Sunday, August 5, 2012

Cigar City Brewing Dinner at db Bistro Moderne Miami

Earlier today The Chowfather posted Tiers of Excellence, a list of Miami restaurant rankings; according to none other than The Chowfather. db Bistro Moderne made the list and the explanation The Chowfather gave for db making the list is: “One word-Boulud”.

It’s very easy to be a fan of the top tier restaurants, they do a lot of things right, consistently. And I have to agree with The Chowfather about db Bistro Moderne, that one word definitely does say it all. I am a huge fan of Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach, specifically the brunch. I’ve been to db Bistro Moderne prior to the beer dinner as I’ve written about them in my book Food Lovers’ Guide to Miami and Fort Lauderdale and yes I’m a fan of this sexy city bistro so when the opportunity came up to attend the Cigar City Brewing Dinner last week during American Craft Beer week I was all over it.

Cigar City Beer Dinner, db Bistro Moderne Miami

db bistro is familiar and comfortable with wine dinners, pairings and tastings but hosting a beer dinner took the team out of their comfort zone so much so Executive Chef Jarrod Verbiak, Pastry Chef Jerome Maure and Sommelier Christopher Lindemann painstakingly planned, worked and prepped to make this inaugural db beer dinner one guests would not soon forget.

As dreadful as sometimes it is to go outside the proverbial box I believe the db team thrived on this new project and actually had fun doing it….and I will say they exceeded all expectations. Of course they did, their foundation is that one word: Boulud.

Black Lager, photo credit: Brown Distributing Company

The dinner was nine courses, rich in flavor, presentation and impeccable service. Verbiak and Lindemann did not hold back on showcasing their talents which WOW’d the group of 40 food and drink enthusiasts. You read and hear over and over by successful chefs, don’t over think it, don’t over do it, simplicity is best. Verbiak did just that with his starter course of simple yet flavorful “flatbreads” Boulud is calling them “Tartes”, either way, potato/po-tato; the Tarte Flambe (Fromage blanc, thyme, bacon and onion) and the Tarte Pissanladiere (A Provencal onion tart with nicoise olives and white anchovies) were spot on. These two palate starters were served with the Ligero, Black Lager; this hunky beer was deep, dark, and brawny you just wanted it to wrap its arms around you and not let go; notes of chocolate, caramel, coffee, and dark cherries woo’d you to the point of swooning. The deep flavor power of the Ligero carried the salty-savory “Tartes” all the way home.

Tarte Pissaladiere, db Bistro Moderne Miami

Tarte Flambe, db Bistro Moderne Miami

The Tocobaga, Red Ale was up next paired with seafood. An ideal pairing across the board. I liked the Red Ale, it’s a drinking beer, easy and palatable with a luscious nose of citrus and pine with caramel and toffee on the palate. This medium bodied Ale has a lot going on in the glass with it’s flavor profile range so it’s no surprise the three seafood appetizers paired with this Ale was kept moderately subdued with regard to flavor. It was with this course that Verbiak and team played it straightforward by pairing the Ale with a Maine Sea Scallop Ceviche (avocado, lime, roasted corn and smoked tomato) an Oyster Gratinee (Blue Point with a fennel pollen sabayon) and Daniel Boulud’s Smoked Salmon with celery remoulade, capers and rosti potatoes.

Maine Sea Scallop Ceviche, db Bistro Miami

Oyster Gratinee, db bistro moderne miami

Daniel Boulud's Smoked Salmon with celery remoulade, capers and rosti potatoes.

Courses six, seven and eight were the heavy hitters all paired with Bone Valley Hopped Brown Ale. This Ale showed all the masculine brawn of caramel, malt, hops, chocolate and nut; an ideal pairing for the carnivore-delight course. The first taste was the Brochettes a la Plancha (skewered beef tenderloin, lamb and chicken with arugula chimichurri and black olive). Second was the Bavarian Weisswurst (with housemade sauerkraut, slow roasted red onions and spicy brown mustard) and the Pièce de résistance, the Original db Burger, Sirloin burger filled with shortribs, foie gras and black truffle served with Pommes Frites. This is probably the smoothest most elegant burger you’ll ever have.

