Note: Review is for Restaurant Week. Recommendations: Salt Cod Fritters, Peri Peri, Dorade, Duck Fat Frites, and Ice Cream
I went with a group last week to this popular new restaurant for their Summer Restaurant Week, which they recently extended to August 30th. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the interesting menu, which has some European and Caribbean influences. The inside space was warm with nice plating, though I found it a bit loud. Like many of the other nicer spots, it's three courses for $60 outside of tax and tip, of course, but instead of having supplements, they have add-ons/side dishes to go along with the main dishes. Overall, I liked the food, though I would steer towards certain dishes instead.
My appetizer choice was the Tuna Crudo with cantaloupe, aji charapita, and tostones. The tostones, or rather a "tostón," as there was one, was on top of a pretty-looking bowl with a bright orange sauce that included a handful of tuna, some cantaloupe, a few pieces of avocado, and some microgreens. I wish there were more tuna, but the flavor was nice, with a little heat and a mildly creamy, citrusy taste with a bit of sweetness from the cantaloupe. The tostón had an interesting texture, as it wasn't fried too much, so it had a bit of softness, and it was nice to dip into the sauce. Overall, outside of the lack of tuna, it was good, and I think it would work better texturally if the tuna was in bigger chunks/slices.
Another person ordered their signature Salt Cod Fritters with scotch bonnet aioli. She liked the fritters a lot but found the aioli quite spicy, which wasn't surprising to me. I tried a bit of the aioli, which was indeed spicy, but not too much for me, though I do have a very high spice tolerance. Another person ordered the remaining appetizer choice, the Bibb Salad with sour cream & onion and everything crumble, which she enjoyed.
My main dish of choice was their signature Peri Peri Chicken with green goddess and chicken jus. The dish has a gorgeous presentation, with interlacing sauces and additional small ramekins of each sauce on this side. The latter was much appreciated, as I like adding more peri peri, while another person who got the same dish liked adding the latter. The chicken was juicy with a crispy exterior, which had a little kick to it. The peri peri had a good amount of heat, which was balanced by the creamy and herbal green goddess. The jus on the bottom was less notable, but still tasty. This was excellent and probably my second favorite peri peri I've had, next to the more traditional version from the Portuguese spot Leitao. If I had to make a complaint, I think a side salad or similar would go well, but it seems the dish on the regular menu has something extra.
I got a side of Crispy Rice for $8, which was fine. It had some crisp and a small bit of another type of grain for extra texture. Much better were their excellent Duck Fat Frites for $14, which came with another type of aioli. The fries were large but still crispy on the outside, reminding me of a better version of typical steak fries. A couple of the other people liked the Pan-Roasted Dorade with plantain, Swiss chard, and chermoula, while no one got the vegetarian option, the Corn Orzo with Oaxaca cheese, salsa macha, and jalapeño.
For dessert, I got the alright Peach Cheesecake with oat cookie crust and Sauternes. I liked the crust, and the cheesecake wasn't overly sweet, with a decent side sauce, presumably made from said peach and Sauternes, that had a mild sweetness. Otherwise, the peach flavor was pretty mild, and I was personally surprised that there wasn't a slice of peach or something similar on the slice. A couple of others loved the comparatively smaller Coconut Mango Swirl Ice Cream with pineapple, so I maybe would recommend that instead.
At least for Restaurant Week, I really enjoyed this spot. I'm not sure if I would pay full price based on the portions compared to the main menu, but we had a good time here. read more