like it was added as an afterthought and other than adding a little colour to the dish, it didn't compliment the meat at all. Another dish that should be improved.
- Cote de Boeuf ($58) beef rib eye steak, foraged mushrooms, leeks, smoked chou-fleur gratine, sauce poivrade. For this price, I was expecting a lot more than the 6 oz of meat I got, of which more than 1 oz of it was pure fat. The meat quality had a decent flavor and texture, but quite a bit of tendon made some parts chewy. Also, for $10/oz for a ribeye (not tenderloin), I was expecting something that would be on par with a high-end steakhouse - not even close! The minuscule portion they give you for the quality and cut of this meat by no means justifies this price. Also, on the menu it lists "foraged" mushrooms. I was expecting some exotic mushrooms, not two tiny slices of overcooked regular oyster mushrooms. Was very disappointed in this dish.
For dessert, we had:
- Mont Blanc ($12) white chocolate and coconut bombe, chestnut, cranberry, yogurt sherbert. I have no idea what I ate, but it sure as heck wasn't a Mont Blanc. I didn't even taste a hint of chestnut. The cranberry overpowers all the other flavors and should be excluded. After having a real Mont Blanc at Cafe Boulud made by the Michelin starred NY pastry chef, nothing else comes close. But at least the Mont Blanc from places like Duo Patisserie and Ruelo tastes better. This one was just awful and would definitely avoid.
The servers came by often to fill up our glasses. However, one cup came dirty and we had to ask for a new one. We also had to specifically ask for a steak knife. Do you really expect me to eat my $58 steak with a butter knife? Even at Denny's, they would give you a steak knife when you order the Steak & Eggs breakfast special! Our wine bottle still had some wine left and she only came by after we had already started coffee and desserts. She should have been attentive enough to top off our wine glasses during the entree service, especially since the wine bottle was not left on our table where we could help ourselves. At a restaurant of this class, the servers should be better trained.
The food quality has gone down significantly since my last couple of visits here. The portion of food they give is also ridiculously small. I have no issues paying top dollar for high-quality food, but this place gouges you for tiny portions of sub-standard food. Would much rather go to far superior French restaurants like Bacchanal or Cafe Du Boulud. This will be my last visit here...
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)