We were excited by the prospect of the Living Room. Following the failure of Koi’s Italian offering, The Bridge, this new incarnation seemed to be a chance to bring something new to the city’s dining scene–a contemporary approach to Mediterranean dining in an equally contemporary setting. In the end, though, a lack of genuine commitment to one cuisine and too many bland dishes conspire to undo all the promise. And there is definitely promise. The Louvre-esque glass pyramid with water cascading down the façade is sleek. Except that once you settle into a cushioned booth, you notice a rather echoey quality to the space that amplifies certain sounds (like the blender) and deadens conversation. The food also makes a good initial impression—the amuse bouche, which last time was a delicious and flavorsome stuffed fig, certainly seems to augur well for the rest of the meal. And while prices are on the high side you can’t quibble with portion sizes—especially of the starters. The goat’s cheese salad (B360) is enough for two and the cheese itself pleasantly tart and creamy, though it’s let down by a rather tasteless dressing. The mixed Mediterranean platter (B400) is more impressive with a mix of dishes from the delightfully smoky humus to the light fresh tzatziki and the moist and fluffy tabbouleh. It’s clear that the chef can handle dishes with a North African and Middle Eastern slant, as further evidenced by the wonderful lamb tajine with “semolina couscous”, served in an authentically pointy Morroccan-style clay pot. The meat just melts in the mouth and works wonderfully with the sweet aroma of the gravy and couscous. The poached cod is well cooked but needs something more than steamed vegetables and a rather tepid aioli (garlic and olive oil) sauce. The seared Australian Angus Beef just about qualifies as being served medium-rare but the meat is underwhelming and the sides humdrum. When you add in service and VAT, you’re paying for the right to have such soaring expectations. At times The Living Room does live up to its promise but it doesn’t do it often enough to justify such high prices.
Living Room
