Bald Badger
Google
Translated from my og non-English review on another platform
Disclaimer: Restaurant Week menus are designed for bulk prep to serve the maximum number of customers. Don’t expect the performance matching the restaurant’s normal hours
TL;DR: Starters had some ideas but not enough execution, mains were stingy, desserts were a failure. This new place lacks scale and experience.
I went because the menu looked interesting and creative, but unfortunately: (1) the chef’s ideas don’t really match my taste, and (2) the portions and ingredients were too stingy.
Starter – Fruit & Cheese Toast:
The chef had the idea of using fruity sweet-and-sour notes to whet the appetite, which I appreciated. Sadly, the berries were way too sour and completely ruined the balance. High-end kitchens usually use anaerobically fermented, candied berries to avoid this problem. Pistachios were so scarce they were undetectable, and the cheese portion was too tiny to even cover the bread.
Starter – Shrimp Cake:
Rich shrimp flavor without any bitterness. At one point, I almost thought I was eating a lobster cake—surprisingly impressive (in a good way).
Main – Steak:
The doneness was a disaster: overcooked outside, rare inside. Clearly, they threw it on the grill straight from the fridge. The grill chef needs a serious talking-to. The portion was small, and because it was sugar-marinated, the caramelized crust burned and turned bitter from poor heat control. Start over, grill chef. The saffron rice side had so little saffron that it barely looked yellow.
Main – Slow-Cooked Short Rib:
Temperature control was acceptable, but the charred crust was burnt and bitter, which brought it down to barely passable. The side of gouda risotto, though, was one of the cleanest flavors I’ve ever had.
Desserts – both a disaster:
The chocolate cake skipped flour just to ride the gluten-free trend (confusing, since many people who aren’t gluten-intolerant still avoid it). The result: mushy texture like eating sludge