fouveax restaurant + bar

we stand outside fouveax restaurant + bar pondering over which door to enter through. there's the striking coloured red door, or the less glamorous glass sliding door. after considerable soul searching we take the red door and we descend to the alluring stone-walled, leather-chaired bar, reserving our ascent to the restaurant once we've self-reflected over a few cocktails. the bartender suggests a dryish portuguese port with tonic for my aperitif. the cocktail is as charming as the man who mixed it, a balance of dry and sweet levelled out by the bitterness of the tonic. 

upstairs the charm begins to fade. entree of caramelised venison tongue leaves the diner's tongue less than excited. the meat is quite chewy and despite the array of accompaniments: prawns, pork skin, cauliflower cream, cashew, soy and mint - the dish is a bit one note and bores my tastebuds. on the other hand, the entree of seared bonito is beautifully cooked, flavoured with black seasame garnished with the pickled vegetables and scatterings of elk (the plant, not the deer like creature - we asked). 

caramelised venison tongue

the mains are a bit lack lustre, failing to satisfy our palettes and also our stomachs. portion sizes are teensy bit too small and you may find yourself heading up the road after dinner in search of tacos at el loco. 

service is also hit and miss. our main waiter is amicable and amusing, inviting us to watch him jam on his guitar in the bar on friday nights. the other wait staff a clumsy both of limb and tongue when describing the dishes placed in front of us. they could learn a few lessons from the acoustic guitarist.

after such a pleasant start to the evening, we left a little disheartened through the glass sliding door. if only our meal had been ardent as the door through which we entered....