A Review of CityZen - it has the skill, but lacks the soul.

[uhockey]

Full review with pictures in context here: http://uhockey.blogspot.com/2010/05/c...

Full Text Below:

I was number one on the waitlist for minibar on Tuesday, but I didn’t figure there was much chance I was getting in. With many of DC’s top tables booked for the other six days of my stay my backup needed to be something good – 2941, Marcel’s, Proof, The Oval Room, and others were considered but in the end I decided to go with my instincts – “hotel” restaurants generally provide excellent service for solo diners and with a long term Keller alum helming the kitchen of a restaurant consistently amongst Gayot’s top 40 food ratings each year I knew the food would hold up to the other kitchen’s on my tour itinerary.

Arriving at the Mandarin Oriental ten minutes early for my reservation at CityZen the hotel staff and reservationist couldn’t have been more helpful – doors were opened, “sir” and “doctor” used liberally, chairs and tables pulled out as I was seated (per request) at a table directly next to the glistening open kitchen where I would be privileged to watch Chef Eric Ziebold operate throughout the evening. Yet another Beard Award Winner, the third of my trip, Ziebold seemed to be at every station during my visit – a working man’s chef despite his critical acclaim. Matching the flawless kitchen the décor at CityZen was sleek, clean, and modern – everything in its right place, everything looking the part of a very fine dining establishment and surprisingly both the kitchen and the restaurant were quite quiet – Radiohead’s Kid A playing softly overhead.

Greeted moments after seating by my primary server for the evening, Renee, the service at CityZen was precise if not overly friendly – everyone did their job but no one seemed interested in knowing the diner or showing much personality. Questions were answered without delay, dishes described in exacting detail, requests (in my case for a substitution on the tasting menu, in the case of the table next to me for gluten free preparations) allowed without question, but everything seemed very stiff; fine-dining-by-number, if you will. Choosing the tasting menu and requesting the final savory be replaced by an item from the prix fixe Renee checked with Ziebold himself who stated it would be no problem, merely a $10 upcharge – much like in the kitchen it was clear that Ziebold was in total command of his restaurant.

Beginning the experience I opted for a mixed drink, in this case a CityZen Dark and Stormy with Fresh muddled Limes, house made ginger syrup, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, Soda Water. A delightful beverage it arrived directly from the bartender moments before my amuse of the evening, Potato and Leek Panna Cotta, Lobster and Cajun aioli. A small morsel of chopped lobster beneath a buttery crisp the dish was approximately 2 bites and well balanced – the smooth and creamy custard and lobster forming a flavor not unlike a semi-solid spicy lobster bisque.

A follow-up to the amuse was three canapés – a Halibut Cheek Croquette on Tomato Confit, Bass Belly on Melted Leek, Head Cheese on Bread Soup. Confused as I generally expect canapés to precede the amuse proper I wasn’t about to complain about these choices, all three expertly prepared and cleanly presented without a lot of embellishment or fuss. All quite delicious I particularly liked the melt-in-the mouth croquette and the supple head cheese, specifically the way the smoky and melted collagen mingled with the garlic and thyme of the “soup.”

Arriving prior to my first course I was delivered two butters – a salted French option and an unsalted sweet Amish butter sourced from Pennsylvania. To accompany the butters three bread options were offered; Sourdough, Forcaccia, and Whole Wehat - all room temperature and replenished without requiring request. Serviceable but not extraordinary in any way I liked the Forcaccia with its smoky garlic tones best of the three.

Soft Boiled Path Valley Farms Hen Egg with Melted Spring Onion, Shaved Shoat Leg, Morel Broth would be my first proper course and it would also be my favorite of the evening. Flawless execution with the egg sous-vided to a consistency where the yolk and white were hardly distinguishable the dish came alive on mixing – the pungent spring onions, savory pork, and smoky morel mushrooms all flawless. Fine dining or not, I used some of the sourdough to mop the bowl clean.

