Aya A.
Yelp
You know that expression just slap some paint on it and It'll be fine? That's kind of how I felt dining at Azurea. It could be great, if they just fixed a few things.
Dined here as part of Jacksonville Magazines, the Secret Supper Club, and at first glance it was a beautiful venue with a gorgeous art-chic entrance, sweeping ocean views, and relaxing jewel tones. I attended this event with a couple of foodie friends and we all ordered some drinks while we waited for the meal to begin.
This was a 4 course menu with the following served:
First Course:
An Ahi Tuna Tartare topped with a Raw Quail Egg and served deconstructed with mustard seeds, wasabi aioli, black salt, and okinawa Crisps. The presentation was flawless, but in regards to taste, I could've done without the raw quail. It was a tad bit too slimy for my liking. Everything else was really delicious and i was surprised that I actually enjoyed the wasabi aioli! This all was paired with a Japanese Plum Sour Whiskey which was the perfect drink choice and really ridiculously good!
Second Course:
Curried Prawns served on top of a gooseberry vinaigrette, the curry sauce, and rice noodles. Independently the vinaigrette and the curry sauce was very good, but there was just such a small tasting of it that ti was difficult to get a good bite with all the elements really complimenting each other. Any bite with just the prawns which were served dry was not the most pleasing. This was paired with Gustave Lorentz Gewurztraminer Reserve, Alsace, France which is a really fancy way of saying a drier white wine. Once again independtly the white wine was a bit too dry for my tastes, but paired with bites of the curried prawn and it really did compliment each other perfectly.
Entree Course:
Lamb Lollipops with whipped baby spinach, blistered heirloom tomatoes, and caramelized onion au jus. This was paired with Fess Parker Syrah. I was excited about this course more than any of the other simply because I love lamb, I grew up eating it home cooked quite often so it's always a treat to have it while dining out. I could not have been more sorely disappointed. Lamb has such a strong flavor and if not abiding by that flavor just right you ruin the whole dish, which is exactly what happened here. The taste was far too game-y and just too chewy. The Syrah it was paired with was far too strong for an already powerful meat and the vegetables were measly and kind of bland.
Dessert Course:
Coconut Shaved Ice served over dry ice for a really cool gastro gas effect. This was paired with an espresso vodka topped with coconut foam. The dessert itself was incredibly flavorful and delicious. The coconut flavoring didn't overpower the meal in either the shaved ice or the espresso vodka. The only downside was these coconut jellies which were unexpected and my least favorite consistency.
All in all, I would come here again because I feel like the food could be better, but I'm just really picky and need to order what I would like off the menu. Mostly, I would come here again just for the Japanese Plum Sour. Don't hesitate, order this whiskey immediately.