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| - A friend and I went here this past Tuesday evening for the first time because I had read a lot about it and it sounded like an interesting concept. We arrived a little before 6 and opted to sit inside at a table with a view of the open kitchen. My first impression was that they had a nice patio out front and the interior had a modern design..
Service- Our server was prompt and friendly, asking if it was our first visit. We told her it was and she was very informative and suggestive about the menu, maybe too much. She talked about everything on the menu, which is fine, but usually if I have a question about something, I'll ask you. I probably should have politely told her I know what a maki roll is, sashimi, etc. I think a creative way to handle this with all of the various ingredients and techniques on the menu is to have a glossary on the menu, like Yo Rita. That way, the server can point that out and there are less questions and/or explanations about the ingredients.
She then asked for a drink order, told us that happy hour was almost over and if we hurried we could still get the happy hour price (1/2 off), so I quickly ordered a Caipirinha.
My biggest problems with our server, was that when she told us her recommendations (we didn't ask), she went for the most expensive things on the menu and she kept saying how we should order the beef filet. She must have said it 5 times. I get it, you like the filet or the kitchen has too many, but I'm not a big fan of filet so please stop telling me what to order. And she charged me full price on the drink, which tasted good, but was pretty small.
Food- This is the main reason I go somewhere. If the food is good, I can look past other things. I'm always looking for something I've never tried before. For starters we ordered, yucca fries, calamari salad and the seared tuna. Next we ordered the Phoenix maki roll and the 5 spice duck breast, then green tea cake for dessert.
Yucca- A small portion that should have been fried a minute longer. The insides on some were al dente. The yuzu aioli that was served alongside was delicious.
Calamari- This was excellent. Very tender fried calamari with good crunch. It's served with chopped romaine and roasted corn falling out of a Chinese takeout container. Very whimsical presentation.
Tuna- Very good dish. Very good quality tuna that melted in your mouth.
Phoenix maki- I had a bite of my friend's maki which was tasty, but didn't have enough punch from the "spicy salmon" or wasabi aioli, for my taste. The tempura shrimp inside the roll was really crunchy and moist. It was a nice-sized roll and the presentation was eye catching.
Duck- My entree was just ok. When I ordered it, I requested med rare, but our server said they only cooked it 1 way, which she never explained what that was, even after I asked. Anyway, when it arrived, the duck was medium in the middle and well on the ends. The 5 spice on the skin was pleasant, but that's about it. The blue crab risotto under it was cooked perfectly and was very tasty. It also came with grilled figs and maple balsamic reduction. The figs weren't grilled long enough and were cool. I just wanted a litte bit of caramelization and warmth on them. The reduction was very good. and went well with the duck. The dish wasn't really cohesive though, because the risotto didn't fit with the other components. My fault on that account. because I'm the one that ordered it and knew what was on the plate.
Cake- Sounded better than it tasted. My main problem was that it was served cold, so the icing was hard and you couldn't taste the flavors of the cake.
Overall, I know this review sounds a little harsh, but I was expecting a little more, especially for the price. We had 1 cocktail, 2 beers and the food and the bill was 100 dollars plus tip. The ingredients are fresh, the plating presentations were above average, but like others have mentioned, the portions (except for the calamari and maki roll) are very small and not enough for the money spent. I think the concept is great, but some things need a little fine tuning. I'm open minded though and I'll try it again because I like to go to places that have potential.
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