I heard about Cicada through instagram and decided to reserve their pop-up dinner at Beast & Co in…read moreFt Worth. Lovely, chic ambiance upon walking in. We were greeted by Chef Cody's wife (I believe her name is Haley?), and seated at 2-top table in the front room by the bar. We waited until the other guests arrived for the 7pm seating, and our dining experience began.
Let me just start by saying that I've definitely spoiled myself, having been to several tasting menus across Dallas and a handful in other states. To be honest, this one did not live up to my expectations, unfortunately. I still give 4 stars for the overall dining experience, as the chef and his staff were very friendly and efficient, and provided a warm, welcoming environment.
This was a 10-course tasting menu with 5 natural wine pairings, coming out to ~$450 for 2 people after taxes and before tip. This is a reasonable price for the DFW area. From the menu, I really liked the first few courses, especially the boneless pork rib and fermented potato bread! The panko-breaded pork was SOOO soft and tender, juicy goodness in every bite. And the potato bread with cultured brie butter was so dense, unlike any "bread" I've had before! From the entrees, I enjoyed the oyster carbonara, which had a rich taste to it - not much oyster flavor, just as the chef had described upon bringing out the dishes, but very cheesy without being overwhelming. I liked how they started and ended with tartlette - definitely enjoyed the chilled grilled asparagus one, especially with the delicate crust of the tart.
Now, a few criticisms of the menu - I think there were a few too many fried pieces - the panko-fried pork followed by the fried avocado was a little heavy for me. I was a little disappointed by the aged duck breast course. I very much enjoy duck breast, but I really look for the crispy skin on top with tender meat throughout. Maybe I had a bad piece, but my duck meat pieces were very chewy, and I couldn't finish it all. The beet bordelaise was an absolute delight and added elegant flavor to the dish. I was also excited for the apple & hazelnut dessert, as I loooove hazelnut! But I thought that the koji salt was a little too salty and overpowered the apple and hazelnut pieces. I will note here as a disclaimer that I have a salt-sensitive palate, so this may not have been the case for others.
The wine pairings were excellent - each wine went along with 2 courses of the menu. However, I was surprised that they did not change out the wine glass for the middle 3 wines, moving from white to orange to red wines... I would expect that in a wine tasting at a vineyard where they are trying to conserve cups/glasses for the small pours, but in a fine dining setting, I expect the glass to be changed out for each wine. I did like that they paired the sake with the two dessert courses, definitely played into my Japanese heritage. I did notice that as they were pouring the sake, the nigori had settled a bit to the bottom. I would like to see the sake being tilted a little bit before pouring so that the particles do not settle.
I thought the pacing of the meal was great - very relaxed but not waiting too long between courses, and the dishes were explained thoroughly and in a timely manner. Haley had great timing as well, pouring each wine before the dish was brought out. I appreciated how she explained the rationale of why each was paired to complement the flavor profile of the dish.