Bavarian Weisswurst, db Bistro Moderne Miami

Original db Burger, db Bistro Moderne Miami

For dessert Jerome Maure closed out the evening with a “Dessert Symphony” that was music to any food lovers palate. Maure played this course very well catering to all flavors and all guests with a Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Napoleon, a Peche Melba Vacherin and a Strawberry Tart. Whatever sweet one seemed to crave after the first eight courses it was undoubtedly found here on the personal tabletop gueridon. The desserts were paired with the Dos Costas Lemon-Wood Aged Ale. For those wondering if there is a dessert beer out there, I’m here to tell you yes and it’s the Dos Costas, no question this Ale is the equivalent to a dessert wine, think digestif. The sweetness may surprise you at first but undoubtedly pairs well with a dessert course.

Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Napoleon, a Peche Melba Vacherin and a Strawberry Tart.

I have it on good authority that there will be more of these “out of the box” dinners and pairings this summer at db Bistro Moderne so if you missed this one, there’ll be plenty more to indulge in.

db Bistro Moderne Miami at the JW Marriott Marquis 255 Biscayne Boulevard Way  Miami, FL 33131 (305) 421-8800 db Bistro Moderne on Urbanspoon


View the original article here

Sunday, July 29, 2012

All-you-can-eat Stone Crabs in South Florida, October 15-May 16

Stone Crabs, while many restaurants are serving this seasonal delicacy as appetizers and à la carte entrées it’s the all-you-can-eat Stone Crab deals at a handful of South Florida restaurants that have the reservation phone lines jammed up for hours and the canned host/hostess response “sorry no seats available” when you show up without a reservation.

The prices are competitive ranging from $49-$88 depending on the Stone Crab size. Some restaurants are luring diners in with matching all-you-can-eat side dishes, soups and salads. Get ‘em while you can as this crustacean gorge fest ends in two days. Here’s a solid all-you-can-eat list giving any avid arthropod lover their fix of the season of all-you-can-eat stone crabs. Stone Crab Season October 15-May 16

Love the South Florida food scene? Check out our newly published book (Globe Pequot Press, $14.95), Food Lovers’ Guide to Miami & Fort Lauderdale

Palm Beach County

Jakes’s Stone Crab all you can eat Stone Crabs medium $59/person includes choice of soup and sides. Served 7 days a week from 4:30- 10pm reservations recommended. 514 Via De Palmas Boca Raton, FL 561-347-1055

Truluck’s All you can eat large Stone Crabs $69/person unlimited soup, salad, and side dishes. Served only on Monday.  Reservations recommended. Confirm pricing when making your reservation. Mizner Park 351 Plaza Real Boca Raton, FL 33432 (561) 391-0755

Broward County

Catfish Deweys 4003 N. Andrews Avenue Oakland Park, Florida 954-566-5333 $49 Medium, $65 Large, $88 Jumbo. They do not have all sizes every day; call ahead to inquire about size and availability before heading over.

Billy’s Stone Crab 400 N. Ocean Drive Hollywood, Florida 954-923-2300. Call ahead to inquire about size availability and price.

Truluck’s All you can eat large Stone Crabs $69/person unlimited soup, salad, and side dishes. Served only on Monday. Reservations recommended. Confirm pricing when making your reservation. 2584 East Sunrise Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL (954) 396-5656

Tokyo Blue all you can eat Stone Crabs 49.95/person Friday nights from 5:30pm reservations recommended. 4040 Galt Ocean Drive at the Ocean Manor Resort, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-566-2122

Miami/Dade County

Kitchen 305 at the Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort all you can eat Stone Crabs, bowl of New England Clam Chowder or Caesar salad, fresh baked bread and the daily chef’s choice of two side dishes for $55/person. 16701 Collins Avenue  Sunny Isles Beach, FL. For reservations, call 305-749-2110

Truluck’s All you can eat large Stone Crabs $69/person unlimited soup, salad, and side dishes. Reservations recommended. Served only on Monday. Confirm pricing when making your reservation. 777 Brickell Ave. Miami, FL 33131 (305) 579-0035


View the original article here

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Dinner at J&G Grill, St. Regis Bal Harbour

Dining at J&G Grill, St. Regis Bal Harbour is sensory dining in it’s finest hour. Sight, sound, taste and smell is replete with desire. The decor, the view, the music, the service, the food, all equal components playing in symphonic harmony.

