My dining companion advised me that she had been denied access to Clio sushi bar dishes in the main restaurant previously. Hence, we arrived about 1/2 hour earlier than our reservation at the main restaurant, to see if we could grab a seat at the no-reservations sushi bar. There is a separate bar area for drinks, but, if there is room at the sushi bar, the receptionists did not appear to object to guests spending time there.
The sushi bar is to the right, after a couple of steps along a downward staircase, when one enters the restaurant. There were perhaps less than eight sushi bar seats, and less than seven tables. The three "sushi chefs" (with all respect; it was somewhat unclear whether the men had been trained as traditional sushi chefs) were busying themselves behind a small counter that did not offer a full range of ingredients. Two of the three were not Japanese in ethnicity, not that that is relevant. The sushi bar menu had some plated/constructed Nobu-type sushi dishes, including O'Toro tartare that my dining companion pronounced to be as good as that at Nobu NY.
(1) Santa Barbara Sea Urchin with Hamachi, Yuzu Vinaigrette, Radishes and Onion Seeds" ($15).
My order of this dish reflected the inclusion of this dish among the appetizers offered by the main restaurant, and my liking sea urchins. This dish was good-to-very-good, with three to four relatively thick, fresh and rather fatty (as far as yellowtail goes) hamachi sitting in a slightly citrus-y (from the yuzu) vinaigrette. The fattiness of the yellowtail was noteworthy. On top of the hamachi slices were perhaps 3-4 boxed sea urchins -- although boxed, they were nice. The Aji Amarillo aspect of the dish was appropriately limited.
At the sushi bar, I drank a "Silk Kimono" (Momokawa Asian-pear-infused sake, midori and orange juice). This drink appeared in a large martini glass, with a bit of reddish color at the bottom "tip", and was a light green color. A nice concoction that I would order again as an aperatif, with hints of apple-ly and perfumed flavors).
(2) Ragout of Calamari with grains of paradise, Argan oil and carrot emulsion ($14).
An interesting dish, and one that transformed the intrinsic taste of carrots (in a good way). The carrot puree had been integrated into a broth containing coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper. The argan oil was, thankfully, appropriate limited in quantity. (When I last encountered argan oil in a dish, it was at Gagnaire recently -- problematic) The overall saucing effects were rather interesting.
The calamari had been fashioned into long, tagliatelli-like strands. They were presented in a mound, with strands a bit like pasta strands. Appropriately cooked. Also, the pasta-like effects helped the calamari absorb the saucing. I liked this version better than the calamari-or-squid-like-seafood pasta item at Nobu.
(3) 1/2 Tagliatelli with Fresh White Truffle Shavings ($60 for shared single order; we did not inquire as to the price prior to ordering, but when our dining room team member described it as "very expensive", even though less so than prior years, I was picturing $100. My dining companion and I agreed that, had we known it was $60, we would have each ordered a full serving)
This was the only daily special in place on the night in question. Our dining room team member (whose service was good, until the pitfall regarding the mignardises described below; also an effective French-speaking maitre d') recounted in some detail (in a good way) how Clio always orders white truffles when they become available. He noted that the white truffles in question were from Italy (no kidding!) and that they were fresh and had not been frozen. I observed it seemed just slightly early for white truffles, but ordered the dish with relish. These would indeed be my first white truffles for this season!
The dish arrived at the table -- quite aromatic, with truffle shavings that were nice in quantity, and from a reasonably large white truffle. The pasta had been wound into a coiled mound that was a long rectangular in shape. The saucing had been tossed into the pasta already, being butter-based, bearing diced chives and also having nicely integrated Parmesan (likely) components. This was a good base for the truffles. Also, the amount of pasta and white truffles was rather large. Even with 1/2 helping, I felt the tagliatelle quantity was fine.
(4) Sweet Butter Basted Maine Lobster with Chanterelles, Fava Beans and Vin Jaune 'Arboir ($36).
