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CityZen, Mandarin Oriental Hotel


DonRocks

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, I guess someone has to be the first one to write about eating in the dining room at CityZen and, since we ate there on Wednesday, it appears that it has to be me. :unsure: Aaack.

(Caution: this is going to be a long!)

For first impressions, the staff at the front of the hotel certainly does make quite the impression, both in amount of people and their helpfulness. After valet parking the car (free with validation from the restaurant), we were escorted into CityZen, to a table in their lounge (there is also another lounge in the main lobby of the hotel that has a better view), and our escort even informed the hostess of our presence so she could inquire to our reservation name & time. Very smooth.

I won’t go into the lounge menu since Mr. Rocks described it already, but I do want to say that it is entertaining reading. In fact, I think the cocktail waitress was a little exasperated with us because we were too busy being amused and were not making any decisions as to what we wanted to drink.

Now, for full disclosure, I’d better stop here and say that I was prepared to find fault with CityZen. Not because I’m a pessimist or have anything against the restaurant, but because our dining companions that night were my oldest sister and her husband. My sis is a big foodie (who misguidedly prefers another food forum. bow. wow.), a huge Thomas Keller/French Laundry fan, and her preconceived notion was that the evening could not be anything other than absolutely perfect. So, in order to have the fodder for our requisite arguing, I was cast in the role of skeptic. But on to the food…

We all ordered the 5-course tasting menu for $90. Officially it was: Appetizer, Fish Course, Meat Course, Cheese Course, Dessert. But in reality is was: pre-Amuse, Amuse, Appetizer, Fish Course, Meat Course, Cheese Course, Sorbet, Dessert, Petit Fours. The meat that night was ribeye and I eat very little red meat (and never steak), but they were more than happy to allow me to substitute a chicken dish off the regular menu.

After we ordered, we met Christopher Hile, the sommelier. What a sweetheart! Very personable & approachable and obviously passionate about his job. He totally impressed my sister by picking out the exact two wines she would have chosen herself.

Then they brought the pre-amuse (hmm, should that be avec-amuse?) which was a chinese-style soup spoon containing a layer of red beet aspic on the bottom, covered with a small mound of yellow beet cubes and topped with a bit of horseradish mousse. The beets were great – not overly “earthy” tasting as they sometimes are, but I personally would have preferred a bit more kick to the horseradish mousse. The only downside was that the gelled red layer was very firmly stuck to the spoon with no utensils present and no lady-like way to get it out. Our husbands had the same problem I did, but my sis said that hers came out of the spoon fine. (We later decided it was because she has a big mouth. :wink: )

Next was the amuse – a gratin of sunchokes with Osetra caviar on top. It was excellent. The low-notes of the gratin really balanced well with the salty-fishy of the caviar. My second favorite dish of the night.

Oh, I almost forgot to comment on the bread! :shock: Three choices served out of what appeared to be a little wooden treasure chest (very appropriate reverence for bread, IMO). A nice tasting sourdough, although we native Californians who were raised on S.F-style sourdough thought it a bit too holey of crumb and ciabatta-like. The second option was an excellent cheese (I never did hear what kind – Asiago?) and bacon bread. The third bread was a rye. It was a light, deli-style rye (but no hint of onion that I could tell) and was a bit lackluster for my tastes, especially in comparison to the other two breads. Also served with the bread were a salted French butter and an unsalted Virginia butter. This lead to some interesting discussion on ones’ patriotic loyalties, but the bottom line was that the Virginia butter had a much fresher taste and was favored by all but my sister.

The appetizer was a matsutake mushroom tart topped with shavings of parmesan, arugula sprouts and sea salt. This was my favorite of the evening. The thin, thin, thin crust had an incredibly buttery flavor while retaining just the right amount of bite. The balance of flavors was exceptional with nothing overpowering anything else. The mushrooms were plentiful, the parmesan was young & not too strong and the sprouts were surprisingly flavorful.

On to the fish course… Salmon-themed. In the middle of the plate was a piece of butter-poached salmon (as I was informed by my sister, who knows all things Keller) sitting on top of a puddle of melted onions & chives. To one side were a couple of medium-thin slices of house-cured gravlax and on the other side a tempura-like puff of roe (FYI – trying to determine what a waiter with a strong French accent is saying when he says “puff of roe” is not easy). The gravlax had nice texture and a very subtle taste – you definitely want that to be the first thing you eat on the plate. The poached salmon really was perfection. Tender and flavorful with no hint of fishiness. The roe puff was fine, executed well and I really like that taste, but I thought it slightly repetitive after the caviar on the amuse.