Photo Credit: J&G Grill, St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort

The muted earth-rich tones of the dining room are accented with contemporary furnishings, which set the tone for this understated chic canvas of sophistication. The subtle hues of  the signature purple that dot throughout the St. Regis are also carried out in J&G Grill inflecting a delicate whimsy of color.

Table decor, J & G Grill, St. Regis Bal Harbour, Photo Credit: SouthFloridFoodandWine.com

Of course a table by the window is highly desired with views of the St. Regis pool area and the Atlantic Ocean both idyllically framed with statuesque palm trees; however out of the 84 seats in the dining room there are only so many along the panel of windows. The design of the room along with each table at J & G Grill has been strategically positioned allowing each guest, window table or not, the same panoramic view through its floor to ceiling windows.

J & G Grill, St. Regis Bal Harbour, Photo Credit: SouthFloridFoodandWine.com

As would be expected, no detail has been overlooked at J&G Grill including the music which has been designed, mixed and crafted specifically for J&G Miami. When you visit, be sure to pay close attention to the alternative, jazzy, sexy, chic sounds of J&G. It is remarkable how the music coincides with the overall vibe of the space.

We were there for four hours, and quite frankly one can only eat and drink so much in one sitting, you can’t do everything; so a glass of this and a taste of that, in the spectacular 2000+ bottle wine room is reserved for my next visit.

Photo Credit: Wine Room, St. Regis Bal Harbour

As the music has been designed specifically for J&G so have the uniforms; tailored, professional yet strikingly chic, a refreshing change for the women; the 70's vintage, mod wrap-around-dress compliments all body types as well as the decor. Synchronicity, irony, I think not, more like a well intentioned plan, impeccably executed.

J&G Grill, St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. Photo Credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

I decided to forgo the wine for the evening and experience it on my next visit as well as enjoy the wine room so the house specialty cocktails were in order, we tried the Cucumber Martini ($14) made with Hendrick’s Gin, English Cucumber and Mint and the Ginger Margarita ($12) made with Sauza ‘Hornitos’ Reposado Tequila, Ginger and Lime, rimmed with Ginger Salt.  Both cocktails were well balanced and refreshing but I preferred the Ginger Margarita, there was more flavor substance happening in that glass that simply turned my tastebuds upside down and inside out.  Hornitos is 100% pure agave making this cocktail effortlessly silky smooth (and dangerously easy to drink), but it was the ginger salt that rimmed the glass that brought this little cocktail to life. Little did I know the Ginger Margarita was to be the evenings precursor for me; bursting with flavor and texture leading to palpable food excitement.

Ginger Margarita, J&G Grill, St. Regis Resort Bal Harbour. Photo Credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

By now you’ve probably figured out that my experience at J&G was impressive and memorable but it was at this point when we opened our menus we were a bit [surprisingly] taken aback. I did not do any research prior to my dinner at J&G; no visits to their website, their facebook page or any other site for comments and commentary. J&G Grill is one of those places I needed to experience for myself without influence, good or bad. I truly thought J&G would have an exorbitantly priced menu, catering primarily to the residents of the St. Regis [Resort] and the like. The prices begin moderately and scale up; at first blush, J&G has made a conscious effort with regards to pricing by keeping all guests in mind.

We started with the Spring Pea Soup, which was finished tableside by the server who combined the soup with a Parmesan/Cream Foam. Mild, subtle, flavorful, and light. This was an ideal starter dish which paired very well with the Ginger Margarita as the two flavor profiles were extreme opposites meeting on point in the middle.($10)

Spring Pea Soup with Parmesan/Cream Foam. Photo Credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

Spring Pea Soup with Parmesan/Cream Foam. Photo Credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

Wanting to stay in the vein of J&G signature dishes we ordered the Black Truffle Pizza with Fontina Cheese ($21) and the fresh made/housemade Fettuccine with Meyer Lemon, Parmesan, and Black Pepper ($12 /$19). The Black Truffle Pizza was pure and modest with its quiet flavor, pairing very well once again with the flavorful Ginger Margarita.

