I've been looking forward to dining at Rasa for about a month now since friends of mine described having a great experience here (as did fellow Yelpers). The restaurant has a cozy feel with rustic distressed wooden tables and wall panels, galvanized metal chairs, eclectic artwork composed of pipes and lightbulbs, and chalkboard looking artwork on the ceilings. The menu is limited but there are certainly lots of options for everyone. The server mentioned that dishes are intended to be served family style and shared, but certainly individuals could order their own dishes if preferred.
Our server started us off with an amuse bouche consisting of panko-crusted farro arancini with a creamy red sauce. This was very tasty and a reflection of the delicious dishes to come.
My friends and I couldn't decide upon one appetizer, so we shared the chopped salad and the Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were like nothing I've ever had before. They were roasted to the point of achieving beautiful caramelized edges and were served with a delicious cauliflower cheese sauce that brought this lowly vegetable to sublime status. I could easily have eaten several servings of the sprouts. The chopped salad was composed of parsley, peppers, kale, quinoa, grape tomatoes, red grapes, crunchy roasted Harissa chickpeas, and cucumber, and was beautifully plated with a jalapeño feta "schmear". I could have honestly eaten a whole serving of the chopped salad by myself as the combination of flavours and textures was so well balanced and refreshing.
A friend and I each ordered the short rib entree ($29). I must admit that I am a sucker for short ribs, which acquire a melt in your mouth texture and a lot of flavour when cooked the right way. It was served with crunchy chicharon pieces made of beef tendon (think texture of pork rinds), perfectly crusted roast potatoes, pickled red onions, and a couple of delicious sauces including a yuzu bbq sauce. The beef was flavourful with a beautiful smokiness reminiscent of barbecued ribs but with a more tender texture. Upon taking our first bites of our short rib, my friend and I looked at one another and nodded, both in complete agreement that we had chosen our entree well.
One of my friends ordered the burger ($17) with provolone, gochujang (Korean condiment), and bean sprout kimchi (suggested serving: medium rare because of the higher quality of meat). This came with a side of taro chips. My other friend ordered the lamb spiducci (skewers) ($18) which came with haloumi cheese, labneh, pomegranate seeds and pine nut gremolata. Both of these dishes looked and smelled fantastic. In fact, every dish served to us throughout the meal was artfully plated and was a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Each dish certainly surpassed our expectations.
For dessert, we shared "the cereal", which is like a plated sundae with cereal ice cream, milk pudding, granola-like crunchy topping, dehydrated banana slices, and delicious disks of dark chocolate ganache. I personally don't think the dehydrated banana slices brought anything to this dessert. This was certainly a fun dessert to try and I enjoyed the contrasting textures between the milk pudding, ice cream, and the cereal topping.
Because we couldn't decide on one dessert, we also shared the sticky bun, which was like a warm comforting hug of soft caramelized topping and crunchy pecan goodness. I appreciated that the sticky bun really wasn't overly sweet but I'd definitely suggest this as a dessert that should be shared (or face certain hyperglycaemia). Oh did I mention it comes with 2 strips of caramelized bacon?
They offer a tasting menu for $60 per person which is called "the experience". If you are quite hungry and want to try out many of the menu offerings, the tasting menu might be the way to go. They also have a patio which would be great for dining out on during warmer weather.
For $185 including tip for 4 people for 4 entrees, 2 appetizers, and 2 desserts, the food was well worth the price. 4.5 stars for the fantastic service, great atmosphere, and superb food offerings. I definitely plan to come back, both with friends and with my hubby!
(55/100) read more