Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar: Expect Straight-Up Seafood
Posted: February 2nd, 2012 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: Foodies & Dining Scene | Tags: CityWeekend, Modo, Mosto, SALT, Seafood, Sienna Parulis-Cook, Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar, TERRA | No Comments »
I’ve had my eyes set on Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar ever since I saw the perfect 5 star review it got by Cityweekend’s Dining editor Sienna Parulis-Cook when it opened late 2o11. Described with words and phrases like “absolute joy”, “superb”, “exceptional”, “unmissable” used throughout the review, I went in with pretty high expectations for greatness.
So perhaps I set the bar too high, walking in expecting too much. Well, what I did not expect when I walked in on a Thursday night at 7PM was for me to walk in to an entirely empty restaurant. I was the first and only customer for a good 30 minutes until my tardy foodie friend finally joined me.
I was always taught to be skeptical of empty seafood restaurants as everyone knows seafood is best when it’s fresh and you gotta start questioning the freshness of a seafood restaurant’s products if the restaurant is empty. To prove this theory correct to some degree: I thought about ordering some oysters to start with until the Chinese guy sitting at the table next to me asked when the last shipment of oysters came in and the waiter honestly answered “the previous Monday”, meaning it had been over a week since they had a new delivery of fresh oysters. Hmmm. The guy still went ahead and ordered a dozen oysters, but that’s when I opted out.
I should insert now that in spite of the slow start, by the time we left (around 9PM), the restaurant had filled out with most diners coming in around 8PM. Considering most of the clientele were foreigners, I guess it makes sense that majority of diners would come in later in the evening.
Back to my dinner – although oysters were out of the question, I was still eager to try a restaurant recommended specialty item and noticed the blackboard posted on their wall with an intriguing special scribbled out in chalk.
“Jet Fresh Manila Clams from WA, USA – sauteed with shallots, white wine and butter sauce. Perfect for sharing as a starter or a light main for one person. RMB 150″
I asked the waiter about it and he said it was a popular dish, especially among women (?) and then the foreign manager/owner stepped in and explained in English that it comes with a side of bread that’s perfect to dip in the clam’s tasty, buttery wine sauce. SOLD.
We decided that we’d share this clam dish as a starter (as the chalkboard recommended) and then share the Shrimp and Polenta dish (RMB 108) for our main, which was described as “exceptional” in the CW review.
Two problems: 1. Instead of bringing out the clams first for us to share as a starter as requested and as recommended by themselves, they brought out the clams and the shrimp and polenta main dish out at the same time so we had to eat our starter and main dishes side by side. 2. While the clams were a heaping portion of delicious, fresh clams in a even more delicious sauce (perfect for dipping with bread), I did not see any special about the Shrimp and Polenta dish. It was decent, there was nothing wrong with it, but it certainly was not “exceptional” in our opinion. According to my foodie friend, the polenta was very authentic among Beijing standards, but the shrimp sauce was bland and the best thing about this dish was that it was filling enough to supplement the bowl of many baby clams.
LumDimSum Snapshots of Dishes at Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar:
Complimentary Basket of Assorted Breads / Seafood Special: Manila Clams from WA, USA
Shrimp and Polenta (RMB 108) and Chocolate Mousse (RMB 45)
For dessert, we again went along with the CW recommendation of the “unmissable chocolate mousse…with perfect texture and flavor”. Our chocolate mousse was accompanied by a portion of super tangy, sharp passionfruit sauce. We were a bit baffled as to how it was served – were we meant to pour the sauce over the chocolate? Eat them separately? We asked the waitress who served us our dessert and she said she did not know. She brought the foreign manager/owner over and she explained that it’s meant to be eaten separately…so a spoonful of chocolate followed by a dip of passionfruit. Both were tasty, but I don’t think the flavors complimented each other and again, I would have to say that although the dessert itself was decent overall, I’ve had better chocolate mousse in Beijing – Modo, Scarlett in Hotel G and also ROOMbeijing’s chocolate mousse bars with pop rocks (awesome).
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but as I previously explained, perhaps I just felt a bit let down after the spectacular, perfect review Starfish received from CW. In my honest opinion, it did not live up to our expectations.
I wouldn’t be opposed to going back to Starfish by any means because I did enjoy my dinner, but I can’t say that I would recommend Starfish over other seafood restaurants in Beijing and I can’t say I’d go out of my way for a return visit anytime soon.
Review of Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar: Just west of southwest corner of Xindong Lu and Dongzhimenwai, 22-1 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, 东直门外大街22-1号; Tel: 6416-5499
Best Part:
- Known for their fresh seafood, I recommend trying their specials. I was very happy with their current special of Manila Clams (RMB 150).
- They have a decent selection of imported fresh oysters, but I would first ask when the current stock of oysters were delivered to the restaurant.
- From their name, you can expect an extensive wine list.
- Very stylish design. Simple and elegant, I love all the archways and curves along the walls and ceiling.
- From the restaurant design to the details of silverware and complimentary bottle of water displayed at each table, I was impressed by the little details of this restaurant.
- Complimentary basket of assorted breads were served warm and toasty and they were delicious.
- It’s a brand new restaurant, so everything is very clean, new and in tip-top shape.
Comments:
- Although there were two English speaking foreigners (who I’m guessing are the restaurant’s owners) on standby support, the general waitstaff was pretty lost with basic questions regarding the restaurant’s menu, getting our order right and also the dishes that came out.
- I would have liked to try more of a selection off their menu (it’s pretty extensive), but with a party of two, there was only so much we could order.
- The food was decent, but with most dishes ranging between RMB 100-200 per dish, you can expect to pay over RMB 300 for a dinner for two (not including drinks).
- Starfish is definitely a step up from a place like Let’s Seafood, but I would prefer a restaurant like Modo, Mosto, SALT, or Terra if I were craving a massive seafood splurge (Western style as opposed to Japanese or Chinese seafood options).
- Menu is pretty much all seafood, so definitely check out Starfish if you can’t get enough of crab cakes, shrimp, fish, clams, lobster, etc., and go with a bigger group of friends so you can taste more of their menu’s extensive list of seafood dishes.
Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)
- Food: 6
- Atmosphere: 7
- Service: 6
- Overall Experience: 6
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