We chose Brilhante to celebrate our wedding anniversary, expecting an upscale dining experience that would match the restaurant's reputation. Unfortunately, the evening was a complete disappointment.
To start, we ordered scallops with a lemongrass emulsion. There was absolutely no trace of lemongrass in the dish, which made it feel poorly executed and misleading from the very beginning.
For the main course, we specifically booked the restaurant looking forward to the beef Wellington to share. To our astonishment, we were told it had run out. This might be understandable if you are in a cheap joint asking for the "dish of the day," but it is simply unacceptable in a restaurant that positions itself as upscale. Ironically, I then ordered what appears to be one of their flagship dishes--a "marble steak" with a fried egg on top--which turned out to be a complete failure. While the meat itself was cooked to the right point, it was surprisingly difficult to cut--even with a steak knife--which raises questions about the quality of the cut if this is meant to be a sirloin. The sauce was very poorly executed, and the fried egg on top was greasy and overcooked, bringing the whole dish down.
The issues didn't stop there. The wine list on their website is not up to date, and the wine we intended to order was no longer available. This lack of accuracy adds to the overall sense of disorganization.
To make matters worse, we were charged for the couvert that we didn't even touch--something that feels inappropriate given the already disappointing experience.
At that point, we were so let down that we chose to pay the bill and leave, skipping dessert altogether.
Aside from the decor and the table we were assigned, which were the only positive aspects, the experience was extremely poor. Based on this visit, I would rate it 2 out of 5 and would not recommend it. read more