You don’t stay on top by standing still. So, in January this year, with his flagship restaurant’s 10th anniversary receding in the rear-view mirror, Patrick Kriss closed Alo, had it gutted, and then relaunched in early March with a new look and fresh culinary direction. The barroom lounge is now framed with an arched silver-painted wall. The dining room has acquired an inset ceiling with diffused lighting, curvaceous walls, lush hues of beige and burgundy, and plush new carpeting. The adjoining rooms feel more in sync than previously. They also now share the same dégustation menu of six or ten courses.
Alo’s culinary reference points, once predominantly French and Japanese, are increasingly multicultural. As always, dishes are ultra-finessed and expressed with the finest ingredients. To begin, opt for, say, an exquisite shigoku oyster with apple gelée, crab and Champagne Chantilly. Next, a miniature thin-crusted uni tart topped with caviar. The egg-spiked chicken consommé, studded with escargots, confit chicken and Parmesan, is a rich marvel of complementary textures. Japanese-inspired crudo, once a house signature, is now restricted to a single course (lately, shima-aji with sake and ginger). A savoury mille feuille of truffle, poached foie gras, yellow plum and lomo Ibérico dazzles. A play on chicken Kiev swaps lobster for poultry and adds Thai saucing. Dover sole gets a refined Portuguese treatment. Kriss and chef de cuisine Tim Yun turn out 10 exquisite courses without repeating a single note. Sommelier Christopher Sealy’s wine pairings are the best way to go. Service is ultra-professional.
At its best, it is the best. Howard Levitt
Gâteau St. Honoré.
Petrossian Imperial Kaluga caviar.
Nine in the Afternoon cocktail.
Champagne cart.
Gâteau St. Honoré.
Petrossian Imperial Kaluga caviar.
Nine in the Afternoon cocktail.
Champagne cart.
