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| - Market Fresh...In My Mind
Dined here last night and had a reasonable experience(B.Y.O.W helped) but the food assassins seem to have a say in the menu.
Be forewarned, English is not an option. Our server was polite, informative and completely uni-lingual. I don't think he can count to ten in English so if you intend on going, speak french or bring a Larousse.
I started with the smoked salmon/beet/pear/goatcheese salad, which was arranged nicely and was an interesting array of flavours. Great job.
Then the BS started.
Our uni-lingual server promised us a paella for two with an arrangement of muscles, shrimp, rabbit and scallops with a saffron foam. Now, the piece de resistance of paella, in my opinion and amongst 50 year old Spaniards, who will fight with you for the bottom of the pan, is socarrat. Unfortunately, there was not a trace of it, anywhere.
Another thing. The menu is littered with risotto options. Duck confit, asperge blah blah, hence, I sincerely doubt they are stocking two kinds of short grain rice. I would then advise they stop putting lipstick on a pig and just call it fuckin' seafood risotto, not paella. Paella has socarrat
Misrepresentation of fact.
Also, I appreciate the effort that goes into frenching a rack of rabbit but if it is the consistency of a shoe, you have missed the mark. Braise?
Finally, what is the deal with foam? It makes me feel like someone took a straw, blew in my sauce and then sent it out. "Doesn't Soy lecithin compromises your health and flavour anyway?". "How about you get my rice crusty before concerning yourself with half assed molecular gastronomy?". I'll take a white wine/saffron cream sauce, minus the bubbles.
I know, I am rippin' them a new one, but shit, where was my socarrat? And $56 for risotto for 2? Come on.
On that note, our friends ordered the bavette and the tar tar with tempura which were both reasonably priced, well prepared and I wish I had ordered instead, so another try is in order. In point of fact, the sauce Espagnol with the bavette was pretty out of this world. It parted and held its ground like estranged lovers.
But for the love of Christ, avoid the paella in risotto pants.
waka waka
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