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| - Fahrenheit's average 3-star rating is absolutely on par. I agree with the 3-star rating because: the ambiance is a little on the underwhelming side (3 stars); the service is mediocre (3 stars); and the food is flavorful with big portions (4 stars). Overall, I'm glad that we went once but wouldn't return or bring guests for the dining experience.
Underwhelming ambiance. Fahrenheit is located in a Hyatt Hotel, right below where their condos start. One of its selling features is showcasing the downtown skyline; however, we live on the 41st floor in a high rise downtown and our daily views are much more stunning and breathtaking. Although the restaurant makes an attempt to be hip and trendy, its already outdated contemporary furnishings fall flat. The restaurant is intentionally dimly lit to highlight the skyline views but the lack of periphery ambient lighting errs on the side of overly dim.
The night that we came, it was stormy and unseasonably cold; therefore, the patio wasn't really occupied. Inside the restaurant was frigid cold, so uncomfortable that it really hampered our dining experience. When we mentioned it to the waitstaff, they told us that there was nothing that could be done and if WE were cold, imagine how freezing THEY were since the air vents are directly over their work stations. I get the concept of commiseration, truly, but I'm not getting paid to be there, I am a PAYING patron. It doesn't make me feel any better that others are just as cold as I am; it actually makes me feel worse that the restaurant is aware of the condition but can't pull themselves together to alleviate the situation on behalf of their patrons.
Mediocre service. The staff is as friendly, courteous and prompt as you would expect from a nicer establishment such as this. Therefore, meeting the benchmark among your peers just says you're doing what is expected, which is exactly what you get here. I would certainly say that the waitstaff leans on the side of facilitating quick turnover. They hovered over us throughout our meal, darting for near-empty plates, making the meal feel unnecessarily rushed.
However, one noteworthy point to mention is when our waitress told us about the "mouth-watering lobster special, which was stuffed with fresh crabmeat and then buttery, sweet lobster cooked to perfection placed on top of the crab." Well when you put it that way, of course we're in! After the waitress piqued our appetites with the vivid description, she returned to inform us that they had sold out of the lobster special. Really!? NOW you find out its availability after your entire spiel, pushing the lobster special like its the culinary delight of the century? It all turned out to be a big tease because ordering the Kobe beef short ribs felt like going home with the second hottest guy/girl -- you know there was something better within your grasp but you just couldn't get to it soon enough...
The drinks were delicious. We had the Moscow mule and I asked the bartender to create a concoction with pineapple juice, grenadine, Sprite, and a raspberry or citrus vodka with Cointreau. It came out superb and had just the right amount of alcohol not to drown out the sweetness.
Flavorful food in surprisingly large portions. There is definitely something to be said when establishments serve courses in large portions, so kudos to Fahrenheit for this! We had:
------------DELICIOUS (wouldn't miss this):
++ crispy rock shrimp. The creamy honey glazed sauce had just the right hint of sriracha to make it the right balance of spicy and sweet. The shrimp had the right proportion of crispiness from the breading to the succulence from the shrimp.
------------GOOD (tasty enough but I would try something else if I returned):
++ kale and brussel sprouts salad. This salad was sprinkled with candied nuts, cheese and cranberries, and I asked them to add apples to it (the brussel sprouts salad on the menu had apples on it), served with a sweet vinaigrette. It was delicious and served in a large enough portion that my boyfriend and I shared but could not finish.
++ Kobe beef short rib steamed buns. The Kobe beef short ribs are marinated in a sweet sauce and served with sriracha on the side. When the buns arrived, the bottom was soggy, which really deterred from this course. Also, the bun to beef ratio was pretty small so you had a lot more bun leftover.
++ Kobe short ribs. The short ribs were tender and moist, marinated in a similar sweet sauce as the beef from the steamed buns, served over lo mein noodles.
We really wanted to like Fahrenheit, especially considering that making reservations is not as readily available as you would expect. However, everything about the dining experience as a whole just left us feeling unimpressed. Ultimately, there was nothing remarkable about the experience that would compel us to come back or even to bring out-of-town guests (see my review for WP24 in LA).
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