As this point, we waited. All along there had been decent pauses between courses, but in a good way – enough so the meal didn’t feel rushed. However, this time the interval between courses was about 5-10 minutes longer. :huh: We were soon informed that the chef was “unhappy with the way our meat course had looked and it was being redone”. We were the last table seated that night and I suspect that as things slowed down in the kitchen Chef Ziebold had the time to perfect some of his staff’s technique. (Or it was a great excuse for the kitchen being slow – that Far Side cartoon with the airplane pilot and the “turbulence” comes to mind).

As I noted previously, I deviated from the rest of the table at this point. My meat course was chicken and dumplings with celery, tiny (<1/2”) pearl onions & black truffle slices sitting in a pool of oh-so-buttery chicken gravy. A very home-y flavor overall. The only downside was that the chicken was almost too salty. It was fine for me because I like a lot of salt, but I fear that some people would not have been happy with it.

Everyone else at the table received the ribeye that was served with baby turnips, two slices of potatoes Anna with a dried plum in between and a plum-based sauce. When my brother-in-law finished off my sister’s ribeye he noted that hers was salted more than his and tasted much better. My husband later said that his ribeye lacked taste which makes me wonder if it was also undersalted.

With the meat course was a “last-minute chef’s surprise”, a box of mini parker house rolls. Little one-inch, butter-drenched balls of goodness served in a ~3”x8” wooden jewelry box with a hinged lid (after we quickly devoured the rolls, my woodworker/engineer husband had to examine the construction of the box – he deemed it “nicely made” :biggrin: ). I think the chef’s “whim” may have been a bit more planned than implied because the rolls had that wonderful yeasty flavor that only comes from a long, cold rise.

Now for the moment my sister had been waiting for all evening – the cheese course. The cheeses were a triple-cream brie from France, a pecorino, a cabrales and a goat from Adante (a small cheesemaker in California who currently only produces enough cheese to sell to select wholesale outlets & restaurants). The cheeses were accompanied by warm, toasted raisin bread, an apricot jam for the pecorino and a smear of fig puree for the cabrales. The goat cheese was, without doubt, the highlight of the plate. I found the other cheeses good, but nothing spectacular. In fact, I have the same exact pecorino (that I bought at Whole Foods) sitting in my refrigerator.

At this point, pretty much everyone was getting quite full and not sure if we really wanted any more food, when out came the sorbet. Intensely green apple-flavored and accompanied by a tonic jelly. Delicious sorbet. I could only eat a bit of the jelly – the bitterness was great for refreshing the palate, but a little went a long way.

And for dessert… A “fudgesicle” made up of a hazelnut/chocolate crisp wafer topped with a rectangle of semi-frozen chocolate mousse and covered with a couple spoonfuls of warm chocolate sauce that hardened into wonderful chewiness once it was spooned (tableside) onto the mousse. There was also a smear of hazelnut syrup on the plate and a little quenelle of crème fraiche. It was all very good, but not being a big chocolate lover, my favorite part was the wafer. :smile:

So were we done yet? No. Last was a plate of petit fours: blueberry financiers, chocolate truffles, french macaroons, florentines and raspberry jellies. All excellent, but frankly, we were all just a bit too stuffed to really enjoy them. However, we did hear a gentleman at the next table stating that he could have eaten more! (He was told the 5-course menu can be supplemented with additional courses if desired.)

As to the décor, it was very well done and the atmosphere was quite comfortable (although a tad too loud). Lots of wood, marble, and stone accented with just the right amount of metal. The tablecloths and napkins were a weighty non-lint-shedding (a pet peeve of mine since I often wear black), raw-linen looking material in beige and caramel tones that added to the organic feel of the decor. And there was an overall opulent heft to everything – the menus were huge in dimension and heavy due to metal decoration on the exterior (I’m glad I lift weights!) and the various plates our food came on pretty much ranged from big to giant.

Throughout the evening, things ran surprising smoothly for such a new restaurant. There were a few minor signs that routines needed to settle in a bit more, especially in the front of the house (I had my back to the glass-fronted kitchen, so I could not see what level chaos was going on in there). The waiters often appeared to be playing musical chairs when they came with our various courses – always two of them (with a plate in each hand), they would stand opposite each other and then put the plates down. However, there often seemed to be some jockeying for exactly which side of our round table each was to stand. But this really was more entertaining that anything else. And there was an error with our check – we were charged for 8 tasting menus instead of 4! Yikes! I’ve never seen such a dumbfounded look on my husband’s face as when he initially looked at the $800+ bill. Of course, everything was graciously corrected once our relief-induced giggles ceased and we brought the overcharge to the staff’s attention.

