I didn't want to like it, but I have to admit it was good. The reviews so far I agree with so I won't rehash that too much other than to say the food was very fresh and very tasty. They put some interesting spins one wouldn't think should work but they do. For example, we tried a dessert that was (and I forget now what they call it sorry) basically a vanilla sponge cake on a bed of dark chocolate ganache covered with a coconut cream and dusted with smoked paprika, a spice I normally associate with savory fare but it was pleasantly delicious. Another interesting spin was their take on an old fashioned. I am no whiskey snob but I've pivoted to bourbons due to developing an allergy to fermented beverages (I self diagnosed but symptoms are very similar to and manifest about the same age as my father who was diagnosed with an allergy to several kinds of yeast that are prevalent in beer/wine) so I began exploring more distilled spirits - anyway, all that to say I love exploring riffs on old fashioned's and this might be one of the most unusual cocktails of the genre I've found yet, consisting of a nearly colorless Japanese whiskey and grapefruit bitters that gave it a distinct old fashioned vibe but remained quite crisp and refreshing. Sorry to have gotten a bit long winded but I wanted to put this all out there as a preface, and again I do agree with the other reviewers so far, the food, ambience and service are all great but here are the things I found quite off-putting and annoying. Almost annoying enough to negate the wow I need to go back factor, if that makes sense. First, the non stop - and I mean like annoyingly long winded pointing out that they are completely gluten free. Like, I get it, that's a thing for some people but I don't want to hear about how the tempura (and you could tell, honestly, the texture suffers from it) is gluten free, the tamari for soy sauce is gluten free the whole restaurant is gluten free, tell everyone you know we are gluten free. I dgaf and I don't need to hear a lecture on it every time you show up to the table. Second, we get a micro dollop of wasabi with our roll? It's an extra charge, albeit only a dollar but still, an extra charge to get what should have been served with the roll to begin with, and all 3 rolls came with exactly one slice of ginger so the wife and I got to fight over who got two ginger bits. I think for the prices we could spare a bit more on the plate? I may come off here as a bit whiney, sure, I am splitting hairs and as I said, food and ambiance are great. You definitely fit in with the best and brightest in Carlton, I wish you success but can we please just leave the tamari and serve a proper amount of wasabi and ginger to begin with? And mentioning that your gluten free once is enough. I promise you I didn't forget between rolls.
Edit: -1 more star. The kitchen clearly cannot keep up with even a modestly packed house. I should clarify our first visit was on a Thursday. We're back on Saturday as my go-to got booked out for a private event. I am sitting here an hour into our reservation. My wife is done eating her dinner and mine is still nowhere in sight. Notice the table across from me - party of 4, already here before us just got half their table served. Party one is finishing up looks like #4, like me, is still waiting. Also they are sold out of multiple menu items so. Yeah great on the execution but sorely lacking on the follow through
Edit 2. Hour and 30 in now. I don't even want my food any more. A heads up when I ordered would have been nice. read more
