Chakra

[fatcatbrew]

The flowers are orchids. They were not given out on departure during my second visit.

Bartenders/Wait Staff are still sleep walking.

Aahh - This place has such potential but there is something important missing.

[fatcatbrew]

FYI to Tommy

They do have Dom by the glass - $40.00 each.

[tommy]

FYI to Tommy

They do have Dom by the glass - $40.00 each.

that's very odd. i wonder if they move it?

the missing part, i'd say, is soul. overall, the place seems like it probably doesn't have much. i'm sure the chef (formerly of the UN) is putting his heart into it, and cares about it, but i'm not so sure about the rest of it. i'm pretty sure more than a few people went into this venture, including a neighbor of mine. i get the feeling it's the "hey, i've got an extra 200k and i would love to take my friends to "my" restaurant/bar" approach to restaurateuring. i can only hope they get their money back (and i hope it doesn't all come from me!)

some of the servers (mine, specifically), were fantastic and motivated. i can imagine that others aren't, just as with most places in NJ.

Edited February 22, 2004 by tommy (log)

[fatcatbrew]

It is ironic.

Chakra means center of spiritual energy, and it seems that "energy" is the main ingredient that this place is lacking in my opinion.

[Rosie]

Chakra, is a Sanskrit word that means wheel or disk and signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body as well as levels of consciousness.

[tommy]

had a really good meal here last night, with a couple of exceptions.

edit: i forgot the amuse, which was a small salmon roll in black bean sauce. the nori wasn't as crisp as i like, but i'm sure they're made ahead of time, so it might be unavoidable. still, it was a nice way to kick off the meal.

they have a tasting of oysters, which is 6 oysters each with a sauce. the sauces range from truffles to spicy. last night's oysters were kumamoto, which i love. however, they're so small and delicate, i thought the sauces overwhelmed the natural taste a bit. additionally, each was served with a bit of micro greens on top, which i think added too much noise to something that, in my opinion, is best left in its purest form. we had two orders so we could each try everything.

the tuna three ways consists of tuna tartare, tuna sashimi, and a tuna roll. the fish seemed super fresh, and the dish was big enough to share. i'll be ordering this again, especially if i'm having a raw fish craving (which comes once a day for me).

a special of veal cheek ravioli in a foie gras sauce was most excellent. the pasta was paper thin, which i'm sure Mario B would hate. the sauce didn't have much of a pronounced foie gras flavor, but that's just as well as the dish was rich enough as it was. clean flavors. not a huge dish. in fact, i'd order it as an app next time.

osso bucco of monkfish was outstanding. the fish was cooked perfectly. aggressively seasoned with cracked black pepper and served in a broth (i forget the details), and fresh artichoke. a super dish, and a beautiful dish.

slip ups:

i called to make a reservation, and got an answering machine. so i used their website to submit a reservation, giving my email address and phone number. after not hearing back, i called, and the girl seemed to have no idea what i was talking about. there's no excuse for that. the receptionist should be trained enough to know that there's an online reservation "system" in place. and don't even get me started if it's the case that the online stuff goes into the ether (which i assume it does).

we were a bit fatigued by the end of the meal, but we wanted to take home dessert to have with some sherry on the couch. i asked the waiter if we could take home dessert, and which ones would travel for 5 minutes, and we made our decisions. he came back and said he was sorry but "the chef won't do take-out". i asked him if he told the chef that we had dinner and ordered wine and the whole deal, and he assured me that he did but the answer was "no". he then said that if we wanted to order dessert for the table, he could then wrap anything that we didn't finish, effectively suggesting that we order it, he brings it to the table, he then brings it back and has it wrapped to go. i told him to "tell the chef that i don't want to play games". i can appreciate "rules", but this one seemed to be applied without a consideration for customer service. tsk tsk.