This dish was fundamentally flawed, and an assessment of poor (instead of poor-minus or very poor) might have been unduly generous. I ordered this dish because the butter basting reference brought to mind T Keller's butter poaching of lobsters (I think the poaching method is essentially used by Orringer for this dish) and because the combination of vin jaune (yellow wine from the South of France) with lobster is a signature dish at a Parisian three-star. However, Clio's lobster dish was unappealing. First, the Maine lobster utilized lacked the delicacy and flavor in its flesh of Brittany lobsters. While the Clio lobster had an acceptable texture (slightly "crisp", in an appropriate way), the flesh lacked a true lobster flavor. Second, the lobster was presented deshelled and whole (or cut into no more than two pieces for the whole lobster). Third, and crucially, the kitchen had cooked the yellow wine to the point where its predominant mark on the lobster dish was its sour and acidic aftertaste in the saucing. This was a fundamental flaw in the dish. The fava beans were limp and unattractive looking, and the chanterelles fared little better. For some reason, they seemed to be stubby, very short-stalked chanterelles that were not particularly tasty to begin with, and that had in addition been overcooked. A dish that, through its pure misguided effects, highlighted how wonderful the dishes on which it may have been predicated actually are.
I sampled meaningful amounts of my dining companion's Roasted Suckling Pig and Spareribs with Young Turnips, Kohlrabi and Honshimiji Mushrooms. This dish was not particularly good either because (1) the significant amount of crackling included had literally no fat associated with it and seemed to lack lusciousness, (2) the suckling pig (belly?) meat was too soft and lacked real flavor, and (3) star anise had been utilized with too severe a hand by the kitchen.
(5) Mignardises.
We were too full for dessert, and ordered only espresso. Plus, I have been attempting to diet for several weeks now (unsuccessfully). When the four small pieces of mignardises arrived, our dining room team member literally indicated the following (or something very similar): "Our pastry chef didn't want you to go without anything, and is offering these mignardises for your sampling". Perhaps those were not the words, because the clear implication of the normal reading of the member's literal words would have been that the items offered were being offered *unusually* and free of charge. I replied, amusedly: "I was hoping to receive mignardises, as they are routinely offered here and at comparable establishments."
The dining room team member was a bit taken aback (by the substance, although not the method of expression, of my remark), and muttered something to the effect that at Clio, people sometimes send back the mignardises on account of not having ordered them. What sort of guests is this restaurant attracting, I asked myself? Clio is one of the more high-end restaurants in Boston, and caters to what I believe would be a reasonably informed crowd.
Interestingly, the table next to me did not seem particularly informed. Immediately upon being seated, the man at that table asked our dining room team member whether Clio offered wines by the glass?! First, I wouldn't have asked that as my first question to a dining room team. Second, there are always wine by the glass at restaurants like Clio (query depth and quality -- but they are always available). Interestingly, that table ordered a la carte like we did, and received a complimentary appetizer when it did not order one. Generous of the chef, but perhaps rewarding the non-ordering of appetizers by that table, relative to our table, which, with the sushi bar orders, had ordered 2.5 or 3.5 appetizers per diner. Note I am not unhappy with the free appetizers received by the other table (they were actual appetizers from the menu, in full size, as my dining companion had ordered the same thing). I am merely observing that the restaurant, despite solicitous treatment of us by the maitre d' and dining room team member, was perhaps more generous to diners who were evidently budget-conscious. That could be taken as a positive for a restaurant, I suppose.
The mignardises were appropriate, particularly the small kiwi gelee cube. However, there were a total of four pieces for two people.
As always, I note our bill. It was $340-375 after tax and before tip, with a $85 bottle of 1998 Chassagne Montrachet, Chateau de la Maltraye included. The bottle of Chassagne Montrachet, Ramonet, and the white Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape on which I had my eye from the restaurant's indicative wine list on its website were not available.
A final note. Orringer uses more Asian spicing and other ingredients than I had previously thought (yuzu; radishes; sea urchin -- which also appears in the appetizer of Cassolette of Lobster and Sea Urchin with Yuzu and Japanese Pepper; lychee -- which accompany a roasted Muscovy duck, etc.)