Black Truffle Pizza. Photo Credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

Every now and then there is that one dish that haunts you, envelopes you, grabs a hold of you and just won’t let go. You crave it, talk about it and dream of it. I have found what possesses me, the J&G Grill Fettuccine with Meyer Lemon, Parmesan, and Black Pepper. There are no words to describe the sheer adulation I have for this dish. The hard facts are, the fettuccine is made daily in-house. Quality Parmesan cheese and heavy cream is used for the sauce along with the fragrant and tangy Meyer Lemon and fresh cracked black pepper to round out this plate of perfection. This dish will awaken sleepy diners by playing to all senses. It’s beautiful to look at, so much so you almost don’t want to take the first bite for fear of disrupting this ideal nest of carb goodness; the sweet perfume of the dish casts a food love spell over you that you cannot help but giggle with delight; listening to yourself carry on about this dish only beckons you to finally taste what appears to be perfection. It is love at first bite.

Fresh Fettuccine with Meyer Lemon, Parmesan and Black Pepper. Photo credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

For our entrees we chose the Grilled Scottish Salmon with a Champagne Buerre Blanc ($24) and the Milk Fed Veal Chop, with a Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Cauliflower ($49). While each of the entrees were stand up dishes in their own right it was the accoutrements that made them stand out. The Buerre Blanc was exquisite. A great balance of puckery tang and velvety cream.

Scottish Salmon with Champagne Beurre Blanc. Photo Credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

The hunky Milk Fed Veal Chop, with a Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Cauliflower was a colorful feast for the eyes. This culinary Kandinsky sang to your eyes as it harmonized your food soul. Once discovered, the pesto boldly exhibited its piquant element which pleasantly ushered this entree to a new level of food verve.

Milk Fed Veal Chop, Pistachio Pesto Roasted Cauliflower. Photo Credit: SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

Go big or go home.

There was no way I was about to stop now, having come so far and to not taste rising super-star Pastry Chef Antonio Bachour’s desserts would have been the equivalent of a mortal sin. (Bachour was named one of the 2011 “Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America” by Dessert Professional Magazine, and a finalist in the 2011 International Chef Congress Pastry Competition. His desserts have been featured in Gourmet Magazine and Alan Battman’s dessert cookbooks).

I went big.

Even though I stayed off the J&G info grid there have been rumblings about the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sundae with Peanuts, Popcorn and Chocolate Sauce. I did more than taste and for that I deserved to walk home, all 52 miles. In a pleasant paradoxical sort of way, spoonful after spoonful of this spectacular frozen treat soothed the painful amount of calories I previously consumed. This dessert was about yin and yang; salt and sugar, cold and hot, smooth and jagged, crunchy and mellow, a composition of pure delight.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sundae Peanuts, Popcorn and Chocolate Sauce. Photo Credit: J&G Grill

Going menu rogue for the night, our second dessert was a special for the evening; I had to do it knowing Bachour had everything to do with it; a Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce and Basil Ice Cream. For the non-adventurous palate this may seem like a cacophony of flavors and yet nothing could be further from the truth; a surprise of flavors brought together in sweet harmony. This dessert was superbly delicate, an ideal sweet to an incredibly savory dinner. (my photo did not come out well of this dessert, and certainly does not do it justice, but I want to share nonetheless).

Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce. Photo:SouthFloridaFoodandWine.com

After going big, I went home. But I’ll be back.

Click here to view more photos of the dinner on flickr

Love the South Florida food scene? Check out our newly published book (Globe Pequot Press, $14.95), Food Lovers’ Guide to Miami & Fort Lauderdale

J&G Grill  St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort  9703 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, FL 33154, 305.993.3333 J&G Grill (St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort) on Urbanspoon


View the original article here

Tags : / / /

Monday, July 16, 2012

Recipe of the month: Carpaccio of mullet with sea urchin

Carpaccio of mullet with sea urchin

Carpaccio of mullet with sea urchin 
This recipe comes to you from the Rech restaurant in Paris, just a couple of steps from the Place de l’Étoile.

Indulge yourself in a gourmet visit to Rech and let the new menu by Jacques Maximin be your guide...


View the original article here

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Rino Restaurant: High-Impact Cuisine in Paris’ 11eme

May 8, 2012  by Tory Hoen

Last spring, every food-following Parisian had their sights set on one restaurant: Rino. After it opened in February 2010, chef Giovanni Passerini’s cozy, modern bistro quickly became the place for innovative, market-driven fare at reasonable prices. At the time, nearly every review was favorable (if not positively glowing); a year later, we stopped in again, for lunch this time, to see whether Rino has lived up to the hype.

