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It was about 7/7:30
on Thursday during Hudson Restaurant Week, and Las Olas was not that busy. Most
of the occupants were sitting at the bar, chatting and eating and drinking
there, next to the neon glow of the enormous fish tanks. I went to sit further
in the restaurant, passed the squeezed space of the bar, where a fuller sitting
area was. And it gave me a perfect
view of the fish tanks, colorful and exotic.
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Our server was
super nice, and gave my fickle mind suggestions as to what to eat on the $35 prix fixe menu, and I went with almost everything she suggested, except for the
flan. We each ordered one drink, though all were tempting and with fun names
and alcohol. I got the pineapple cilantro margarita, which only tasted like
tang and tequila until the bottom where the pineapple chunks and sprigs of
green cilantro were hiding. My friend ordered the bright pink strawberry jalapeno
margarita, which was hot and sweet at the same time, just like summer.
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My friend opted
out of the prix fixe, but indulged in guacamole three ways; each way was a tiny
bowl of bright green and mild guac, topped with seasoned shrimp, salty bacon,
or strong gorgonzola. The guacamole was just chunky enough to feel authentic,
and the toppings made the avocado come alive.
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She also went
for the spicy tuna dumplings, recommended highly and frequently by one of her
friends. Each dumpling was a wanton stuffed with spicy tuna (like the sushi
roll), fried and served on a bed of guacamole, garnished with a little samba
sauce. These badboys were surprisingly delicious, with a wild variety of
textures, hot and cold temperatures, and a range of flavors. Each dumpling was
one and a half bites of fun and surprise.
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For my first
course, on the recommendation of our lovely server, I got the salmon kani
poppers in lieu of the asian style wings and the guacamole starter. These bites consisted
of kani salad wrapped in salmon sashimi and finished with a hot hot wasabi yusu
sauce. The textures were raw and unsettling in a way, kind of slimy and wet,
but that is what raw fish generally feels like. It was light and fresh, and
most certainly, delicious.
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Despite the rave
reviews of the fish tacos from friends and reviews alike, I sided with my
server and got the tiger roll, which is soy bean paper filled with spicy crab,
shrimp tempura and avocado, topped with a little chipotle sauce. The rice was
cooked nicely, tender and almost buttery, and each grain felt separate. The
crab, shrimp tempura, and avocado each offered a different texture— stringy,
crunchy and smooth and creamy— while the chipotle brought a smoky flavor to the
sushi roll.
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For dessert I
had the mochi, the ambiguous and mildly contradicting ice cream wrapped in rice
paper dessert. I got strawberry flavored mochi, and my plate was an abstract
play of strawberry and chocolate syrup, three tiny balls of mochi, and far too
much whipped cream. But it was delightful. These mochi were fresh; the rice
paper was like thin stretchy dough, sweet and chewy, preventing the melting ice
cream from becoming a giant mess on the plate.
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The food was
pretty good and the service was prompt and friendly, but unfortunately, I do
not feel that the dinner prix fixe was the best deal. My only regret was going
for dinner instead of lunch, as the menus were exactly the same according to
the website, but lunch was half expensive. I also did not leave as satiated as
I wanted to. It was nice to have a light meal, but the price was not right.
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I will be back,
though, to try the fish tacos everyone is talking about.
RER
8.1.13
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food for thought...