Sleek and Slick

2 Photos

by Monica Liau
on Friday, June 25, 2010 12:00 AM

Newcomer Madison, which has taken the space of Vargas Grill above Azul on DongPing Road, is going to be a relatively reliable place to go for upscale "new American" cuisine. The décor is full of mute taupes and warm lighting, with a few clever innovations like crescent-moon-shaped tables and bowls of olive oil infused with rosemary. In fact, the calm interior is a pretty good backdrop to focus a diner's attention on the fresh, seasonal Chinese produce.

Everything, right from the bread basket, reflects the passion of Founder and Head Chef Austin Hu has for food. Crispy tempura oysters (RMB38) arrive as three fat and briny morsels enwreathed in a fine fried crust that doesn't distract from any of the oysters' succulence. The punchy chili remoulade and house-made long bean pickle garnish heightens rather than distracts the diner's awareness of the oysters' freshness. Chicken foie gras (RMB58), while less enlightening, is adequately smooth and buttery, though the pistachio and red onion jam garnish offers minimal contrast.

For the pasta course, papardelle with shrimp and chorizo (RMB138) boasts house-made pasta and a rich, fragrant sauce. For me though, the flat leaf parsley, spicy chorizo and over-salted shrimp are each their own diva; flavors too attention-hungry to complement one another.

Avoid the sea bream (RMB158), which is irretrievably overcooked and oddly garnished with spiced grapes and cooked cucumbers. Instead, steer a straight course for the lamb loin (RMB188), which hails from Inner Mongolia and is a tender, succulent masterpiece. The sublime fattiness of the meat balances nicely with roasted vegetables plus a brilliant green zucchini foam. In fact, it puts the Dalian Wagyu beef (RMB218) to shame; while the latter is flavorful and tender, the quality pales in comparison to the price. There's better Wagyu out there.

Desserts, made by Hu's pastry chef, are definitely worth the calories and - in the case of the apple tarte fine (RMB78) - a 15-minute wait. The chewy yet flaky crust exudes caramelized apple juices, and the goat cheese ice cream is surprisingly palatable. Same goes for the chocolate mousse (RMB82), a symphony for two which includes dark chocolate, fleur de sel, fresh raspberry puree and a whimsical layer of marshmallow fluff. It's enough to make one scream: "To hell with my waistline, I'm ordering another one!"

The Bottom Line: When Madison's kitchen works out all the kinks, Vargas better watch his back.