The restaurant is tucked away on a fairly unsexy street in the 11th, and offers clean and unfussy décor, suggesting that here, the focus has always been on the food. As soon as we entered, we noticed a team of busy line chefs, chopping and arranging dishes in a small open kitchen.


In the tradition of Le Chateaubriand, Le Chapeau Melon, and Les Papilles, Rino offers a set menu (with little-to-no choice) that changes daily based on available ingredients and the whims of the chef. Luckily, Passerini’s impressive training (he previously worked at Arpège, Le Chateaubriand, and La Gazzetta)and innovative instincts mean that culinary missteps are rare—he has an innate sense for how to make seasonal produce shine in dishes that draw on tradition but play up surprises.

We opted for the 3-course menu at 28€ (you can skip dessert for just 23€, but who would do that?) accompanied by glasses of Chenin (6€ each), whose golden color and strong honey taste provided the perfect counterpoint for all the dishes we tried. This may not sound like a feat in France, but given the range of ingredients we would soon consume—at least three of which I had never before encountered—the overall experience was remarkably harmonious, as far as my palate was concerned.

To begin, we were presented with what looked like a dense forest of greens: hulking pieces of asparagus were topped by a tangle of nettles, wild herbs, actual flowers, and what I initially thought was octopus but turned out to be bulots (whelks). In case we weren’t already aware, an artful smear of mustardy vinaigrette across the plate sent a clear message: this food has vision. In addition to pleasing the eye, it was also a pleasure to eat, the balance of textures and flavors providing intrigue with every bite.

The arrival of the plats caused a moment of slight panic for my lunch partner. His tagliatelle with lamb ragout was instantly enticing but strangely tiny in size. When he dug in, however, the dense noodles and deep egg-y flavor (paired with a basket of bitter brown bread) managed to sate him. Meanwhile, my cabillaud, generously adorned with swiss chard, leeks and olive tapenade, was ample in proportion and perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Dessert was a decadent-but-light baba au rhum accompanied by citrus fruits and a frothy ricotta foam. The baba exploded like a booze bomb when I pressed my fork into it, and the creamy-citrusy blend of the other ingredients combined to form a serious flavor sensation.

As is the sign of a good modern French meal, we left feeling happy-but-healthy, energized rather than weighed down by the mini-feast we’d just inhaled. Which is to say, you could certainly justify coming here on a weekly basis if you were so inclined. All in all, Rino is still going strong a year after making its initial splash, and better yet, you can actually get a reservation nowadays! I can’t wait to try Passerini’s more expansive dinner menu (38€ for four courses or 55€ for six) to see what other smile-inducing ingredients and wacky combinations he’ll throw my way.

Rino: 46 rue Trousseau, 11ème. 01 48 06 95 85; rino-restaurant.com. Open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Open for lunch on Friday and Saturday only.

Related links:

Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Didier Gauducheau, photographe, www.didiergauducheau.com, 06 03 54 39 73. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Bookmark and Share Related Posts with Thumbnails

Written by Tory Hoen

Tory HoenAfter attending Brown University and spending two years in New York, Tory bought a one-way ticket to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a writer (and of drinking wine at lunch). During her time in the City of Light, she chronicled the euphoric highs and the laughable lows of ex-pat life on her blog, A Moveable Beast. Though she's now based in New York, she travels frequently to Montreal and Brazil, and she'll use just about any excuse to jet to Paris ("I ran out of fleur de sel"). A regular contributor to Hip Paris, Tory also writes for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, and she is a co-author of Gradspot.com's Guide To Life After College.

Website: http://www.toryhoen.com/

Tags: Didier Gauducheau, Fish, Food, Food in France, France, Giovanni Passerini, l'Arpège, La Gazzetta, Le Chapeau Melon, le chateaubriand, les papilles, paris, Paris restaurant, Parisian Living, restaurant, Restaurants Paris, Rino
Posted in Restaurant Reviews | 5 Comments »


View the original article here

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Chocolate Origin opens at 313@Somerset

Lava cake sitting on vanilla ice cream in a cup

Café setting: There are only three products sold at this two-branch chocolate chain – Changi Village and the younger 313@Somerset – the original ($29-$174), dark ($36-$216) and lava cakes ($5). We’re glad it’s opened up in town because indulgence should be accessible.

