Came here for special event. Unfortunately just thought it was mediocre…read more
In terms of service provided by the waitress, it wasn't bad. The menu was explained, and she gave us her preferences.
However the real gripe about service was regarding that we brought our kid and the only item on the menu was buttered noodles. That is okay, but after a few bites, even my kid who doesn't know many words informed us it was too oily and stopped eating. We wanted to buy something nearby and bring it back so he could have food, as he wouldn't eat the other items that we ordered. However, after multiple attempts, we were denied outside food or drink, solely for the kid. The restaurant's inflexibility because of their own dish being too oily and buttery, resulting in our kid being mostly hungry for the duration of our dinner .
In terms of the dishes we ordered, the taste was unique for some dishes and average for others. We ordered cabbage, beef tartare, seafood pasta, and halibut. Of those dishes, surprisingly, the cabbage was the most flavorful and unique, and we rated it an easy 5 out of 5, as we never knew cabbage could taste so unique and tender. The beef tartare was good, but nothing special, as I think other restaurants serving beef tartare would taste about the same. The seafood pasta was interesting, as it had a slight crisp to it, but other than that, there were just a few pieces of octopus, which made it unique but not overly so. The halibut was tender, I'll give it that, and they prepared it in a unique bean sauce, which was also good and light. But again, nothing that beats halibut that I've had at other restaurants.
The ambiance was dimly lit, packed. Plenty of servers and managers walking around. People were obviously well dressed. We sat in a corner, a dark and very cold area, so much so that we needed to put on something heavier.
It is not a small dining area. The kitchen you can see on the way to the restroom was bright, well-lit, and open, with plenty of workers and chefs.
The plating was pretty good, the service was quick. The food came out pretty quickly as well. However, it is a 1 to 2-hour dining experience.
I don't think I would come back, as I don't think the flavor profile, service, and ambiance matched my expectation of this commonly noted number one restaurant in Detroit.