Overall – an excellent meal that I felt was worth the money, especially once all the high-end trappings and service are factored in. Will we go back? Yes. Soon? No, we’re just poor military folk. Was my sister right in her high expectations? Yes, damn her. :hmmm::laugh:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just got a stylish little brochure in the mail from the Mandarin Oriental which includes the Holday Celebrations menu for CityZen. It appears Eric Ziebold is going to work very hard -- but also become staggeringly rich. Which, incidentally, one would have to be in order to hit all of these little soirees.

Christmas Eve. 5 course tasting. $130 pp excl. T&T. Best bit: Torchon of Moulard Duck Foie Gras, Flowering Quince Marmalade, Balsamic Glaze, Toasted Brioche.

New Year's Eve. 9 course tasting. $225 pp excl. T&T. Best bit: Roulade of Dover Sole, Perigord Truffles, Pearl Onions, Pommes Rissoles.

New Year's Day. First annual "Over the Top" brunch. $110 pp excl. T&T. "Traditional brunch items with an eclectic twist."

Let us know what they were like, Rocks.

(PS: Cafe Mozu is doing parallel 3-course dinners with slightly more Asian flavors and at a slightly more accessible $72 price point.)

"Mine goes off like a rocket." -- Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, Feb. 16.

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After coming across this thread about the most expensive restaurants in the country this evening, I began to wonder if the above New Year's Eve dinner might not be the single fattest ticket on offer in D.C. given that it doesn't appear to include wine. (The brochure simply states the meal comes "with a champagne toast." Which better be Clos du Mesnil!) To be fair, given the evening in question, it's entirely conceivable that that's also covering some other entertainments as well. But still, to paraphrase Monty Python, mooooooh, ay? Mwoohohohohoo, ay? Whohohohohoho, ay?

"Mine goes off like a rocket." -- Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, Feb. 16.

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  • 1 month later...

I am very excited about Ziebold's success with City Zen. I saw him do a cooking demo and discussion about the French Laundry last year when he was still the CDC and he impressed the heck out of me. He has an incredible wealth of culinary knowledge and his technical ability as cook is very impressive. I also liked that he didn't just recite Keller's dictums and techniques. He had a lot of his own to say while at the same time he gave mad props to big Tom and showed obvious admiration for the man.

Maybe it's time for me to visit DC...

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Post just threw it Three stars.

I would imagine that three stars is somewhat of a disappointment for them and the Mandarin.

If someone writes a book about restaurants and nobody reads it, will it produce a 10 page thread?

Joe W

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Here's the Post review online. I imagine the Mandarin PR folks will be able to do a fair bit with sentences like: "If you really care about food, you owe yourself an evening at CityZen."

Me, though, I think I'd just crop down to: "'Better than sex' -- Tom Sietsema."

Edited by iamthestretch (log)

"Mine goes off like a rocket." -- Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, Feb. 16.

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CityZen is NOT a four star restaurant...yet. This is a report of my own from another board in early October:

http://www.chowhound.com/midatlantic/board...ages/48684.html

I agree with many of the things that Sietsema said noting that it is a work in progress. I also think that the particular enjoyment of this restaurant depends at least in part on where one sits, particularly the table I note in the title. But several dishes are particularly good and the service, overall, had some bright moments. There were also some inexcusable failures in wine service. Still, this is not now Citronelle, Maestro nor Laboratorio. But the potential is there; I am certain the Mandarin understands this. I am also certain that the former chef de cuisine from the French Laundry (who still wears the jacket) understands it as well. Most important it is a very real credit to our city that he returned here given his accomplishments in Napa. I WANT him to succeed; I WANT him to realize the fourth star.

A return visit now should yield a different result from when my wife and I went over two months ago. And a visit two months from now, for me, would have the expectation of a four star experience. Anything short of this, then, would be very real cause for concern.

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  • 2 months later...

Enjoyed the tasting menu at City Zen last night. And if it ain't Maestro, it's awfully close. We did add the foie gras risotto which exceeded my already high expectations. Other memorable courses included perfectly cooked salmon, rockfish, herb-infused lamb loin and a bordellaise consumme with red wine sorbet that I will never forget. We had the suggested wine parings with the courses and I must say that these paring were far better than those at Labrotorio or Maestro, IMHO. The wines complemented the food and vice-versa in ways I never imagined. Service was unobtrusive and efficient. The only, minor, down note was the rising noise level from the very crowded bar.