My second course presented a heavier flavor profile and something I’d never tasted before – a confit of fish. Confit of Big Eye Tuna, Marinated Yama Imo and Yuzu Aioli was intriguing in its obvious Asian influence yet refusal to simply present a sashimi of Tuna. Served warm the tuna was supple, somewhat akin to a pan seared preparation with beautiful red flesh inside but a creamy exterior layer. Accompanied by smooth citrus aioli, radishes, and sweet vinegar marinated Japanese Yam the dish was again quite balanced with each ingredient serving a purpose to enhance the overall experience.

Continuing the trend of expert execution and clean plating the next dish was apparently one of Ziebold’s more famous seasonal creations - Beer Battered Chesapeake Bay Softshell Crab with Black Radish, Toasted Cashew, Rhubarb Gazpacho. The best softshell I’ve ever had, bar none, the crab itself was impossibly sweet while the bitter radish and acidic yet smooth broth lent some lightness to the otherwise hefty fried preparation. It was at this point, three courses into the five savories that I started to realize I’d seen and tasted preparations like this before – refined, flawless, cleanly plated, text book execution…Keller’s influence on Ziebold was evident in a good way.

If my experience with the first courses made me think about The Laundry, course four sealed the deal - Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Baby Bok Choy, Crispy Sunchoke, Lobster Veloute looked straight out of my photos from Napa and tasted just as excellent. Skipping the sous-vide and instead presenting the Lobster as a slow poached version in butter it was succulent and snappy. Balanced with buttery bok choy and Crisp Sunchoke in a broth made of butter and lobster coral – again, detailed and refined, even if not very ground-breaking or daring.

Arriving next along with my main course was the house-made famous Parker House rolls – delightful, buttery, steaming hot and served in an elegant cigar box…it is too bad the standard Bread service wasn’t this good. For my main, the $10 supplement, an Aiguillette of Pekin Duck Breast with Citrus Braised Rhubarb, Fennel Salad, Navel Oranges, Foie Gras Vinaigrette. True to its name, this “cord” of duck breast was classic in preparation – rose flesh between layers of crispy skin and it sat next to a similar cord of similarly textured lemony rhubarb – an interesting interplay for sure. Topping the dish was seared fennel, sweet oranges, and a glossy sauce that pulled everything together – rustic yet refined, east meets west.

Finishing my savories I was offered coffee – with the time approaching 11:30 I declined…at this point the kitchen itself was actually cleaning up (though pastry Chef Amanda Cook and her team still appeared hard at work.) Having heard good things about the cheese program none was offered and I decided not to inquire – instead I awaited my palate cleanser, a smooth but unexciting Vanilla Ice Cream with Sour Cherry Gelee that served its purpose but really seemed no better than cherry Jell-O with whipped cream.

For my dessert I was served a Frozen Valrhona Chocolate Terrine with Orange Scented Fudge Cake and Blood Orange Sauce. Small and elegantly presented the cake itself constituted approximately four bites. Tasty if not ground breaking the dessert featured a cookie crisp bottom layer topped with an ice cream exuding accents of cocoa and orange – sweet balanced with sour, perhaps my expectations were set too high given Cook’s recent Beard nomination, but I wasn’t blown away.

Having seen multiple neighbors receive the mignardise plate I was somewhat disappointed when mine arrived without the house made cupcake, instead featuring pistachio Marshmallows, Cassis Macarons, and cold chocolate Peanut Butter Bars. Inquiring about the cupcake I was told they’d run out – c’est la vie. Tasting the mignardises it was clearly late in the day – the macarons were crumbly and the marshmallows dry…I did enjoy the bars more than my dessert proper, however.

When it was all said and done I left CityZen sated and appropriately impressed by Ziebold’s skills but overall the meal felt flat. At first I thought the disappointment may have been due to the sheer number of excellent dining experiences during my visit to the DC area, but looking back I think the problem was that CityZen tries very hard to be fine dining and ends up lacking soul in its efforts. Everything is fine, everything is elegant, but throughout the meal you feel like the diner…you don’t feel like a “guest.”

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[DCDeb]

Thanks for another thorough review. I have been meaning to try CityZen but never got around to it.

I am curious, when you take pictures at the restaurants, do you identify yourself as a blogger? If so, do you find that you are treated differently? (i.e. do you get extras that another diner might not get?)

