Ex-Morimoto sushi man Gunawan Wibisono has opened an austerely white but charming little nook for sushi lovers in Old City that is a more ambitious counterpart to his popular Kami express near City Hall. It's still bare-bones, and the cooked menu needs refining, but Wibisono cuts some of the most satisfying (and well-priced) raw fish in town.
Chef-owner Bernard Dehaene brings a taste of his native Brussels to Headhouse Square with this handsome new Belgian bistro, where you can choose from 30 kinds of mussels and a range of simply done meats with about 20 sauces. Service was a problem, and the big beer list is still growing, but Zot's food already sets the mood for a happy ale-soaked outing. Reviewed June 3.
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The Monk's crew has opened a kindred bistro in beer-savvy Fairmount with 250 brews worthy of a Belgian drinker's admiration. The menu, though, is an unexpected disaster, from watery mussels to an odd fixation on vegan items that taste even worse than they sound. Stick with the burgers and beers.
Owner Wilson Encarnacion has the right idea in refocusing his forgettable cocktail lounge, World Fusion, into a high-style restaurant that updates authentic Filipino flavors for the Old City mainstream. The clever ideas and good flavors, though, were too often wasted with poor execution that is unacceptable at these prices.
The Westin jumps on the farm-to-table bandwagon with a remake of its Grill, touting local ingredients for updated comfort food for world-weary business travelers. Too many menu buzzwords and not enough consistent good cooking, though, make it feel like just another corporate hotel redo dressed up in the latest trends.