-Ed

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  • 3 weeks later...

I posted most of this in another thread in reponse to someone choosing between Palena and Citronelle so forgive the duplication.

I'm in agreement with Sietsema and Joe H and others on this one. Based on my meal this weekend I would put Cityzen in the same league as the other four stars. But there is something missing and not quite as special and I can't quite put my finger on it, even after thinking about it for two days. Somewhere above the best three star, but maybe not quite at the level of the other fours stars.

Aside from one OK entree, the food at Cityzen was outstanding - nearly flawless actually. The service was also excellent - friendly but polished exactly the way I prefer it. They pull out all the stops - two amuses, a pre-dessert, a small cookie plate after the dessert - maybe even more than the other places. Cityzen's presentation is more like Per Se (French Laundry has a much different feel because of its setting - like comparing the Inn to Citronelle - just different) in style than any restaurant that I've been to in the city. They even claim to only turn the tables once and that appeared to be the case.

But if you asked me which is the better restaurant I'd say Citronelle or Maestro. Maybe it is the confidence coming out of the kitchen or the sense of whimsy on the plate while still turning out serious food.

These are things that can and I think will come with time at Cityzen, though.

Edited by bilrus (log)

Bill Russell

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I posted most of this in another thread in reponse to someone choosing between Palena and Citronelle so forgive the duplication.

I'm in agreement with Sietsema and Joe H and others on this one.  Based on my meal this weekend I would put Cityzen in the same league as the other four stars.  But there is something missing and not quite as special and I can't quite put my finger on it, even after thinking about it for two days.  Somewhere above the best three star, but maybe not quite at the level of the other fours stars.

Aside from one OK entree, the food at Cityzen was outstanding - nearly flawless actually. The service was also excellent - friendly but polished exactly the way I prefer it. They pull out all the stops - two amuses, a pre-dessert, a small cookie plate after the dessert - maybe even more than the other places. Cityzen's presentation is more like Per Se (French Laundry has a much different feel because of its setting - like comparing the Inn to Citronelle - just different) in style than any restaurant that I've been to in the city.  They even claim to only turn the tables once and that appeared to be the case.

But if you asked me which is the better restaurant I'd say Citronelle or Maestro. Maybe it is the confidence coming out of the kitchen or the sense of whimsy on the plate while still turning out serious food.

These are things that can and I think will come with time at Cityzen, though.

Really interesting report, Bill, and much appreciated. I couldn't help but go back and look at my post from early October on another board which is linked here:

http://www.chowhound.com/midatlantic/board...ages/48684.html

We haven't been back since then and honestly, haven't thought too seriously about returning any time soon. Citronelle, Maestro, the Lab yes but for now, not CityZen. I think the reason is the overall presentation and style. There is something special, unique, indulgent about sitting and having a sommelier "coat" a wineglass, turning the glass on its side then letting wine flow down and cover the walls of the glass. There is something special about decanting. Eve does both, as does Citronelle, as does Maestro, as does Laboratorio. This type of wine service is a statement, a "big deal" if you will. Some restaurants decant any decent bottle just for presentation. But CityZen did not. Note my comments about not even a decanter in sight as well as the wine service itself was on the side of the room. There WAS NO OPPORTUNITY for tableside wine service, to watch this type of performance. Presentations were correct but not "theatrical" as at some restaurants. The kitchen was not the focal point of the room unless you were sitting at one of the two tables I noted.

Yet there were several of what I call "great dishes." But, for us, CityZen lacked a certain emphasis, a certain type of European "style" if you will that the others have. Wine service, location of the kitchen, little opportunity for tableside presentation of any kind, etc.

Much of this could be changed, too, but from reading your thoughts it sounds like they haven't.

Edited by Joe H (log)
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I posted most of this in another thread in reponse to someone choosing between Palena and Citronelle so forgive the duplication.

I'm in agreement with Sietsema and Joe H and others on this one.  Based on my meal this weekend I would put Cityzen in the same league as the other four stars.  But there is something missing and not quite as special and I can't quite put my finger on it, even after thinking about it for two days.  Somewhere above the best three star, but maybe not quite at the level of the other fours stars.