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[uhockey]

No, I don't identify myself as anything more than a diner. In some situations I'll e-mail ahead or ask in advance by phone if pictures are allowed, but since the site is for personal use only (no ads, no money made from it) I don't feel the need to indentify myself as a "blogger."

[foodtrip]

Uhockey, your description of the service at CityZen is really interesting. I've always considered their service to be impeccable, among the very best in the city. And yet, as I read your description, I must agree, there is a degree of a robotic feel to it. As excellent as it is, It feels impersonal. Thank you for putting your finger on something I could never quite identify so precisely. I contrast the service at CityZen to that at Komi which is every bit as superb and precise, yet has a warmth and personality that I do not experience at CityZen.

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

Komi
1509 17th St NW Ste 1, Washington, DC 20036

[uhockey]

I entirely agree - my thoughts on Komi will be soon. :-)

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Komi
1509 17th St NW Ste 1, Washington, DC 20036

[Indy 67]

I've held off posting anything about CityZen since I knew I had an upcoming reservation. Our CityZen visit took place last night, and I'm motivated to post since our experience was diametrically opposite to yours with regard to the tone and style of the service. (The food was exquisite.)

Although I'll focus on our servers in particular, for some inexplicable reason, the table next to ours (a two-top closest to the open kitchen) was handled by a different server so we had ample opportunity to observe the style of two servers at close range.

Detail: The woman who started our evening by inquiring about water did so on a gracious note. She simply said "bottled or house." I realize that an increasing number of restaurants are filtering their own water and offering it as a means of reducing bottle disposal problems. Whether or not that's the case, I liked the tone of CityZen's statement. It lacked the pretentiousness of restaurants who recite endless details about the filtration system and definitely lacked the hauteur of restaurants who recite "bottle or tap" to intimidate diners into ordering bottled water.

Detail: My husband has a vision problem. The way restaurants and servers respond to his vision says a lot about training and common sense. CityZen came through with such genuine kindness and intelligence, they deserve special kudos. At the wrong end of the spectrum are servers who refill his glass of water or wine and, then, set them down in a different place. Equally bewildering are hosts/esses who have just led us to our table, see my husband navigating with a white cane, and then silently stick out their hand to try and give him a menu. Sure, I can understand that the host/ess may worry about assumptions, but a polite, "Would you care for a menu?" seems to make more sense than what I've described. (When a host/ess pulls the silent routine, I chime in with a polite, "We'll only need one menu, thank you.")

Last night, our second encounter with staff took place when our amuse arrived. I took one look at the three little items arrayed on a flat plate and realized my husband was going to have difficulty eating unless he had an extra utensil to deal with the dish. We asked the runner to bring us a knife and my husband proceeded to eat with enjoyment. At some point while eating this dish, our server came over to the table. After a very gracious greeting, she asked how could she be of greatest help to my husband. She added that my husband seemed pretty self-sufficient but that if he needed anything -- including her cutting his meat -- he had only to ask. The next time she came to the table, she said that everyone who would be serving our table was now aware of my husband's needs. For the rest of the meal, the staff made good on their promise. The person delivering the butter was not the person who delivered the amuse, but he identified the location of each kind of butter. The waitress made sure my husband knew the location of each new glass of wine since he chose the wine pairings with his tasting meal.

Detail: The wife of the couple seated next to us felt the lamb needed more salt. Now, we all know stories of chefs who pitch a fit because a diner challenges his/her concept of perfection when it comes to salt. In contrast, CityZen is gracious and respectful of individual preference. The waiter, a young man who has served us in the past so we know how warm he is, brought over a tray with several bowls, each containing a different type of salt. He identified the salts and offered an explanation for using each in a manner that was filled with enthusiasm for his job and no hint of preciousness. This gracious moment couldn't have happened without Chef Ziebold deciding to stock these salts.

Incidentally, both my husband and I and the couple I've just mentioned were clearly not young, but I noticed the same graciousness extended to a much younger couple seated on the other side of us. During their dessert course, after learning that this young couple was in town for the Fourth of July festivities, our server launched into a great, detailed description of her favorite place to view the fireworks. She said that she would be in this location for the display and that she'd be on the lookout for this young couple.