2 glasses of sparkling wine and 1 bottle of amarone. about 140 before tip. (the oysters, although listed at 10 bucks, came out as 8 bucks an order on the bill)

Edited February 29, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Helena Robinson]

we were a bit fatigued by the end of the meal, but we wanted to take home dessert to have with some sherry on the couch.    i asked the waiter if we could take home dessert, and which ones would travel for 5 minutes, and we made our decisions.  he came back and said he was sorry but "the chef won't do take-out".  i asked him if he told the chef that we had dinner and ordered wine and the whole deal, and he assured me that he did but the answer was "no".  he then said that if we wanted to order dessert for the table, he could then wrap anything that we didn't finish, effectively suggesting that we order it, he brings it to the table, he then brings it back and has it wrapped to go.  i told him to "tell the chef that i don't want to play games".  i can appreciate "rules", but this one seemed to be applied without a consideration for customer service.  tsk tsk.

I can't resist....

Why do I keep envisioning that scene with Jack Nicholson in the diner in the movie "Five Easy Pieces" where he tries to order a sandwich?

In any event, maybe someday we'll have one of our Bergen County Adventures and try this restaurant!

Edited February 28, 2004 by Helena Robinson (log)

[tommy]

do with know if chakra is open on mondays?

[Rosie]

The restaurant is open daily 5 to 11 PM; bar 5 PM to 3 AM. For reservations call 201-556-1530.

[tommy]

had a less-than-stellar meal here recently.

high and lowlights:

service was painfully slow. it took what seemed like 20 minutes for a server to come over. all i wanted was to sit down and have a glass of prosecco, however the heavens were conspiring against me.

foie gras and short ribs - foie gras was burnt and dry. i didn't even finish it, and i'm a foie gras *freak*. the short ribs (rib) were charred as well, and not in any type of sauce (although they were presumably cooked in a sauce). this left the meat dry, and the outside was practically inedible as it was so hard and dry. the 2 reductions (one sweet, one meat-based) were very good, and a nice idea wtih the foie gras/beef combo.

the sweetbread dish was very good, if not a bit skimpy.

grilled octopus salad was a highlight again. the dish is just great.

cod was a bit too subtle for my friend. it was nicely cooked, but i agreed that the flavors just weren't assertive enough.

an overpriced bottle of burgundy (they only offer 2 or 3), 3 glasses of prosecco, and it was about 210 after tip. i expect a bit more at that price point. i think i'll be more tempted to go to the village green the next time i'm in the mood for a meal like that.

edit: one more thing that really gets me: after we decided what we were going to have, orchestrating the meal as we were planning on sharing, and basing the wine decision partly on the dishes, we were informed at the time of ordering that they were out of one of the dishes that we wanted. i don't know why managers don't understand that this is completely unacceptable, and, why they don't drill that fact into the staffs' head. although i have a feeling that poor and clueless management is behind just about every service blunder from McDonalds on up.

another edit: it occurs to me that the glasses of prosecco were about half pours. that's not very nice. and they don't have armagnac, nor did anyone seem to know what it was.

Edited April 2, 2004 by tommy (log)

[finker99]

We went there for my wife's birthday with about a dozen people.

Overall my experience seems to match the other posters

The service was ok, it did seem like they were trying and the minor problems were things that I think will improve with age. A little disorganized would be the best way to describe it.

My wife and I split the Jumbo seafood tower and it was all very tasty, the sea urchin roe was very fresh and was served with just a little micro green sprinkled on top (a prevalent garnish) My wife and her friend wolfed down the slamon tartare. The oysters(Pacific) and clams were tasty and I just had them with a little of the nice and tart mignonette sauce. Shrimp that were plump and tasty and a nice hard shelled lobster.

I also had a gorganzola salad that was pretty good with a mellow marinated gorganzola and peppery greens.

My entree was the roasted garlic stuffed prime rib chop at $42. My feelings on it are ambivelent. It was a little unevenly cooked, possibly from stuffing, and the parts that were not in contact with the garlic I felt were not as tasty as many other steaks I had. The fatty outer ring of meat, and the parts that were touching the very deeply roasted garlic slices were, however, delicious, and some of the tastiest pieces of meat that I have had in a while.

Kathleen had grilled scallops which were delicious and fresh, although she prefers here scallops with a little more butter fat.