Aside from one OK entree, the food at Cityzen was outstanding - nearly flawless actually. The service was also excellent - friendly but polished exactly the way I prefer it. They pull out all the stops - two amuses, a pre-dessert, a small cookie plate after the dessert - maybe even more than the other places. Cityzen's presentation is more like Per Se (French Laundry has a much different feel because of its setting - like comparing the Inn to Citronelle - just different) in style than any restaurant that I've been to in the city.  They even claim to only turn the tables once and that appeared to be the case.

But if you asked me which is the better restaurant I'd say Citronelle or Maestro. Maybe it is the confidence coming out of the kitchen or the sense of whimsy on the plate while still turning out serious food.

These are things that can and I think will come with time at Cityzen, though.

Really interesting report, Bill, and much appreciated. I couldn't help but go back and look at my post from early October on another board which is linked here:

http://www.chowhound.com/midatlantic/board...ages/48684.html

We haven't been back since then and honestly, haven't thought too seriously about returning any time soon. Citronelle, Maestro, the Lab yes but for now, not CityZen. I think the reason is the overall presentation and style. There is something special, unique, indulgent about sitting and having a sommelier "coat" a wineglass, turning the glass on its side then letting wine flow down and cover the walls of the glass. There is something special about decanting. Eve does both, as does Citronelle, as does Maestro, as does Laboratorio. This type of wine service is a statement, a "big deal" if you will. Some restaurants decant any decent bottle just for presentation. But CityZen did not. Note my comments about not even a decanter in sight as well as the wine service itself was on the side of the room. There WAS NO OPPORTUNITY for tableside wine service, to watch this type of performance. Presentations were correct but not "theatrical" as at some restaurants. The kitchen was not the focal point of the room unless you were sitting at one of the two tables I noted.

Yet there were several of what I call "great dishes." But, for us, CityZen lacked a certain emphasis, a certain type of European "style" if you will that the others have. Wine service, location of the kitchen, little opportunity for tableside presentation of any kind, etc.

Much of this could be changed, too, but from reading your thoughts it sounds like they haven't.

We had the three course option rather than the tasting, but still wanted wines with each course so we had the sommelier choose three different wines by the glass (including dessert). The brought the bottles out and poured there. About what I would expect for that. Only misstep with the wine service was not getting a wine menu at the same time as the dinner menu. I think there might have been the expectation that people would be ordering the tasting menu and wine pairing.

I was a little disappointed in the table we were seated at (along a banquette at the right side of the room), but as a party of two I wasn't expecting to get a large table in the middle of the room. The area with the wine wall did look like the best spot to me. The vibe was a little sedate at first as we had a 6:30 reservation and only about a third of the tables including only one near us was full. I guess this is the problem with only having one seating while trying to stagger the reservations.

I would have liked to see more of the kitchen, but the kitchen, although open, is not really set up to be viewed. At French Laundry (and Per Se) the kitchen is out of sight out of mind and that doesn't bother me either. I've had good (I loved watching our dishes come together at Citronelle) and not so good (serious kitchen dis-harmony the night we went to Maestro) experiences with open kitchens.

Edited by bilrus (log)

Bill Russell

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  • 3 weeks later...
Tonight's the big night - my first trip to CityZen with The Girlfriend and future in-laws. 

Anyone been in the last couple weeks who had something that just absolutely shouldn't be missed? 

If a person eats at CityZen tonight, Minibar tomorrow night and Citronelle on Saturday, about how many calories and grams of saturated fat do you think he'll ingest?  Is it possible he could die of some sort of glorious butter overdose?

I had dinner there 2 nights ago. It was wonderful. The standout dish of the night: braised lamb short-ribs.

Mark

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If a person eats at CityZen tonight, Minibar tomorrow night and Citronelle on Saturday, about how many calories and grams of saturated fat do you think he'll ingest?  Is it possible he could die of some sort of glorious butter overdose?

Not if you dilute the fat with a lot of wine. :biggrin: Have fun sounds like a great wkend. Make sure you consult Mark Sommelier at Citronelle, if he's working that evening.

Oh, J[esus]. You may be omnipotent, but you are SO naive!

- From the South Park Mexican Starring Frog from South Sri Lanka episode

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  • 2 weeks later...

Has anyone else who's dined at CityZen found the cheese guy to be a real horse's ass?

At our dinner there, which on the whole was very good, he treated us like we were some sort of stinky rind to be passed over as quickly as possible. He had three cheeses that he was pushing very, very hard, no matter what we asked about the others on the cart. He ignored our questions about anything other than what he wanted to cut for us, and gave my girlfriend a hard time when she asked for fun if he had any goat gouda.

"No," he said with disdain. "There is no such thing as goat gouda."

