My friend and I dined at Reverie this past Friday evening to try their 255 pp tasting menu. The interior is pretty minimal and modern, and our table had a great view of the kitchen.INITIAL PLATTER* BAY SCALLOP - The scallops were sandwiched between paper thin, crispy wafer in the shape of a scallop shell. The scallops were fresh, soft and sweet with lots of umami. We were impressed by the delicate layer of wafer and the technique required to create this.* MACKEREL - A piece of mackerel tucked inside a tart topped with some garnish. The bite had a burst of flavor with a hint of citrus, savoriness from the mackerel, and a nice crunch from the tart.* EEL DONUT - The donut had a sea umami flavor, but we thought it was too dry and took away from the flavors of the unagi (a small piece perched on top of the donut).* MADELEINE - This reminded us of a parm crisp and is super crispy. We would recommend eating it in a single bite because it falls apart easily.OCTOPUSThis was similar to a taco with a corn (?) tortilla shell. The char of the octopus was perfect with the grittier texture of the lobster roe. The vegetable and flower toppings were more for presentation rather than flavor. It was a nice two bites, but nothing extraordinary.HIRAMASAThe hiramasa was shaped a rose, which was fresh with a nice crunch. The roe added a nice, "poppy" texture with some smoky depth. The sauce reminded me of apple cider vinegar without the kick; it was buttery smooth, sweet, with a slight tartness.OYSTERThe oyster sat on top of a bed of rocks, topped with pink shards of granita. The granita gave the oyster a brighter sweetness and cooled it down, adding a refreshing taste. The oyster was extremely fresh with a very light brine. The cream and dollop of hazelnut and lemon oil gave it a creamy, citrusy flavor.CHEEKSThis is the fried cod's fancier cousin. The fish had a delicate and light batter that was crispy but not greasy and very soft. We squeezed a bit of lime, adding a hint of citrus that complemented the parsley oil aioli sauce on the side, which was creamy but light.CAVIARThe caviar was one of the best bites I've ever had. They gave a generous scoop, a pleasant sea umami and light briny flavor. This was a perfect balance of savory and sweet with a marmalade and jelly mixed into it. This one almost hints at dessert and made both of us smile.RAZOR CLAMSA bowl of Carolina gold rice, egg yolk fudge with cultured butter and topped with the razor clams. We mixed everything together. The texture of rice was broken like congee. The cultured butter and egg yolk fudge was a creamy glaze that wasn't gloppy. The clams had a perfect crunch that added texture to the creamy, rich and indulgent rice.HALIBUTThe halibut sat on top of a caramelized cream with a fish sauce base and topped with crispy leek. The halibut was too firm, just salty with no additional flavor. It was disappointing and uninspiring.We got a bit of bread and butter next. The focaccia bread was under-proofed, so it had a dense texture that lacked airiness and bounce. The truffle cultured butter didn't have much umami, but had a distinct funkiness to it that reminded me of goat cheese.FROMAGE BLANCOur first dessert, which was extremely delightful and playful. There was a granita disc surrounded by citrus tea and lemon oil(?). Upon breaking it, it revealed the fromage blanc with a blueberry compote. It was lightly cheesy with strong berry flavor and herbal notes that we enjoyed.RASPBERRYThis was a raspberry custard with more granita. Without the granita, this would have been too tart. The granita helped a lot to take away that tartness. Overall, plain in texture and flavor.DESSERT PLATTER* GERANIUM - Quick earthy flavor that disappeared before we could think about it with a nice sugar texture that's not too sweet.* FLØDEBOLLER - Super crunchy on the outside and creamy, bursting on the inside, but the white chocolate is too sweet. This was just OK.* PAW PAW - The jelly reminded me of a Cantonese dried plum without the tart and tangy flavor. After biting into it, it was very soft like honey.* FINANCIER - In the shape of a seashell, this was phenomenal. Nice, crispy chocolate crust with a delicate spongy texture. The sea truffly umami flavor upon placing it on my tongue was delightful. The milk chocolate sauce was a nice touch.We enjoyed a couple complementary drinks. The NON5 Lemon Marmalade & Hibiscus non-alcoholic drink was very hibiscus forward, lightly fruity with tangy flavors with a bit of a sparkling afterthought that was refreshing and not too sweet. The JET BLACK TEA reminded me of Philz Coffee's Philtered Soul, a hazelnut flavored coffee and one of my favorites.Reverie is a pricy 1-star Michelin with a strong focus on seafood. I'm glad we tried the tasting menu, but unsure if we'd come back again given the price. The staff was attentive and accommodating, and we had a pleasant experience!
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