Guai Lo decided to take me out for dinner last weekend. We went to a place that I wanted to try for a while on my ever-growing list of restaurants-to-try.
One thing I noticed is that they are the true minimalist. There is no real décor in the place, it's just white paint and some tungsten light bulbs. In the front of the restaurant, I don't even see the name of the restaurant, which is why it took me a while to find the place. It is unexpectedly soothing and comfortable to be eating a place that is just simple.
All their plates are meant to be shared, and it is kinda like tapas style. We ordered 5 plates and 1 dessert. The pictures are in the same order as below.
Bonito Yam, Lemon Crème Fraiche, Pepita, Salsa Verde, Za'atar
The yam were very crispy. The sweetness of the yam was balanced perfectly with the lemon crème fraiche. Simple yet very tasty.
Pig Ear, Red Chili, Lime, Market Egg (pictures shown above, before and after mixing)
This is a disappointing dish. I have always liked pig ear, but not this dish. The pig ear was deep fried, and therefore you can't tell what it is really. On top of that, the chili sauce does not really go well with the dish.
Quail, Yellow Wax Bean, Corn, Pickled Fennel, Sungold, Basil
The quail was excellent. Cooked perfectly and seasoned perfectly.
Sweetbreads, Creamed Spinach, Hen of the Woods, Caper, Brown Butter
This is highlight of the meal. The veal was cooked so well, lightly floured but crispy. Paired perfectly with the spinach and mushrooms. It was a total bomb, definitely blew my mind.
Foie Gras, Biscuits, Maple Sausage Gravy
This is another one of my favorite dishes of the night. Maple sausage gravy glazed on top of the biscuit, and the seared foie gras just sat on top of the dish. The sweetness of the maple, saltiness of the sausage, fattiness of the foie gras (melt in your mouth), crunch bits of the biscuits, everything was in harmony.
Emerald Beaut Plum, Rose, Black Lime
It was definitely unique, which is why we tried it. The fruit was very refreshing and the rose gave it a floral taste, which balanced the sweetness a little. It was a tad sweeter than I would like even with the lime added.
There are still a lot of interesting choices on the menu that we would like to try. For those who might feel a little more adventurous, there is veal brain, veal tongue, rabbit larb, etc. I would say it's a 4 out of 5, and I would definitely recommend this place.