With mixture of exotic and classic, Banq holds interest
[2008-5-15]
Tag: instant green tea
The main draw at Banq may be the ribs. They're made of blond wood, so don't try to eat them. Cut into organic curves, they are affixed to the walls and ceilings to form an undulating interior landscape. The effect is like dining inside a cave designed by Ikea.
It's very cool - distractingly so. Banq's interior seems as much of an attraction as its Asian-influenced French food. All of those light wood ribs are complemented by plenty of dark, zebra-striped wood - the tables; the tall, enclosed banquettes. Indeed, it's dark inside Banq, hold-your-candle-to-the-menu-so-you-can-read dark. And, at peak times, it's very loud.
This all made for an instant scene: As soon as Banq opened in February, in the condo-ized Penny Savings Bank in the South End, swarms arrived. It's also an overstimulating scene. The design, the noise, the buzz - before you know it, your grilled cod with papadum and onion crust, Pommery banana flower relish, lotus root Provencal, and green tea miso beurre blanc is gone, and you can't remember what, exactly, it tasted like.
That says something about the food, not just your attention span. The descriptions make the mouth water, full of intriguing ingredients and combinations: Tea-smoked quail and date cigar with a pea tendril Caesar, almond tamarind shot. Soy ginger lamb spring roll with Roquefort glaze. Fire-charred sirloin with smoked cha choy, cilantro and taro pave, caramelized lotus seed, creamy chanterelle sauce. Is this not food poetry? Don't you want to read the menu aloud with plummy Dylan Thomas inflection?
But as vivid as these dishes sound, in practice they are often muted. France does the talking while India, Japan, and Thailand whisper in its ear. Much of Banq's food is delicious. If you're expecting to be smacked around by chili lime green beans and smoked Darjeeling tea jus, however, it's disappointing when your taste buds mainly encounter the polite Cornish hen breasts they accompany. Or to discover that quick-tossed cumin and scallion scented yams and kaffir lime jus are nearly subsumed by the intense richness of Cotes-du-Rhone braised shortribs.
Banq's food can be as rich as the language on its menu. This is divided into three sections: Asian Amusé (described as "small bites to intrigue you"), appetizers ("yin and yang for the soul"), and entrees ("cosmopolitan palate"). Odd accent aside, the Amusé section lives up to its billing. These dishes are both intriguing and small, just a taste to wake the palate.
The soy ginger lamb spring rolls are crisp parcels that give way in shards to the gaminess of lamb, then the gaminess of Roquefort, the sheep-milk blue a subtle highlight. A nicely cooked, creamy scallop is paired with earthy, Indian-spiced lentils. (Chef Ranveer Brar was previously at the Claridges hotel in New Delhi; Hemant Chowdhry, co-owner with Mark Raab, was a partner at Mantra, another French-with-world-influences restaurant-in-a-bank.) Baby beets, glowing pink, are made sweet with mirin and served with a little round of tangy, smooth chevre. A duck confit samosa is less interesting, the flavor of the duck hidden by a tough fried wrapper. It's also worth mentioning the delicious complimentary bread, mini-naan served with a dip du jour.
The main draw at Banq may be the ribs. They're made of blond wood, so don't try to eat them. Cut into organic curves, they are affixed to the walls and ceilings to form an undulating interior landscape. The effect is like dining inside a cave designed by Ikea.
It's very cool - distractingly so. Banq's interior seems as much of an attraction as its Asian-influenced French food. All of those light wood ribs are complemented by plenty of dark, zebra-striped wood - the tables; the tall, enclosed banquettes. Indeed, it's dark inside Banq, hold-your-candle-to-the-menu-so-you-can-read dark. And, at peak times, it's very loud.
This all made for an instant scene: As soon as Banq opened in February, in the condo-ized Penny Savings Bank in the South End, swarms arrived. It's also an overstimulating scene. The design, the noise, the buzz - before you know it, your grilled cod with papadum and onion crust, Pommery banana flower relish, lotus root Provencal, and green tea miso beurre blanc is gone, and you can't remember what, exactly, it tasted like.
That says something about the food, not just your attention span. The descriptions make the mouth water, full of intriguing ingredients and combinations: Tea-smoked quail and date cigar with a pea tendril Caesar, almond tamarind shot. Soy ginger lamb spring roll with Roquefort glaze. Fire-charred sirloin with smoked cha choy, cilantro and taro pave, caramelized lotus seed, creamy chanterelle sauce. Is this not food poetry? Don't you want to read the menu aloud with plummy Dylan Thomas inflection?
But as vivid as these dishes sound, in practice they are often muted. France does the talking while India, Japan, and Thailand whisper in its ear. Much of Banq's food is delicious. If you're expecting to be smacked around by chili lime green beans and smoked Darjeeling tea jus, however, it's disappointing when your taste buds mainly encounter the polite Cornish hen breasts they accompany. Or to discover that quick-tossed cumin and scallion scented yams and kaffir lime jus are nearly subsumed by the intense richness of Cotes-du-Rhone braised shortribs.
Banq's food can be as rich as the language on its menu. This is divided into three sections: Asian Amusé (described as "small bites to intrigue you"), appetizers ("yin and yang for the soul"), and entrees ("cosmopolitan palate"). Odd accent aside, the Amusé section lives up to its billing. These dishes are both intriguing and small, just a taste to wake the palate.
The soy ginger lamb spring rolls are crisp parcels that give way in shards to the gaminess of lamb, then the gaminess of Roquefort, the sheep-milk blue a subtle highlight. A nicely cooked, creamy scallop is paired with earthy, Indian-spiced lentils. (Chef Ranveer Brar was previously at the Claridges hotel in New Delhi; Hemant Chowdhry, co-owner with Mark Raab, was a partner at Mantra, another French-with-world-influences restaurant-in-a-bank.) Baby beets, glowing pink, are made sweet with mirin and served with a little round of tangy, smooth chevre. A duck confit samosa is less interesting, the flavor of the duck hidden by a tough fried wrapper. It's also worth mentioning the delicious complimentary bread, mini-naan served with a dip du jour.
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