Speaking of butter.... On the table they had french butter tubes, still in the wrapper to go with the delicious bread that they put out and what looked like little bowls of sea salt. A very nice touch I thought

Dessert was a molten chocolate cake, one of the better versions of this dessert that I have had. One of the other guys got a pineapple dessert that was passed around because it was huge. I looked good and my co diners seemed to enjoy it but I was too into my chocolate cake.

Overall I enjoyed my meal and the bill came out to $70 per person tip and drinks included which was less than I expected. The place is a little pricey for Jersey, but the decor and ambieance were worth it. Copper lined menus, comfortable large chairs, nice, dark wood tables, proper glassware, a color changing wall, a ceiling full of stars (fiber optics, not stickers like Fink's). It is definately worth the premium.

The couple of problems that the place does have do seem to be growing pains and the service should get tighter as the staff works together. I am looking forward to going back on my next day off (maybe in June)

Fink

[tommy]

finker, was this wednesday night by any chance? if so, i was sitting right next to your table.

i don't like those metal menus. there's another place that i've been to recently with metal menus. the smell of metal gets on my hands, and i have to wash them after ordering. that's just silly.

[adegiulio]

A friend of mine ate at Chakra last night. His impression was overly negative. In a nutshell, the service was lousy, the food was average (two items needed to be sent back) and the prices were quite outrageous. The decor, he said, was quite nice and the only attractive thing about the place. He adamantly said he would not go back....

Anyone else have similar experience? Was this a bad night for Chakra or the norm? Tommy, you have any updates??

Anthony

[tommy]

Anyone else have similar experience? Was this a bad night for Chakra or the norm? Tommy, you have any updates??

haven't been since the beginning of april.

it seems they're hit or miss.

regarding the service, i don't expect much, so i'm rarely let down. but on my last visit it was much too slow.

overall, the place seems hit-or-miss. and that can be an expensive and frustrating "miss".

[tommy]

All I wanted last night was a glass of prosecco and some decent food. After toying with the idea La Cambusa in Fairlawn or Legal Seafood, I thought a visit to Chakra might do the trick. After all, they have prosecco, and it was a Tuesday night, so it wouldn’t be crowded, right?

I walked in to a relatively crowded restaurant. I asked the host if seating 2 people would be a problem. “not at all.” With that I told him that I would be outside making a phone call. I called mrs. Tommy to tell her to come down. I used the men’s room for 1 minute and came back out to the host stand where I told the fella that my wife would be here momentarily. He stated that he forgot to take me name. Now this wasn’t too much of a concern, although several couples had walked in after me. 3 minutes later we were both ready to eat. I asked the host if we could be seated, and I was told that it would be 20 minutes, because “right now, every table is booked.” You must be joking. 10 minutes earlier it was “no problem.” This annoyed me to no end. Had I known there would be a wait, I would have went elsewhere. Not a good way to start a Tuesday night dinner.

So we sit at the bar and have a drink. And we wait. And wait. Finally I send mrs. Tommy to the host to ask how much longer it’s going to be. Now there’s a new guy there and he’s all like “I can seat you right now.” She basically had to ask why all of a sudden we could be seated, and she’s told that there are tables open. She says “well why have we been sitting at the bar for 20 minutes waiting for a table?” of course, there was no real explanation at this point. The guy was somewhat apologetic and we jump in the table.

I should mention that there’s a 5 piece band playing. Loudly. Way too loud for that room. Way too loud for a Tuesday night. Now folks, I’ve played drums for half of my life, and I’ve played in rock bands for 15 years, and I’ve been to countless rock shows, and this, still, was, too, loud.

To make a long story short, service was slow, to the point that I wanted to fall asleep. Music was loud, to the point that it was keeping me awake. The food ranged from really good (tuna tartare) to pointless (salmon with bok choy on a pile of mashed potatoes).

I don’t recall saying this many times in my life, but that’s $140 I’ll love to take back right now.

The highlight of the night was sitting next to Leslie West, of Mountain. That was pretty cool.

But even a Leslie West sighting isn’t enough to get convince me to go back to Chakra.

