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| - I'm sorry to rate this restaurant so poorly, because they are nice people and they try hard. But it just didn't work for me.
The tapas concept is great, and we were gently and friendly-like advised of how it worked as we were handed menus. As other reviewers have commented, though, in practise, the dishes come out staggered with long gaps between them and if someone has their heart set on an entree, then sharing isn't always going to happen.
That's what happened with me and my friend. She wanted the Scallops [painfully overpriced at $16 for two, on much-too-al-dente pasta] and I wanted the Trout. There was a 10 minute gap between our dishes, which made for awkward dining. As for my trout (hay-smoked), it was nice, but just nice. The accompanying pea shoots were cooked into boiled-spinach-like oblivion and the potatoes were fine, but nothing special. The dashi broth offered nothing to enhance the dish, disappointingly.
The liver pate was the smoothest I'd ever eaten, with seasoning like BBQ Chinese pork (5 spice)? Pleasant, but not swoon worthy. The beet-based salad was lovely. Probably the best thing I had that night.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I had been told this place was a gem and expected unique flavours that just weren't delivered. Everything was okay, but just okay. And this restaurant cost too much for a modest meal for two ($70, with two glasses of port) for it to be just okay.
Also, a nitpick: if you're going to have a very dimly lit restaurant, choose a bolder typeface for your menu. It was very hard to read the superfine typeface they'd used.
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