Haven’t posted in a long time, but had a really nice meal last night! Flavors were spot on, had minor quibbles, but great service and a fun atmosphere.
Wagyu Carpaccio - a bit heavy handed on the creme fraiche, but very tasty, with nicely marbled, thinly sliced wagyu topped with dollops of caviar and green onion.
Clams in XO sauce - oversalted (probably normal for restaurants, but a bit much for me), but a tasty, spicy broth that went great with the buttered, toasted bread that came with the dish.
Whole roast duck - loved this, but then again I love duck. I’m more used to eating the Chinese style ducks that are cooked through and this was definitely more on the pink side, so more “chewy” and gamy. But that just meant I had to gnaw on the bones. The gravy that came with the dish went perfectly.
Whole octopus - parts were tender, parts were a bit less so, which made it an enjoyable range of textures, especially with the charred bits on the outside. In retrospect, it’s the fact that this was such a generous portion of 4 large tentacles and part of the body that made it so enjoyable versus other versions that come with a really small portion, where the table is always scrapping for tiny pieces.
Desserts were the highlight for me. Loved their panna cotta which is lighter and less sweet than most I’ve had, almost verging on savory. We also tried the pot au creme - can’t go wrong with what is essentially a high quality dense chocolate pudding, sugar coated roast almonds and torched marshmellow.
I’ve always come here for lunch, never dinner, so this was a great opportunity to pig out… which ironically, is the one dish I wish I had gotten (pig head) that my dining companion just couldn’t get on board with. Next time.