On Tuesday last week, for our third and final Restaurant Week experience (Chris had one more on Friday for lunch), we headed up to Mr.K’s. As anticipated, this was no No. 1 Chinese, but as RW experiences go, it was not a standout, either.
photo by Gayot.com
The restaurant was about as comfy and grand as they get, with high-backed sofa booths upholstered in pink with delicate gold brocade patterns, carefully arranged so as to provide each group as much privacy as possible.
The standout, though, was the service. With the exception of having to ask for water, we were positively doted on all evening: warm towels to wipe our hands, a beautiful flower on a pin for me to wear, silverware and plates promptly removed and replaced as necessary, napkins unfolded and spread out for us by our server (as if to say our energy was better spent on appreciating our food and each other’s company than on something as silly as unfolding our own napkins). There was even a palate cleanser of tart lemon sorbet between our first two courses:
We had the Shanghai Spring Rolls, which were fascinating, filled with scrambled egg, and the Crispy Beef, which was, indeed crispy. We added an extra appetizer, the Lover’s Dumplings (how could we not?). These were our favorite part of the meal:
Chris had the Firecracker Fish, and I had a pork dish that was special for the RW menu. Both were fine dishes, Chris’ in particular, and several steps up from the hole-in-the-wall Chinese we’re used to in Brooklyn. The flavors were similar, though, as were the concepts of the dishes, and overall, it was a far cry from Shanghai Pavilion, where by brother Nathan and sister-in-law, Elizabeth, had their “rehearsal dinner.”
On second thought, my favorite part of the meal was dessert. Mr. K’s served a choice: fresh fruit or ice cream. We had the fruit, I believe (it was less than memorable) and pistachio ice cream, because I’ve recently discovered that I love pistachios after having refused to eat them my entire life. I just loved that the restaurant didn’t even try to create an actual dessert. They simply don’t do dessert!
In Stitches 