|
Review content:
When we called Coi last month just to see if they were open yet, we found out that the first night they were open to the public was that Saturday (April 14), so we decided to go on a whim (even though first nights can sometimes be iffy).
You'd never believe that this place used to be Great Water Thai. The space has been completely transformed into an elegant dining room, with a lounge in front. The dining room itself is only 30 seats, so it's not that large, but it's comfortable and spacious enough that you aren't sitting right on top of the people next to you.
That night they were only serving a four course prix fixe menu ($75), with a choice of one of three dishes (four for dessert) for each course, and the food was excellent. For an idea of the food, I started with the scallops marinated In delicate rosemary oil, which was really delicious, and then the asparagus soup with mint and blood orange scented Bellwether Farm ricotta, which was also excellent. I chose the poached and seared lamb rack for the main course, again excellent, and a surprisingly large portion as well. My dessert was a warm bittersweet chocolate tart with tamarind gelee and smoked yogurt, which was a really interesting and unique combination of tastes. They use local, organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible, so every dish was fresh and full of flavor, in addition to being creative.
The chef, Daniel Patterson, personally thanked each diner for coming in. They plan to serve a nine course tasting menu along with a four course tasting menu each night, which will accommodate both real food lovers and people who want a shorter, more traditional meal.
A couple of interesting things to note: if you order sparkling water (they serve Gerolsteiner), they won't leave the bottle on the table, but instead will personally pour it for you and always make sure that you have a full glass. Also, unlike most restaurants, the charge for sparkling water isn't added to the bill. Nor is there a charge for the coffee (which is served in your own personal French Press). They do, however, add an automatic 18% service charge to the bill, which I have mixed feelings about. It says that they strive to give excellent service, but what about the times when they don't? As the night went on and people started to leave, the staff did get a little distracted and were a little less attentive than they were in the beginning of the meal, but I'm chalking that up to the fact that it was their first night. All in all, an excellent dinner.
|