Well, bullshit. I've had it before.

The entire cheese service struck a discordant tone to me relative to the rest of the dinner. Whereas the servers for the other courses, and the sommelier, and the busboys, were unfailingly polite - the cheese guy stuck out as the one giant pimple on an otherwise very attractive face.

I don't think I was just looking to be angry at the time, as I sometimes do, since I had just had a ribeye with a bone marrow vinaigrette that made me want to walk into the kitchen and propose to whoever made it. I think the guy was just a real life asshole cheese snob. And right or wrong, it's one of the major impressions I've taken away from the entire evening.

Anyway, I'm curious if anyone thinks it was just an off night.

And for those who are curious about the price of the restaurant - for four of us, two who had the chef's tasting with the full wine pairing, and two who had the three course option, also with the pairing, the bill was slightly north of $800 before the tip.

So, yes, it is a good thing they'll validate your parking sticker for you.

<img src= "http://forums.egullet.com/uploads/photo-14279.gif"><p>You haven't had foie gras until you've had it in Big Piney, Wyoming...

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It's just bad form to correct a customer, period.

But worse yet when you don't know your cheeses when your THE CHEESE GUY! What an ass!

I've got lovely goat cheese in my fridge, from Cheesetique. It's delish.

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Interestingly, at my dinner there the cheese cart guy (is there a real term for this other than cheese sommelier?) was the most outwardly friendly and helpful person we dealt with there.

So, either it is a different guy or we might have caught him on a good night or you might have caught him on a bad one.

Bill Russell

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  • 2 months later...

Friends and I had dinner last week at CityZen, the ultra-luxe spot helmed by Eric Ziebold. The four of us went for the tasting menu, paired with wines for each course -- plus a three "shot" dessert drink course that put us all over the edge.

I am not a note taker at dinner, so can't post a detailed blow by blow here. Suffice it to say that the cooking is at a very high level. The space is gorgeous. IMHO its the best looking restaurant in D.C., in what is really a beautiful and gracious hotel.

Get there early and have a drink on the patio of the hotel, which is unexpectedly serene. If you're planning on the tasting menu, don't eat lunch and come hungry. It really is an orgy of goodness.

My one caveat is that this luxury does not come cheap. The fully Monty dinner, drinks, plus a round of champagne before hand, set us back $1000. Yes. That's three zeros. A new record for me. $125 for the tasting menu. $80 for the drinks accompanying, and add in champagne and tip. There you are.

Thankfully, the valet parking is free.

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

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Ready for a bubble burst?

I went to CityZen, probably about a month ago, to celebrate my return from six months in Spain. I was incredibly excited about it because when I had left it had just barely opened, and I had followed the news/reviews about it (Tom Sietsema: 4.5 stars would be 5 given a little time). So, let me preface this by saying that I really, truly wanted to love the experience (especially since i chose it over Citronelle, now i'm kicking myself for that)

Anyways, I can't recall the EXACT circumstances of the meal, but it was definitely NOT stellar and given the price, merely satisfactory.

I remember having a meal with scallops where they just did not seem flavorful, although whether that is the fault of the chef or of the season/source, i can't determine. Given the chef's history/work with Thomas Keller, I frankly was expecting something much more exciting and innovative.

Additionally, I had something happen to me that I absolutely never thought would happen in a restaurant:

In between the entree course and dessert, when the table was cleared of plates, my father and I were having a conversation, when suddenly from the corner of the table scuttles one of those millipede-spider bug things (the ones that move really really fast). Now, I am a girl but a decidedly un-squeamish one, so the event didn't scare me, and luckily for the restaurant I didn't jump up screaming, but instead just kind of stared and lauged hysterically (honestly, you go to a restaurant where the waiters pour your drinks in unison, and then an insect runs across your table..? priceless). A waiter/busboy must have noticed us laughing, and to his credit handled the situation perfectly: he quickly used his napkin to grab the bug and discreetly went away. Our wine was comped at the end of the meal.

In general, I was impressed by the service, and the decor was nice, but the food... just okay. Perhaps it was an off night for the restaurant, but honestly a place that charges that kind of prices cannot afford to merely serve 'okay' food. And have a pest problem.

Mariana

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Tom Sietsema: 4.5 stars would be 5 given a little time).

But Tom gave Citizen 3 stars on his four star scale.

Although you do want everything to be nearly perfect at a restaurant of that caliber. And most reports hint at it missing just a little something.

But I'm not sure I'd call one bug a "pest problem."

Edited by bilrus (log)

Bill Russell

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