Bottom line: I don't how CityZen could be any more responsive to individual diners and any more personalized. Yes, the interior designed is slick and modern, but the soul of the staff is warm and as far from robotic as possible. This was our third meal at CityZen and each time we've been struck by the positive human dimensions of our experience.

Food isn't the focus of my post, but it was too sublime to ignore. Here's what was on last night's tasting menu:
Lobster Gazpacho (tempura batter lobster chunk resting on a soup of lobster consomme and diced tomato)
Eggplant ravioli with diced vegetables (something amazing with a light vinaigrette)
Brie whipped with abundant truffles topping a mille feuille of potatoes with frisee and truffled sauce (Too decadent for words -- Too delicious for words, too!)
Soft shell crabs (Merely, the best, most inventive soft shell preparation I've ever eaten but totally different from uhockey's dish. Ours had a puree of something savory with accents of fruity sweetness. You can tell I'm not a blogger. I don't make it my goal to identify and report on every element of a meal.)
Lamb with dice of merguez sausage and tiny beans in a sauce
A deconstructed version of chocolate-covered pretzel involving chocolate mousse, salted ice cream, a pretzel tuille and chocolate ganache

Finally, a note to uhockey about the missing cheese course. After having had a cheese course on the menu for five years, the chef decided it was time for a change. He added a protein course and eliminated the cheese course. Our server explained this to us in answer to the question "Have you ever dined with us before?" She said that she makes a particular effort to clarify this change to avoid disappointment for repeat customers who may be expecting a cheese course.

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[uhockey]

I'm glad you had a great meal - but my statements have been echoed by others as well, so I know it is not isolated.

With regard to the salts - he stocks those salts, likely, for Foie Gras courses and the like - just like his teacher at TFL.

Again, i had no critique of the food - it was excellent, but the service was not 5-star on my visit and the price was steep for what was served. There are simply better meals in DC and much better service,

http://uhockey.blogspot.com

[Indy 67]

I'd be very curious to learn the age range of the folks who think that the service isn't warm at CityZen. I think there's a wide generational divide between the expectations and preferences of someone my age (we celebrated our 44th anniversary yesterday) and someone your age (I believe you finished your residency this June.) For example, I don't want a server to supply his/her name. I'm not going to make an effort to remember it and I don't want to be stuck trying to do so in order to seem friendly.

Simply saying your opinion has been echoed by others is nothing more than bandwagon logic. For example, foodtrip's post includes no specifics; he/she just uses the label "robotic." Simply counting the "others" who believe something about this or any other Chow topic isn't a very productive approach for me unless I know the basis for that position.

We'll agree to disagree on service at CityZen.

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[uhockey]

You agreed to offer your opinion in my thread - I agreed to disagree.

The "others" are well traveled bloggers (ulteriorepicre and epicuryan) - yes, we are all young, but does that make us unable to assess quality service? I've been to restaurants far more prestigious than CityZen and found their service better. CityZen felt like a hotel restaurant.

To suggest I follow a bandwagon seems a bit myopic - I'd like to base my opinions on past experiences, what a $100+ per person meal should entail, etc. I publish every experience I have in any restaurant (fine, or dive) in my own personal blog for my own personal memories and as a guide to others who may travel to those places - it is a hobby, no more/no less.

Perhaps I caught them on an off night, but again, there was nothing special enough to drive me back.

http://uhockey.blogspot.com

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[Indy 67]

I did not bring up your age to say that you are unable to asses quality service because of your youth. I brought it up to state that precisely because of our differences in age, we may have different perspectives on what constitutes quality service. To use an analogy, I cannot comprehend the need for certain types of technology. There's a new phone I've seen advertised on television that emphasizes the ease of sharing things with a social group. I don't post on Facebook; nor is simultaneously interacting with my social group a personal need. Therefore, if I were asked to evaluate this particular model phone, I'd give it a big "Who cares?" It simply offers features that mean little to me even if the phone delivers those features well.

