TLDR; it’s worth the hype. A couple of courses didn’t resonate with me but altogether it was an incredibly delicious and very hospitable experience.
I strongly recommend the Anything But Wine pairing. This was probably one of the most unique / best pairings I’ve had. The yogurt-y/sochu cocktail sets off the lamb dish like no other. A few things I noticed—1.) the beverage program is led by Sammy faze who I recognized from Kumiko. He definitely brings the cocktail pedigree from his time there. You’re essentially getting impeccably crafted, super unique and very high technique-driven cocktails that also pair incredibly well with the food. And, he’s such a warm, enthusiastic and passionate guy! Him explaining the story and his personal interest in each drink was a huge part of our experience. My wife did the spirit free pairing and I can confirm those cocktails were just as complex and unique while maintaining the same flavor profile to pair with the food.
I think it’s worth recognizing that the chef is putting out a lot of food that have strong East/southeast Asian influences yet he hasn’t been getting lauded for it like other restaurants have. It’s super cool seeing a moo shu duck croquette and a curry clam dish on the menu. The only dish I didn’t enjoy as much was the prawn toast with sweet chili sauce—it felt a bit one note (akin to the sweet chili sauce you get with crab Rangoons) but I understood the reference nonetheless. But other dishes like the arroz caldo with queen crab + scotch lamb with tikka masala sauce have been talked about already and 100% live up to the hype.
Lastly, I guess this is par for the course for a spot like this but wanted to recognize the amazing hospitality and unstuffiness of the place. The front of house was super warm, pretty casual tbh and helped offset the formality of the chefs counter.
by johnluuu