Ric F.
Yelp
Every now and then it pays to visit a restaurant that lives at the front edge of culinary art, if only to break out of one's routines and habits. Such a place is Jano Bistro.
Frankly, this is one of the hardest reviews I shall ever write. I've only had this problem a couple times before - and each of those times whilst experiencing high-end haute cuisine in France. Hard because with such experiences not every flavour is necessarily in keeping with my tastes. But that is not the yardstick by which a dining experience like Jano should be judged. Rather, the entirety of the experience - and this isn't a meal, it is a culinary experience - has to be considered.
Walking in for our early seating we were greeted warmly by 3 people - who turned out to be the entirety of the staff. The young French chef and two associates handled everything from the kitchen to the table to the checkout. And the first mention I must make is that the service here is second to none, anywhere in the world. Each of three took turns delivering courses to our table, and each brought with them some unique knowledge and insight. Never were we rushed (we were there for 3 hours), never did we have to wait. Every question was answered, every dish introduced with knowledge and love. On a scale of 10 to 10, the service was an 11 (with all due respect to Spinal Tap, this is actually appropriate in this instance).
Jano offers a set menu, with the option of a wine pairing which we chose in order to experience the full extent of their vision. Each dish was a revelation. I confess here that one or two were not suited to my palate, but between us one or the other enjoyed each. Each course introduced us to some unique method of preparation, some completely new approach to food. Lemon peel from lemons that have been brine cured for months; venison topped with grated dried venison (I could not help but think of a spiced pemmican); a simple butternut squash slow and low roasted for many hours and transformed into a delightful dish; tiny 'spring rolls' (for lack of a better term) with a pastry indescribably light and crisp; a french onion "soup" that is not a soup at all but a mouth watering concoction that I have no clue how it is achieved. The list goes on. The food was amazingly conceived, perfectly prepared, and presented with an artist's eye.
The wine parings were, in a word, varied. Some were exceptional. Some, not so much. To be fair, I have to confess here to being a very old wine geek, a one time winemaker, and a lifelong lover of all things wine. So my palate may be a tad more critical than some. But were I to offer a word of counsel to Jano, it would be to up their game just a little on the pairing side of the experience.
In a nutshell, Jano is a dining immersion suited best to those who truly love culinary adventures. I choose to give Jano a 5, despite my misgivings on the pairings - simply because the service, the artistry, and the experience were so far beyond just "excellent" that they deserve nothing less. But I do nudge them to re-think some of the pairings.