[fatcatbrew]

I have had several friends complain about Chakra lately, and specifically about the confusion with the hostess re: seating. Sounds like you had an aggravating experience. Most of the staff at Chakra seem to be inexperienced and not interested in gaining experience.

[tommy]

i also noticed that the menu didn't seem as exciting this time around. i'm afraid that my initial concerns about this place are materializing: they're dumbing it down, cutting corners, and it seems to be collapsing under its own weight. i can deal with the latter 2 issues. the first, however, is a problem for me.

Edited July 7, 2004 by tommy (log)

[fatcatbrew]

Have they changed the menu at all since they first opened?

[tommy]

Have they changed the menu at all since they first opened?

i expect the menu to change a bit. every menu should, in my mind, with a focus on seasonal ingredients. their menu has a bit story in the front suggesting that they'll do just that. and that's great. but the selections seem a little less interesting. to me at least. first off, taking the grilled octopus off is a crime, unless it's seasonal, and i don't think it is. the menu on their website seems to be up-to-date.

the mashed potatoes that i mentioned, apparently, were actually mashed taro root.

[Rosie]

Chakra received a VERY GOOD from David Corcoran in the NJ section of The New York Times 10/24/04

[Weissman]

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this place. However, most people agree that the decor is unbelievable. It is like being in South Beach, Miami.

I though the food was very good as was the cocktails!! This is a great place to see and be seen!! Very much like Tao and the Sex and the City vibe.

[menton1]

This place is of the same genre as 90 Grand in Englewood; a much greater emphasis on glitz and pomp rather than on the food...

[Weissman]

This place is of the same genre as 90 Grand in Englewood; a much greater emphasis on glitz and pomp rather than on the food...

←

I went their for dinner tonite. The appetizer seared tuna with Asian Vegetable Stir Fry and Soy Bean Vinaigrette was delicious as was the diver scallop entree with vegetable julienne, squash rissotto, and white truffle sauce. The other entree was a grilled vegetable plate with feta cheese, which was also good. The raspberry panna cotta dessert with strawberries and raspberry sorbet was OK. The panna cotta itself had too much gelatin, resembling more of a polenta texture. I said that to the waiter and surprisingly, removed the dessert from the bill.

The ambience is still wonderful and serene, like the tropics.

[Rosie]

We were invited to the five course wine dinner, "A Night Out on the French Riviera," at Chakra Restaurant, W 144 Rt 4 East, Paramus last night. The multi-sized candles set in the walls, plants, low pillow backed banquettes surrounded by translucent silk drapes all create a very romantic, exotic atmosphere. Executive Chef Edward Lake served the following menu:

Hors d'oeuvres: rainbow Swiss chard with goat cheese; cod fritters with chile oil; and brie with caramelized apples.

(Jean Luc Colombo Les Pins Couches Blanc 2001)

Miniature Provencal tomato tart, ash goat cheese, and olive drizzle

(Chateu Routas Rouviere Rose 2004)

Grilled calamari, roasted pepper vinaigrette, grilled country bread, and capers

(Daumas Gassa Mas Daumas Gassac Red 2003)

Pan seared hangar steak, fine herb salad, garlic haystack potatoes, and tarragon mustard

(Chateau Montus Madiran 2001)

Chocolate crepes, red wine ice cream, and wine macerated blackberries

(Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls 2003 Rimage)

Dinner was delicious. I especially liked the tender calamari, trying to guess which herbs were in the tangy salad, and the tremendous wine macerated blackberries with the scrumptious red wine ice cream and chocolate crepes. I seldom drink French wines and found them to be delicious. The Rose was a very pleasant surprise as was the Banylus which was similar to a Port and reminded me of raisins. I preferred the Daumas Gassa Mas Daumas Gassac Red 2003 served with the calamari and was told that the majority of the customers preferred the full bodied Chateau Montus Madiran 2001 which was served with the steak.

Chakra’s home page is at: http://www.chakrarestaurant.com

Phone: 201-556-1530.

[dRock]

Whats the deal with this place? I went there once when they first opened, didnt like it too much, havent been there since. Is it worth a second visit?