I ate at this Asian inspired restaurant on Mills on Friday night. They started me off with some free Edamame that was ruined with lime juice and raw garlic. It killed my taste buds for the rest of the night. I next had a shrimp and scallop dumpling for $8 that was a textureless puree that somehow ended up red. I had the rice bowl with Ahi tuna for an entree at $14. It had a cucumber bottom, seaweed and two layers of tuna between the rice. The rice was al dente (but I think this was because it was old rather than cooked right). I thought it was a success until I got home and had to run to the toilet. I had a cheese plate to end the meal for $12. I was a boring plate of boring Wisconsin cheeses that took forever to arrive. It is decorated like an Asian/Bayou whorehouse. They are about 50/50 with relation to table tops versus tables. They have a 5 seat bar. They have all the pretense, but, I think the execution may be a bit beyond the chef's skill level. The service was good. The place was full at its 7 table max. I do have compliment them for having one of their better values at the lowest price point (Rice Bowl). Although, this does remind me that most of the entrees were overpriced for the talent level of the chef.
I would suggest that they leave Japanese cuisine to the experts and choose something more in line with the vibe of the place (like their cooked fish dishes). I would also move the table tops to the back of the space so that the line of sight doesn't stop at the middle of the room. I would also have a few more hands in the kitchen. I would have actual pieces of what you advertise in the dumplings (Chinese style not the red headed stepchild dumplings that the Japanese make). I would roast or lose the garlic. I would make sure my ingredients or cooking surfaces don't cause irritable bowl syndrome (or don't "spike" the food).
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