Yes, I know that I just blogged on SPIN the other day, but this place deserves another go around. But, I'll try to make this shorter than the last. Let's cut to the chase. The first thing I want to recommend is to sit at the bar, the middle of the bar, so you can watch these chefs work. Its amazing how fast, calculating and yet almost whimsical they make cooking complex dishes seem. I recommend sitting front and center because all the chefs (from what I'm told) use to be sushi chefs at other esteemed restaurants before venturing to SPIN and if you've ever been to a sushi bar you know that every once in a while the chefs will give you tastes of other dishes...free. And the last I checked, getting food for free is good. Anyway, long story short...sit front in center, you'll get dinner and a show...and maybe if you're lucky some free grub. So now for the rest of the blog.
Appetizer: We ordered the "Gai Tot Nuggest: fried chicken bites in a spicy, salted soy bean and ginger vinaigrette with rhizome and sesame seeds." In a word....Delicious, two words...mouth watering, in three...well you get the point, its good. The chicken was nicely breaded and lightly fried and had a nice clean crisp texture. The nuggets were topped with sesame seeds and rhizomes which cut through what little oil that remained in the batter (A rhizome is...its basically a relative of ginger). Dip the nuggets in the plum sauce that its paired with, you won't be disappointed.
Tasting Plate: We didn't have one of these last time. It was describe to us as "bigger than an appetizer, but smaller than a full plate that is meant to be shared." So we ordered the "Quail: whole quial marinated with rosemary and lemongrass, seared and served green apple puree, shaved fennel, yellow zucchini, grilled sous vide leek, Thai stir fried kimchi and house boudain panko balls." The quail had a very flavorful crispy skin and was juicy and not overly cooked. The green apple puree actually accentuated the rosemary in the Quail and gave it another dimension of flavor . The stir fried vegetables weren't extraordinary, but still quite tasty, but the fried boudain panko balls were just about as good as the quail. My only criticism was that they didn't give us more. Give the Quail a try, it shouldn't be missed either.
Full Plate: My sister ordered the "Full SPIN: Slow roasted brisket, marinade in garlic, lemongrass, rosemary and Thai spices, with seasoned rice and a house chili paste, candied bacon, fried egg, grilled negi, purple cabbage salad and side sauce of ume, Thai chili, mint vinegar and cilantro." Now from what the Executive Chef told us (that's another plus to sitting at the bar, you can converse with the chefs) the "Full Spin" will be soon off the menu to be replaced with something new. According to the Chef, the menu is continuing evolving and when new items are introduced, other items are removed. But I'm getting off topic. To enjoy the full spin, you need to get a little bit of everything from the plate onto your spoon, at least that's what we were told....again by the Chef. Well instead of describing every single item on the plate, I'll just describe the combination of all of them in one bite. It was like introducing your tongue to parade float of flavors that combine the individual intricate tastes to become a unique and awesome single flavor. So get your FULL Spin on while you still can.
Full Plate (2): I ordered the "Seared Duck in Pineapple Curry: Duck breast, cured with 5-spice, pan-seared and served with a spicy pineapple curry, kaffir lime, grapes and pieces of pineapple, garnished with Thai basil and toasted bread." Though this was a still a very good plate, I think I liked the "Belly on Fire" that I had last time better. The only reasons why I say that is because the Duck Breast, though very moist and perfectly cooked and had a good amount of flavor (when eaten by itself) was lost in the spiciness of the curry. And the only other criticism I have of this dish is that it wasn't as spicy as the Belly on Fire, even though they both have the same spicy rating (two chilis). Overall the seared duck with the pineapple curry worked as a dish, I just wouldn't choose it over the Belly on Fire.
Remember how I said sometimes chefs give you stuff for free....well the Sous Chef did just that...he gave us the "Kabocha: crispy tempura Japanese pumpkin topped with green onions and a side of ajad cucumber sauce." Ajad cucumber is just pickled cucumber. Anyway, though I was already pretty full, I "forced" myself to try and finish off the Kabocha. The pumpkin flavor was very prevalent even after being lightly fried. I highly recommend saturating your pumpkin into the dipping sauce because the sauce brings out the pumpkin flavor even more and it cuts through the savory aspect of the dish with its acidity.
Dessert: Read my last blog on SPIN...We ordered the Coconut Pannna Cotta. ... here's yet another pic
Well since this is the first time I've ever blogged about the same place twice, you should definitely try this place out.
So until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.
-Henry
Thanks again!
ReplyDelete