Vege Much?

My review at Foodspotting

I read his (chef) publicly written "culinary vision" before I decided to dine here. Despite his perplexed forming of English sentences but (mighty) confident write up - with no sight of his past career portfolio nor last name given, I will give this a shot. Everyone deserves a shot with such confidence, right?

My biggest mistake was to not check out the eatery's menu before visiting. Sigh. When there, I ended up flipping the menu back and forth for almost 8 minutes, making sure I didn't miss something. I didn't.

Once there, I was greeted by a heavy stench of old trapped (food) fume. Rancid and putrid. The air ventilation here is awful even without having an open kitchen! If you are here, check out the diner next door, VinoVino Bistro, and you will know what I meant. Good restaurant layout in J.B thus far -ventilation, tables, bars, kitchen, et al. - Tells a lot about the restauranteur/chef/sommelier's actual working experiences and skills. Hope many more will follow suit.

The layout and theme was a bit of a mixed bag. There are so many sections of broken mixes. Theme-less and outré. The reverberation it created was an unpleasant experience for me to dine in. Suddenly, an oxymora popped in my head,

"Riot on An Empty Street"

Two senses killed. Just when I'm about to make a dash for the exit, my lunch companion has ordered and is hungry. Ah well.

Our orders. Mine was (mock) Scallops with Elephant Mushroom

I could be outdated on this but when someone asked if this is a vegetarian eatery, they didn't reply in their Facebook's Page; last checked in April 2013. Mind you, I'm not expecting it to be a Vegan outlet, but I cannot be 100% to assume it is a meat-free dining outlet, right? Will you expect a café named Elephant Café selling elephant meat?

So, when I saw its "scallop" dish is named SCALLOP in its menu without further elaboration, I really didn't expect they will use frozen packed mock seafood! Damn, I was so carelessly naïve.

Off the shelf pack and mock anything (food) are in my most hated list at dining out. Their first fail, considering he wrote so haughtily about the importance of good produces. It tells a lot about the chef's working experiences at his contacts for produce suppliers.

Come on! You can even get halibut in this town these days. And don't get me started on its greens. Hey, I can even get wild rocket in the neighbourhood's supermarket, not even a specialty grocer, so what's your excuse?

My lack of confidence forbade me to order the komatsuna dish. I have a lot of wonderful experiences with this dish from its indigenous country AND other restaurants. In various styles. I'm very fussy about the condiments being used. MUST be of reputated or decent brewers from Japan. So, when you visit Japan, try this unconventional travel agenda, go hunt and visit all types of brewers in rural areas. You will come to appreciate the pride of perfectionism, dedication and complex research/fermenting process.

So, is this eatery a lost cause? Personally, I wouldn't say yes. There is a glimmer of potential growth shown when I spotted his usage of fresh herbs over dehydrated types. The sauce he made has, perhaps, a decent level of effort thrown in. The formulae may need further refining but an effort tasted is an effort I appreciated loads.

If one is willing to grasps on the endless journey of could-be-better attitude, he/she will attains due respect and admiration. NOT neurotic perfectionist. Got difference, ok?

Want to know how a passionate, well-researched and talented autodidact vegetarian create? Check out Herbivoracious and Choosing Raw. Being vegetarian doesn't means you need to compromise on taste or nutrients. It is a general misconception. It won't make you feel you eat like a cow nor do you need to be bloated by starch. The earth is so vast, filled with fruits, plants, roots, edible flowers, edible fungus, herbs and multicoloured freshness.

Admittedly, I am a huge fanatic of raws! I will try produces (within logical health permits) in its raw form or raw with lightly enhanced condiment (NOT overwhelming, please) BEFORE I proceed to try other forms of handling. Most delightful and addictive experiences!

I hope many more will see that choosing to live on ONE particular type of diet doesn't mean you need to compromise on taste or the lack of proper nutrients your unique body/health requires. Produces are so vast and easier to obtain these days! From minerals to artisan farmers, and all across the seas and mountains. Try them at its most original form before you dove into the world of dish creation. Let your own taste sensor be your food encyclopedia. Embrace THEN create. Isn't that how your favourite dish was created? Know your produces.