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| - Recently visited Bent with a large group which is a bonus because it afforded me the opportunity to try more items than I normally could.
To start, I had one of their well known lobster tacos (14). These were delicious, with the zesty tomato salsa complementing the large chunk of lobster meat! Next up was some fresh oysters (15) - we opted for the black pepper balsamic mignonette. This was so so - the BBB mignonette wasn't very noticeable, the oysters were ok but nothing special. After that, we went for the sashimi tasting (19). This was definitely a highlight as the charred scallop was perfectly done and the tuna was fresh.
Next up was the pressed octopus (14). This was an interesting dish - it is literally a flat piece of octopus (hence the name). I wasn't overly impressed as it tasted somewhat bland, but the texture is nice. Sadly, it didn't look anything like it does on their website. Following the octopus, we enjoyed the Kale+Tofu Salad (10). This satisfied the vegan in our group. The portion is definitely larger than the other items and the items go well together. However, the sesame dressing did come on a bit strong.
At this point, it was time for the heavy hitting meat dishes. I'm not much of a wine person and the beer options were somewhat limited. However, I definitely appreciated the Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA (8) - so much hops, so much flavour!
First on the meat dishes was the crispy chicken dumpling (13). The presentation was nice: cute little fried dumplings that sort of look like the ones you get from Chinese Takeout. The parmesan emulsion was heavenly, the dumplings themselves were moderate. Finally, the final dish was the braised spiced short ribs (22). These apparently have been cooking for 12 hours. I was definitely a big fan and they satisfied my carnivorous appetite - the meat was very soft and very flavorful.
Dessert: this was a surprise as there wasn't a dessert menu. It was nice, but my memory fails to recall what it was. Possibly because of all the food I ate. The meal was topped off with an Americano that was nothing special.
The atmosphere was casual. Service was great - friendly, not stuck up. Susur Lee was around and was friendly.
Overall, the experience at Bent was good albeit pricey for what you get. I won't be rushing back here, but I would have no hesitation to return in the future.
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