Delights Downstairs

2 Photos

by Tom Lee
on Friday, April 30, 2010 12:00 AM

Though he may be bustling about the Expo site, readying restaurants in time for the grand opening, David Laris seems to have more than one pair of hands. While golf club lounges and a Future Perfect redos may be on the cards in a few months, his most recent creation is located within the sustainable environment of the boutique Urbn Hotel. In keeping with the green dreams of the resort management, Downstairs is decorated in renewable resources. Along one side, woks are embedded into a surface of black bricks; along another, a textured wooden wall is assembled from squares of recycled boat planks.

Emerging from the minds of David Laris and Chef Mark Beckwith, the menu flirts with classical Western dishes tinged with new spins. The Beetroot Salad is quite simply superb (RMB45 for a starter portion, RMB65 for a main size). Fresh beetroot, crunchy beans, a smattering of walnuts and a gorgeous rich goat's cheese all unite to form a delicious amalgamation of tastes. A fruitier option is the Wild Fennel and Orange salad (RMB45 or RMB65), packing citrus zing attenuated by marinated artichokes, the very definition of bitter-sweet. Not without flaws, the restaurant cooks a disappointing Asparagus and Parmesan Risotto (RMB68), the well-poached egg nestling amidst the rice failing to improve on the flavorless mush.

More successful dishes await among the main courses.
Crispy snapper fillets cooked in red Thai-style sauce, offered up with a bowl of white rice, are creamy and mildly spicy (RMB98). Another fishy favorite hailing from the Oceania region is the Pan Fried Black Cod (RMB165). A plump piece of buttery fish is perched on a mélange of soft green beans, artichoke and fennel.

Considering David and Mark's Australian heritage, a Pavlova-like dessert is an unavoidable necessity and an equally unsurprising success. Fluffy and sweet, the Mango Meringue (RMB35) melts in the mouth and is topped with a wholesome mix of passion fruit and mango. Despite being one of the simplest dishes on the menu, the Lemon Tart (RMB35) is also one of the best, with a sweet body, a crumbly crust and a crunchy glazed surface, garnished with sugared slices of lemon.

One might think that with so many projects on the go, Laris would take his eyes off the road and his hands off the wheel, but this project is a success in the style we as lovers of food like to see.

The Bottom Line: Slipping in a few cheeky touches to simple ideas, the chef ensures almost all the ingredients are coaxed to their greatest potential.