The soft opening of the latest venture of Vargas, Balthazar, set in a cozy nook in the lanes off Taikang Lu / Jianguo Lu, offered 2-for-1 draft specials and a 30% discount on the total bill. The promos on SmartShanghai and CityWeekend were alluring enough to make a reservation at this "French bistro" and check things out. Plus, paying full-price is not attractive when a discount could be found.
As the layout of the restaurant is not suited for the slightly disabled or handicapped, we were seated outside on the cozy patio on a warm autumn evening, though left to the mercy of countless mosquitoes taking one last nip before winter hits. The seating of the restaurant is mainly on the second and third floors with bar space on the ground level. The “cheese cave” did not hold any cheese, but a prep area.
For dinner, we ordered the terrine de canard, lobster bisque, mushroom crepes, and confit de canard (which the kitchen ran out of, so instead they sent duck on a bed of spinach and beets) to go down with the 2-for-1 Hoegarten draft beers. With the busy soft opening, it almost seemed like our lovely Filipino server almost forgot about us.
The lobster bisque was an utter disaster. The color looked more brown than a flushed pink and the lukewarm bisque showed a failed attempt at any thickening (from the faint raw flavor of a roux that should not be there). It tasted more like some other crustacean than crab, devoid of flavor or character or a badly needed splash of sherry or more chunks of “lobster”. Even the lone dime-sized lump of “lobster” floating in the bisque was surprisingly dry.
The terrine de canard did not fare any better. It arrived on a plate with a small salad and drizzled with a sort of pesto sauce. Already that was wrong for serving. The complimentary bread was used as a vehicle for the terrine, which had more filler than actual duck.
Resembling enchiladas in a wide ramekin, the mushroom crepes appear to have been cooked in a manner similar to an enchilada. Mushrooms were wrapped by a crepe too thick and doughy before being placed in the ramekin, covered in a green crème sauce, and blasted under a boiler. The flavors came through individually, but did not marry in the dish.
Last hope for the duck, which had a nice flavor, but a little on the dry side. The spinach and beets, however, were really nice. Maybe the only redeeming quality of the entire meal.
Our server told us and begged us to offer our comments, suggestions, and criticisms of the meal and even went further to permit us to be brutally honest. The disappointment was great enough that she took off the lobster bisque from our final bill.
While waiting for the bill to arrive, a Chinese party found the chef at the entrance and also told him that the food was terrible. I was unsure if it was just my personal taste, but the sentiment reverberated through other diners (save one Vargas cheerleader on the CityWeekend site) showing the kitchen was still developing and needed drastic improvement. If only this Chinese man waited a few more moments for Vargas to show up and review the damage.
Vargas, please stick to what you know and try not to move too fast. With the restaurant gems bearing the Vargas name in Shanghai, it would be a shame to ruin a gastronomic reputation with quick expansion. All that talent could be lost in impulsive restaurant decisions resulting in poor execution, lack of attention, and dissatisfied fans.
Perhaps another visit is needed in the future to see if there has been any improvement in the kitchen since the soft opening. Anyone? Anyone?
Balthazar. No. 7, Lane 155 Jianguo Lu, Shanghai, China. Near Ruijin Lu and Taikang Lu.
No comments:
Post a Comment