An
☆☆☆☆☆
2800 Renaissance Park Place, Cary
Originally reviewed by Greg Cox on 5/10/2013
After whetting our palates with champagne and expertly crafted cocktails, the feast began in earnest when our waiter set an ancient and gnarled grapevine on the table. Nestled in the crooks of its thick, sawn-off branches, rustic earthenware plates bore irreproachably fresh nigiri sushi of Japanese snapper and salmon belly; sea urchin on Japanese custard spiked with bourbon-barrel-aged fish sauce; and an artful composition of quail egg and foie gras. That was one course.
The procession that followed – a sampling from the regular menu interspersed with off-menu creations – maintained the lofty standard. A few highlights: sashimi, as flawless as the nigiri, with wasabi root (the real thing!) grated on sharkskin at the table; hamachi tartare, spangled with a rainbow confetti of roe, snipped herbs and chive blossoms; seared sea scallop in an ambrosial puddle of vanilla coconut broth; pork two ways (sous vide belly and grill-seared tenderloin); and rice-crusted flounder over fine egg noodles in a broth whose translucence belied its deep, earthy flavor.
Read the full review and others at themenunc.com.
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