CUT by Wolfgang Puck:its all in the name
It was a pre-theater dinner, I was going to see the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
It was however the dinner that I was looking forward too. Wolfgang Puck the Austrian, wrinkled but supposed meat genius. Streotypical in a sense, but what do we expect from the germanic areas? Meat surely.
Since it was a quick meal, done within an hour and fifteen…this just might not be too accurate.
The table started with “cheese bites”. Tiny balls of choux pastry tasting of a salty cheddar. A very forgettable dish in my view. It seemed reminescent of Ritz cheese crackers. The bite size ones witht he cheese cream.
I had an earthy olive and mushroom bread. This was pretty divine. A very earthy taste with the slight salted taste of brined olives but with the slight waxy taste of an olive. Very light, soft and crusty on the outside. The butter was rather dissappointing. Average butter with flakes of pink salt. The bread dominated the palate and would have done better with balsamic vinegar as opposed to the butter.
I had a shrimp cocktail served on a wasabi “skin” which acted as a base, served with avacado mousse and sauce which tasted very much like thai chilli sauce. You can’t fault the execution. Shrimp was fresh, wasabi base had the right consistency and potency, mousse creamy and sauce prettily painted on the plate. The taste however I didn’t think did amazing things for the palate. It was not bad, but the wasabi and chilli competed, and the mousse was tasteless next to the the 2 other sauces. Much more sophisticated sounding then tasting. I find its a rather thoughtless dish. More vogue then culinary.
The main of course was a meat. (They almost only do beef, with a couple of other meat options). I had a US style wagyu fillet mignion. The portions are very generous, hitting 300-400g per piece. The Mignion however was just under 200. And is probably the only option for people who just haven’t the spare room or are need a quick dinner.
It was done medium rare, and it was done medium rare. Moist inside and very easy to knife through. The outside was charred and the char with the moisture, and melting fats were very good. However, the char wasn’t even, with some bits charring nicely and others being browned but giving nothing of a smoky flavour. The meat however was good. But it must be said that end of the day it is but a steak and I think the cut does more for the flavour then the actual execution by the chef.
I didn’t have dessert, nor had a look at the dessert menu.
While the food isn’t bad, it isn’t inspiring. At the prices being charged, I doubt I’d return for a second more conclusive tasting.
It was mentioned at dinner by the host, that truth be told, its the name that they are selling not the food. I find myself having to agree. Adding that, the kitchen isn’t headed by Mr.Puck himself, but whoever he could get here. So perhaps the crazy expectations are unfair. But then again when you headline a restaurant with his name, there is a certain expectation and this expectation validated, when one needs to mortage ones house for a table at the restaurant.
Incidentally the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, like CUT is all in the name.
