Sonam

Ben Byruch sets no boundaries to the fusion in his "global dim sum." He'll put Asia, New Orleans and Africa onto one small plate.

May 25, 2008|By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
(Page 3 of 3)

The servers are also well versed on the menu's intricacies, though their attitudes - downright perturbed and curt one night, warm and helpful the next - were as inconsistent as Byruch's cooking.

Will you get a winner like those deep-fried cubes of gruyere cheese over tomato soup? Or an overthought dud like the deconstructed paella, a squishy coaster of saffron rice topped with chorizo oil and lightly torched raw sea bass cut so thick it was difficult to chew?

Byruch, I have true confidence, is talented enough to settle down, mature and focus. But the roller-coaster plates wouldn't stop before dessert. Pressing brioche bread pudding into a waffle-ironed crisp was a brilliant idea, my new favorite pedestal for a la mode. But he couldn't resist joining the long list of chefs who have done naughty things to creme brulee, this time adding so much lemongrass it was like spooning through soap pudding.

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Our journey really fell off that narrow path into the wilderness of bad fusion flavors, though, when I took a bite of the chocolate gelato. What was that salty, piggy chicharrone crunch?

The flavor of a young chef with promise still finding his way.


Next Sunday, restaurant critic Craig LaBan reviews Dream Cuisine in Cherry Hill. Contact him at 215-854-2682 or claban@phillynews.com.

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