I've already told you what constituted warm service by my standards: individual attention to my husband's needs and a recommendation for fireworks viewing to an out-of-towner. Previously, I didn't include any mention of the male server's conversation with our neighbors about local Amish farmer's market that was precipitated by their discomfort with the cube of head cheese in the amuse. Or the fact that when we asked about this farmer's market, the male server came over to our table and supplied driving directions to this farmer's market. (This particular server has been our waiter in the past and we know him to be very warm.)

You've gone into considerable detail about the food, but other than stating you felt like a diner and not a guest, you haven't supplied any specifics that lead you to this conclusion. Since we both post as a "guide to others who may travel to these places" I'm curious to learn more. What should a server have done at CityZen to lift the service out of the diner-not-a-guest category for you? Would our experiences have been enough if they had happened to you? Finally, if I remember the plans for your visit, I believe this meal was done as a solo diner. Assuming I'm correct, to what extent do you think your perception of service was influenced by that fact?

Time to get my Fourth of July celebrations under way! A happy holiday to you.

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[uhockey]

If you see my extensive blog, The French Laundry, Alinea, Per Se, Daniel, Joel Robuchon, and Guy Savoy were also done solo - Picholine, Commander's Palace, Manresa, and Providence as well. I think some places do a BETTER job serving the solo diner (I'll have a review of Lautrec up soon - stellar) while others just kind of do the standard - I'm fine with the standard assuming it is good.

In general, my "captain" visited the table exactly twice during the duration of the meal - the runners were left to do everything else. Dishes were described adequately, but not with enough detail (I personally love to hear about sourcing and technique,) and the whole meal felt very impersonal.

I will admit you experience sounds much better than mine - it is fantastic to hear they cared for your husband's needs - that is "above and beyond" in my opinion, the kind of thing that can lift a meal from good to great.

Once again - CityZen was fine. Ziebold is a stellar chef. But I'd not place the EXPERIENCE in my top 40 meals.

http://uhockey.blogspot.com

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[crackers]

Indy67 - my experiences at CityZen have been similar to uhockey in terms of service. Correct, polite, knowledgeable, in fact, close to flawless. But not overly warm or engaging (perhaps mirroring the decor?) This can be particularly noticable when one is a solo diner.

However, what I find curious about your review is that tables at CityZen are very well spaced (other than at the bar of course) so that overhearing conversations at other tables would seem to almost be eavesdropping. At a fine dining establishent like CityZen one's focus would be on one's companion(s) conversation and the wonderful food, not on a stranger's salt proclivities. Perhaps your close attention to the conversations at another table is a natural consequence of 44 years of marriage (congratulations by the way!).

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

[Indy 67]

Actually, last night I realized there is a huge difference in the spacing between the two-top tables and the larger tables. When we've been to CityZen with friends, the angling of the tables and the distance between them is significantly greater than the space between the two-tops along the banquette. Last night, we found anyone speaking in a normal conversational tone could be easily heard at the next table. If my husband and I were at a lull in our conversation or eating, the goings on at our neighbor's tables definitely became part of our evening. In fact, putting aside the fact that our neighbors on both sides were charming and interactions with them at two points in the evening were quite sweet, my biggest cricticism of the night would be the close spacing of the tables.

Near the beginning of the meal, our server brought us an anniversary card signed by the staff in the restaurant. She asked what number anniversary we were celebrating and we told her. After she left, the young couple from out of town began speaking to us -- congratulating us and asking for the secrets of staying married so long.

I could hear the waiter's comments about the Amish farmer's market and the salt description because the waiter was speaking in a conversational tone and facing in our direction. No eavesdroping or effort involved.

At the dessert course, the couple closest to the kitchen realized we, too, had been served our cupcakes on a plate with anniversary congratualtions. They began speaking to us asking us much the same questions the young couple had asked us at the beginning of the meal.

Frankly, I've never had any interaction with my neighbors at a fine dining restaurant. I can only assume that the spacing of the tables coupled with the length of our marriage was enough to break down typical unwritten rules about privacy.

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CityZen Restaurant
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024