First, I'll start with the lens I am rating this from. I have eaten at The French Laundry, SingleThread, La Toque, Commis, Eleven Madison, and other popular fine dining establishments.
I say this to explain that my rating comes from the lens of fine dining, especially when a place has three recommendations. I was highly disappointed when I came here.
The day I visited with two colleagues was:
6/18 at 5:00 PM
My rating breakdown:
- 1 star: Ambiance
- 1 star: Food
- 1 star: Experience (including service)
- 1 star: Greeting (the "wow factor")
- 1 star: Wine list / bar
Ambiance (1 star)
The ambiance was great: dim lighting, with a mix of mid-century design evolving into a postmodern theme. The shotgun style walkway with an open kitchen was very clean and organized. There was a great waiting area for a small restaurant. Definitely a plus to the designer.
Greeting (-1 star)
When first entering the restaurant, it felt almost misplaced. Visiting here, I could tell the area is undergoing some gentrification. That was fine, but when I entered, the host was highly rude to me and my guests, very short and dismissive. It gave the impression of, "What do you want? It doesn't look like you belong here."
I asked for the menu to see what they had to offer because nothing was presented in the window. We decided to continue because they have little competition in the area, so why not?
As we were seated, the server came around and really changed our decision to leave. He was very pleasant, respectful, and when we asked about things to do in the area, he answered our questions.
Please recruit more staff like him. He was very knowledgeable about the menu items and explained the flavors well enough that I could imagine how the dishes would taste.
We ordered the majority of the sides and two drinks.
Bar ( 1 star)
I ordered the Miss Knick at Night, and it was a beautifully crafted drink. A plus for the bartender saying hello and goodbye -- I forgot to add that.
Wine list was modest for a small restaurant had some unique picks.
Food (-1 star)
The food we ordered:
Tomo Caesar
This was more of a Southwestern style salad: mildly dressed, finely shaved cheese (maybe Parmesan), toasted corn, and some other toppings. It wasn't really a crowd pleaser. The salad was bitter and barely dressed enough to bring out the flavors.
Crab Fried Rice
This received mixed reviews. Some people may like it, some may not. For me, it was too rich. I'll leave it there because others may enjoy it, try it for yourself.
1/2 Dozen Steam Burgers
Just cheese, a Hawaiian bun, dry-aged beef, and onion. This felt more like a gastropub item than something that fit into the Asian fusion category. We just didn't understand how it connected to the overall concept.
Fried Chicken
Finally, the fried chicken... I liked it. However, for others, it felt drenched in grease, which I understood. For an elevated restaurant, you're not expecting to order gastropub-style food.
I was going to order dessert, which I almost always do, but I decided not to. I couldn't handle another surprise. I also didn't appreciate that we didn't receive water service at this caliber of restaurant. Maybe it was just the server, but those are basics of fine dining that need attention.
Experience (-1 star)
When we received the check, we really didn't appreciate the 22% service charge. I have paid more before, but for this experience especially with the host interaction and overall service, it did not feel worth 22%.
We didn't really take a journey through the dishes. There was no clear theme connecting them, so I didn't understand what we were eating or why at that price point.
Maybe the chef understands the vision and the execution just missed the mark, or maybe the training needs improvement. Either way, something was missing.
Would I recommend it? No.
Would I come back? Never.
I should have just driven to the city and taken my friends to How to Cook a Wolf.
Final rating: 2/5 read more