Chocolate Origin shop at 313@Somerset

What to eat: These halal-certified cakes are not sold by the slice so gather up a group of six for the smallest 6-inch size (original $29, dark $36), or 36 people for a 12-inch (original $174, dark $216). The original melts in the mouth, though a little rich for us to handle; we stopped at one slice. While most commercial cakes have thick layers of sponge, Chocolate Origin’s stands out with a higher percentage of chocolate mousse made with Belgian dark chocolate with no extra sugar, colourings or preservatives.

The latest addition is a warm lava cake served in a cup ($5): vanilla ice cream fills the bottom half of the cup, while molten lava cake is on top. This rich and subtly sweet treat is an ingenious dessert-on-the-go – hands down one of the best desserts we’ve had in a long while.

Chocolate Origin | Address: 313 Orchard Road, #B3-10A 313@Somerset | Tel: 6884 4019 | Opening hours: Daily 10am-9.30pm


View the original article here

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Foodbar Dada

$60-plate of grilled rib eye beef

Rating: 3.25 out of 5

In a city of escalating rentals, bijou eateries with shrinking footprints make perfect sense; the owners don’t just save on precious real estate costs, such petite spaces also seem to lure a hip and fun-loving crowd. Such was our expectation when we set out to visit Foodbar DaDa in their first few weeks of operation.

We circled Robertson Quay for this elusive hole-in-a-wall and found this blink-and-you-will-miss squeezy 20-seat eatery hidden behind a door of frosted glass panels next to Smitten Café. They will be expanding outdoors (24 seats, to be exact) in June.

At first glance, it ticks all the right boxes: it’s a retro-inspired industrial space with a lipstick-red floor, shelves stocked to the brim with bottles of alcohol and an interior fitted with chic recycled materials like wooden railway sleeper table tops and perforated metal sheets. These sheets afforded no leg room at the 12-seater bar counter; we’d likely be better off tucked away at the restaurant’s rear wooden table for five where a foursome was engaged in clandestine discussions during our visit.

The futuristic/industrial interior of FoodBar Dada

But the niceties stop here: the weekly-changing menu is presented on an A4 size paper with a tepid list of merely eight dishes typed out in bold font. Thankfully, this presentation will change, and some of the Josper oven-grilled dishes – this restaurant is owned by a Josper oven distributor – were palatable.

Barcelona-trained chef Aitor ‘Dante’ Olabegoya – an El Bulli alumni and 1999 winner of ‘Best Young Chef in Spain’ who has since (as owner Joseph Wong divulged) been let go – served up succulent and savoury morsels of grilled baby squid ($15) that were first sautéed in garlic, white wine and dried chilies, then tossed with egg; an oddly delicious Iberican surf and turf ($24) that combines Iberian pork with Serrano ham with a light-as-air mashed potato cream streaked with pearls of caviar also tugged at our heartstrings. The latter is incoming Catalan chef Manel Valero's signature dish.

But it wasn’t all milk and honey.

The grilled local mussels ($8) were pedestrian – uninspiring and lacking in the expected garlic or onion flavours. At least this has been removed from the menu. But in general, prices are a little exhorbitant: strips of grilled 390-day grain-fed USDA prime rib eye beef served with Spanish piquillo peppers was tender and smoky, but not worth the $60 price tag. We couldn't help thinking about Esquina’s aged rib eye with chimichurri dressing can be had for a mere $22.50!

When asked for a drinks list, we were told there isn’t one. Wong has since confirmed that this lack of menu will change. Not that we didn't like the personalised verbal run-down of the list of “custom-made cocktails, wines and beers – Asahi and Heineken only”, but we expected better, especially from Din Hassan - a 25-year veteran of the local cocktail scene. To add to that, the dessert chef was away on vacation, so we departed with half-empty stomachs and $135 lighter. We didn’t expect four plates of tapas and two half-pints of beer to do so much damage. At least we had our starters – now to settle dinner. 

In-depth ratings:
Food: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Value: 2.5/5

Must eats: grilled baby squid, Iberican surf and turf

Foodbar DaDa | Address: #01-12, 60 Robertson Quay | Tel: 9639 7862 | Opening hours: Tues-Sat 6pm-11pm


View the original article here

Tags :