My wife and I looked up a local restaurant to visit that was convenient to our proximity. Came across Didon and wanted to try their offering. With hopes of enjoying a wonderful meal, sadly, did not deliver. All their dishes had some variation or element that just didn't work, thus, got one to hope the next might be better. Of course, this tone carried through the entire meal, having us leaving with a mild disappointment for what it could have been.
Canape was decent, but resembles an upscale chip and dip. Octopus had imbalance of their flavors. Yuzu was faint and foam sauce borderline salty. The notes of saltiness also carried over to the Beef Ribs. While it was delightfully tender, the char flavor borderline bitter. Paired with their sauce, it was more of a tangy confusion. Duck was more on the rare side than medium rare. We were sawing our bird during this episode. Onion is clearly burnt. See pictures for reference. Dessert is all about texture, sublime, the finishing touch. The peach disk doesn't add to the collective dish. The sauce poured into the dish is more like a light simple syrup with infused plant of sort. This of course was lost within the inconsistent textures of the nuts.
Service was another big factor. The host, server, and another gentlemen tended to our table. I don't know who's who or their names even. I had questions about the wine and none of them can address it other than offering me sample tasting. After 3 tastings, I gave up on the venture of pairing a wine. They said they will send someone over to help identify a wine and answer my questions. That individual did not show up.
Some interesting observations. I've noticed other tables were served bread while we were not. Other tables were given limoncello but we were not. Not sure what to make of this but doesn't sit well when your patrons feel singled out. Perception is key in the service industry.
When you hastily rush around servicing your tables, be mindful not to be abrupt when placing glasses down and walking away. While I was conversing with my wife, I saw a hand place a glass down on the corner of the table, insist I tried the wine, and left. I had no clue who placed the glass down or if the individual even cared to address my wine preference. I want to know what I'm drinking and not guessing it. I get that restaurants can get busy. But slow down and engage your guest. Experience is important for patrons at this level.
Overall, there are a lot of points to reflect and improved upon. I hope they take this back and evaluate these points. read more