Erin S.
Yelp
We were a party of 2 at 8:45 pm on Friday, March 6th. It's pretty casual. We were fine in jeans and a top, or jeans and a collared shirt.
As the host walked us to the table, we stopped at the kitchen for our first bite. That was a nice touch!
The staff explained every dish and beverage as it was served. They did their best, but we really didn't understand most of what they said. It's possible that we're just not sophisticated enough, in terms of our palettes and our knowledge of food and alcohol.
It was $105 per person for the food tasting menu, and $85 per person for the beverage pairing. (The beverage pairing included beer, wine, sake, kombucha.) Add in tax and tip, and it came out to just under $500 for 2 people. For that much money, we expected to eat the best meal of our lives, and it just wasn't. For that reason, we probably won't be back.
Our menu, including beverages, with our comments:
- Uni, yuzu, chive - good
- Chard, yeast - lacked good flavor, tasted like dried spinach
- Duck slim jim - the dollops of jam were good
- Carrot, roe - the puréed carrots were a little too salty, the roe gave it a nice pop
- Foradori, Nosiola, Fontanasanta, Italy - good
- King crab, radish - third best course we had
- Sōtō, Sake, Junmai Daiginjo, Japan - very good, smooth
- Striploin, bone marrow, truffle - first bite was a letdown, but got better as we ate it
- Charles Ellner, Rosé, Brut, Champagne, France - bubbly
- Broccoli, benne, yolk - second best course we had, the broccoli was well-seasoned and the yolk gave it a nice pizazz
- The Veil Brewing Co., As I Am, Richmond, Virginia - tied with the sake for our favorite beverage, it was a wine-like beer, smooth and not very carbonated
- Sturgeon, fennel, quinoa - well-prepared fish, not too fishy, the quinoa gave it a nice crunch
- Albert Boxler, Riesling, Reserve, Alsace, France - fine
- Chicken liver tart - very rich, tasted a little like blue cheese, we didn't really care for this one
- Ben Ryé, Donnafugata, Sicily, Italy - good
- Grandma Lillian's potato bread - very good, the spread was delicious
- Aged duck, polenta, corn miso - favorite course of the night, very good flavors
- Maître de Chai, Zinfandel, Clements Hill, California - good
- Kombucha - fine
- Sunflower, white chocolate - enjoyed the white chocolate
- Cara cara, oat, bay - nothing special, the sorbet tasted like crushed up vitamins
- Bordiga, Vermouth Bianco, Torino, Italy - fine
- Beet, ginger - tasted like straight beets, really did not like this one
- Shiitake chocolate - good
We also checked out the Paper Crane Lounge upstairs. There's a beautiful story behind it. The colorful lights made for a great atmosphere. Definitely check it out!
Fun experience, good service, good beverages, but food was a letdown.