Central was my hope for a poor man’s Citronelle. It wasn’t until this Father’s day that I FINALLY got my taste.
True to Michel Richard’s reputation of perfectionism – there’s nothing here that isn’t executed perfectly. From the crispy thin potato discs in the shrimp burger, to the side of roasted tomatoes every ingredient is ripe, flavorful and at the peak of perfection.
I knew I was in for a treat when aroma of the tangy garlicky sauce hit my nose as the waiter brought over our appetizer of frog legs. Garlic, ketchup, herbs and spices made created an aroma that made your mouth water. The intoxicating aroma seemed oddly familiar. At first bite, I recognized it! The sauce was reminiscent of “yangnyum chicken” (fried chicken legs in sweet/sour/spicy garlic marinade) a popular Korean bar food. And oh how tasty it was on those frog legs!
My dad ordered the Skate sautéed in olive oil with capers. The fish was moist, delicious and aromatic from the fresh parsley and E.V. olive oil. The side dishes were anything but afterthoughts – I can honestly say that the tomatoes were the best I’ve ever had – and the green beans were well seasoned and done just right.
Central is famed for their lobster burger, but because I’m honestly not the biggest fan of lobster, it was down to the shrimp burger or the hamburger. I chose the shrimp burger because it was bound by “scallop mousse” and prepared much like the lobster burger. It was a buttery brioche roll slathered with ginger mayo and topped with a roasted tomato, shrimp “patty”, and fried potato disc. The shrimp “patty” is actually layers of whole shrimp artfully wrapped around each other like an onion! The coolest part was that it actually held together throughout the meal. The combination of the different flavors and textures was a treat, but I couldn’t really taste the ginger mayo. I couldn’t help to feel like something was missing to pull everything together.
As for the fries that were raved about by many a food critic – they were honestly a bit of a disappointment. I think I was expecting some kind of fry epiphany and hyped it up too much in my head. They were just good, well executed fries – golden and crispy on the outside and warm and starchy inside – but I can’t really say that those were the best I’ve ever had…
On the recommendation of our waiter, we ordered the lava cake to close out our dinner. I should have known better. It was delicious…. but it was just lava cake. Now I’m sitting here still curious about that famed “Kit Kat Bar” now dubbed the “Michel Richard Bar.” This, of course warrants another trip. Central Burgers and Kit Kat Bar anyone?
The seating arrangements are unpleasant at best. I felt like I was at dinner with my neighbors! I understand the bistro-concept. But when you’re shelling out $20 dollars for a burger, I think I expect better seating arrangement than say – a Pasta Mia!
My word of advice – don’t go to Central expecting mind blowing or innovative cuisine a la Citronelle. A poor man’s Citronelle it is not! But Central is surely bistro dining at its finest!
[...] The fish was moist, delicious and aromatic from the fresh parsley and E.V. olive oil. The side dishes were anything but afterthoughts – I can honestly say that the tomatoes were the best I’ve ever had – and the green beans were well …Read More [...]