Tasting Menu, $115, November 2017
After months of trying to score a reservation, I was happy to find out that Alo had changed its booking system to every first Tuesday of the month for the following month's seating. On that fateful Tuesday at 10am, I clicked and refreshed for 15 minutes and ended up with a 9:15pm spot.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Alo. Upon stepping out of the elevator onto the 3rd floor, I immediately felt like I had stepped into another world. Part uneasy, part excited. There is the bar on one side, a very dark space, followed by the kitchen and the dining area - small and intimate. Service was excellent. The room was quite cold near the end. Be prepared for a 3 hour meal - the dishes come out fairly slowly.
Food-wise, there were some hits and misses, depending on personal preference.
My favorites were:
- Canapes - foie gras cubes (one with some puffed rice, one with caramel) and gougères - a pastry cheese ball
- Amuse Bouche - venison tartare
- Oyster on potato puree - I loved the creamy potato puree but the oyster was fishy
- Homemade pasta with fontina cheese, chestnut, squash
- Hokkaido scallop - can see the technique from the thinly sliced green tomatoes and grapes on top
Not a fan of the mains:
- Pork belly - wasn't particularly soft, didn't like the pairing with coriander sauce
- Rib eye - parts were overcooked and not a fan of the sweet sauce
There was a pre-dessert (lemon and cucumber puree sorbet - very refreshing), and 2 desserts - an apple based and a white chocolate based. Both were similar in that they included some sort of icecream/cream, meringue/chocolate and had a modern presentation.
Recommended for a fine-dining experience for date-night/special occasion.