iTapas or is it I Tapas

I can’t tell if chef-owner Hung Lee(owner of Three Seasons) is trying to lure the tech savy folks of Silly Valley with the “i” in front of their name, but in terms of ambience the place is mash up of things old and new, hip and classic.  It’s definitely not like the Apple Store down the street.  At the former location of Pasta Pomodoro/Left at Albuquerque (445 Emerson St Palo Alto), it’s difficult to tell if the place is trying to really mix it up with old Charlie Chaplin movies play up near the ceiling and an interesting mix of paintings/photographs. I know for sure the genre of music playing wasn’t really a reflection of the amazing mix of small plates(tapas).  I appreciated the cultural nod to the representation of small plates around the world and after reviewing the menu you can definitely wonder ooh, “where is this one from?” or “I wonder what wine I could get to match what we’re eating?”

What we ate…started with duck tacos(12) interesting plate of tortilla chips, sliced duck(amazingly the fat was cut out), with sides including mango salsa, guacomole and sour cream.  It was an ok starter but I think we would have gone for another dish more like our lamb chops(14) which is a typical small plate offering.  The lamb chops came with mashed potatoes and some broccolini which was really nice and would have been even better if it was paired with a nice spicey red wine.  I eyed the couple next to us with their 2 flights of red wine.  Although with the small tables it looked more like a balancing act of drink alot, eat fast, bring more …

Along with the lamb we opted for the seared scallops(13); slightly seared and cooked just right placed on top of creamy risotto.   I was glad the broccolini came out alone because we got a chance to really savor its freshness with the hint of garlic that wasn’t overpowering like in typical asian restaurants.   For dessert we selected the cheese plate (12) that had 3 cheeses, cheese crackers, quince paste, and a mix of fresh fig and grapes infused with bits of mint.  It was a nice way to end our dinner.  Flavorful but not overpowering.

The designer sense…they really need to work on the branding and typography used on the restaurant, menu, business card. I didn’t get a sense that they had a “mood” or personality in mind when putting it all together but the food IMO allowed me to momentarily forget those details.

Currently no lunch offering but dinner is nightly starting at 5pm.  The attention waned when there were more people but it was ok since we were already waiting for our check.  I can see they are aiming for more couples with the high ratio of two-seat tables and bar dining compared to the few large tables.  The placement of waiting area to the bar is a little awkward since you have to traverse a railing and high bar stools along with the waiters going back and forth.  I was disappointed that they didn’t offer a sampler highlighting the different cuisines of tapas.  Outdoor sidewalk dining was available.

I’ll probably return in a month to see if there are any adjustments to the ambience or the menu.  I’m hoping they make more vegetarian friendly section since I felt it was lacking in excitement, it should have been just called sides and not treated like whole plates.  We’ll see where this one goes.