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2014-05-01
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It was a girls' night out and we started with a bottle of rosé. The restaurant is spacious but the music was extremely loud, probably because there is no carpet to absorb the sound. The restaurant is well-staffed, and we were quite surprised that there were so many people working in the open kitchen. The choice of set tasting menu is simple, either the regular ($788) or the Feast ($988), and we were feeling hungry, so Feast for everyone. You have to choose the same tasting menu for the whole tab
Before we started, we were sent the complimentary snack platter, everything was nice on the plate, but not spectacular. Then we were served a shot of fluorescent green drink. We were told it was fermented jasmine tea with matcha. It was the most foul drink I have ever been served - it simply tasted and smelled like toilet cleaner. We reflected to the waitress that we did not like the drink. Two minutes later, the manager came and 'explained' why we should like the drink (because for some medicinal or wholesomeness reasons) and the drink is exactly how the restaurant serves it. Fine, we just didn't like it. But he just went on and on, trying to convince us that we were wrong in not knowing how to appreciate the drink. In the end, we had to stress that it was us not them. Some kind of service.
OK, the tasting menu.
Oyster - Gillardeau oyster, cucubmer and wasabi.
This was a much better dish than the horrible drink, we liked the wasabi sauce.
Tomatoes - Zen heirloom tomatoes, king crab, tomato water, herbs, blossoms.
Really refreshing and the tomato water was superb.
Salmon - Irish organic salmon, beetroot, smoked buttermilk, dill.
Bland, and the beetroot slices were too acidic. The beetroot countered the smoked buttermilk.
Salad - Zen organic vegetables, garden herb butter, aged parmesan.
This was very refreshing as well, the little sweetcorn was the best. And the parmesan crisp was delicious.
Egg - Taiyouran egg, mixed grains, shiitake mushroom, garlic chive.
This was the best dish of the evening. The egg yolk was runny and mixed perfect with the mixed grains and mushroom. The garlic chive was a bit overpowering.
Bread - house baked rye sourdough bread, mushroom butter.
I'd come back for the bread and the mushroom butter, superb.
At this point, we were reminded that we just finished our bottle of rosé, so we were provided with a wine list. We ordered a bottle of pinot grigio. Two minutes later, the same manager came and asked why didn't we consider a bottle of red. Because we didn't WANT one! If the restaurant would like to recommend a pairing wine, they should have done it before we decided on the wine (like any other restaurants), and we'd welcome recommendations. But not after the diners have made their decision.
Chicken - Roasted chicken, cauliflower, seaweed, oyster emulsion.
We couldn't quite see the point of this dish at all. The cauliflower was grilled perfectly, but the chicken rolled in seaweed was not the best idea.
Beef - Stockyard smoked wagyu cheek, black garlic.
The cheek was tender, but it wasn't flavorful enough.
Guava - Guava, coconut, roselle.
Palate cleansing.
Chocolate - Bitter chocolate, orange, hazelnut.
Everything on the plate was nice, but it was not a spectacular dessert to finish a tasting menu.
For a restaurant that serves 'nourishing gastronomy', we couldn't quite see that point. The ingredients were fresh, but they were not necessarily handled well to bring out all the flavors. To be fair, the food was about average, but not worth the $988/person price tag.
The service was definitely not up to the standard. In our two encounters, the manager was absolutely annoying and off putting. The music was loud so the waiters couldn't introducing the dishes clearly (btw, the waiters need pronunciation training).
NUR is not for encore.
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