In terms of a romantic ambience, the new SoBo address gets its game spot on
Jambalaya with shrimps
A chandelier hangs above our head from a tree as we sit at our table for two at Dine at The Quarter. It's one of the many lighting up the outdoor restaurant, which has the majestic Royal Opera House overlooking it from one side. Candles add to the date-like setting, and mirrored walls covered tastefully in foliage complete the setting. So overall, in terms of a romantic ambience, the new SoBo address gets its game spot on.
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Mung beans with jicama and Japanese cucumbe
But there are some things that leave more to be desired. And one of them is the mung beans with jicama and Japanese cucumbers ('300). The dish arrives with a wafer of crispy Parmesan balanced on top. That wafer and the stinging freshness of the accompanying rocket leaves are the only discernible flavours in this otherwise insipid starter. The jicama, a kind of Mexican turnip, adds little value and the lemon-based dressing lacks viguor. And for the life of us we can't make out how a Japanese cucumber is any different from the desi version.
Oyster with The Quarter
The meal starts on a positive note, however. We first ask for oyster with The Quarter concoction ('200), a more vinegar-heavy version of Tabasco, before the mung beans debacle. The fun of having a raw oyster is that for a split second, it can feel as if you are unlocking all the mysteries of the ocean in one slurp. And the one we are served at this restaurant is so fresh that we have to tip our hat to the person sourcing the produce.
Grilled seabass
Moving on to the mains, we order grilled seabass with charred corn, cherry tomato and flava bean succotash ('550), apart from jambalaya with shrimps and smoked pork sausage ('600). Again, the produce and the ingredients are the stars of the dishes. The fish falls off the fork and sits on a bed of the succotash. But the jambalaya overshadows it when it comes to both quantity and flavour. This particular version is made with tomatoes and the shrimps in it are full-bodied and chewy, while yet being soft. And the size of the portion more than justifies its pricing, which is just as well because the servings of all the other dishes leave you asking for more.
The exteriors of Dine at The Quarter
In fact, the entire experience of eating out at Dine at The Quarter leaves a nagging feeling of having been incomplete. A part of the fault would have to lie with the service, because even though the waiters look busy, you find yourself sitting with an empty glass and asking twice to have it refilled with water. The menu itself is spartan, running into just two pages. But the main reason, we suspect, is that the hype that surrounded the restaurant's opening is something it hasn't lived up to just yet. There is more work needed for that to happen. Don't get us wrong, though, since it's still a perfectly lovely place to go to for a date, especially after a concert at The Royal Opera House. Sadly, it just so happens that we aren't on one.
Food Limited
Ambience Excellent
Service Poor
Cost Not too high
verdict *
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