TATIANA
Well, I was fully expecting I’d be disappointed after SO MUCH HYPE, and sadly, that came true.
We had snacked a bit beforehand across the street (at Bar Boulud) so we weren’t as hungry as we started out, and so cut back our order to half of what we had intended – just one small and one large. In retrospect, just as well.
We were trying to decide between the oxtail and crab rangoon and the egusi dumplings, and were guided to the rangoon. We picked the crab as our main (because I love crab and I love crab curry, and that would probably be my last meal on death row).
The rangoon were fine, but in retrospect were also pretty much what crab rangoon is – mostly deep fried dough. Very good, crunchy, deep fried dough, but the crab wasn’t very discernible, and the oxtail could have been anything. Well-flavored, and helped by the scotch bonnet sauce the server warned us about. (At that point he had also described one of the wines I asked about as “black girl magic”, so there’s that.)
The curried snow crab was very disappointing. Snow crab is usually sweet and lovely, but this was aggressively seasoned with too much citrus and salt and overcooked to boot. Also, not cooked in the curry, of course, so not flavored by the curry. And the curry. Well, it was fine (which is not the descriptor one seeks at this level of place). But it had split – when the coconut oil completely separates from the coconut milk. (I’ve only encountered this once before, at a modern Indian spot in Mumbai, where I sent the dish back.) Also – who serves HALF a roti with a LARGE plate meant for sharing? Lol.
There was shrimp and beef behind us, and they looked a lot better than the crab, so If I ever go back (highly unlikely) I’d opt for one of those.
Based on those two dishes we skipped dessert and got (excellent) gelato on the plaza instead.
I think am due a very good meal very soon for the two recent duds.
(Has anyone had the crab at Semma? I need remedial crab.)
OH - Random sighting of AOC with a big group of friends.
