THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Opus Co. Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Opus Co. Restaurant Review:

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED About the restaurant: With a half-dozen tables and a couple of seats at the counter, it seems hard to imagine that a restaurant specializing in multi-course tasting menus could make it in this former sandwich shop. But it only gets more impressive when considering the kitchen --- or rather, the hallway with a few burners in it.

Likes: Bright but balanced flavors; impeccable drink curation.
Dislikes: Hard to get reservations.

Food & Drinks: Guests sitting down to seared steelhead with kasu “risotto,” bonito-rubbed lamb loin and crispy rice would envision an entire brigade behind the subtle, complex flavors. But, in fact, this is the hand of only chef Mark Schroder and his tiny kitchen crew. The menu balances Asian influences with Western fine-dining technique and the kind of sense of humor needed for such a small space, as in the “lamb spam” starter. House-made pickles and kimchi keep tastes bright, while the whole-animal butchery keeps them exciting, forcing creativity with off cuts and in-house sausage making, like the pork one that comes with herby flatbread. Even simple sides, like the aforementioned crispy rice (which is true to its name), come loaded with flavor: fermented black bean sprinkle, grilled onion in that case. The wine list is short (due to space restrictions) and the cocktails lineup even shorter --- a few bottles on a shelf serve as the bar --- but they are expertly curated to match the à la carte and tasting menu dishes. An amaro-fueled Manhattan, in its infinite complexity, complements the umami-laden fare. Desserts like an airy carrot cake or buttermilk ice cream end the meal with a bite of sweetness, just enough to send the diner on their way still dreaming of the savory courses.