Boston’s no stranger to hipsters,
and the haunts they frequent for showcasing their stylish selves are as varied
as the City itself. The hunt for the new place to “see and be seen” is always
on, and hotel guests as well as the after-work crowd, have found a new home at
the chic M Bar and Lounge in the Mandarin Oriental Boston on Boylston Street.
With floor to ceiling glass windows,
it is, in fact, a fishbowl of sorts: once can check out the goings-on before
going in, and once inside, guests can peer onto the city’s pedestrian traffic
to decide if it’s better “out there” or “in here,” where the cool kids
are.
Needless to say, they opt for the
latter, enjoying the impeccable food, drink, décor, design, and service, as
well as the new acquaintances they’re sure to encounter and acquire.
The Art-Deco-inspired M Bar &
Lounge is itself a well-crafted and classy work of contemporary art:
the custom cut stone flooring leads the lit path
to your seat, while the horseshoe-shaped glass-topped illuminated bar sheds
just enough light on the one with whom you’re likely sharing a cocktail.
Swathed in a serene green, the M Bar’s décor
of natural wood, stone, glass, and textiles add an exotic energy that’s only
topped by some of its guests.
Pull up a seat at the bar, cozy into
one of the big ban
quettes, or
simply loll and lounge, enjoying the visible (and perhaps somewhat unintended)
entertainment around you.
Drinks are
priced around $15, and nuts and olives proffered gratis for nibbles.
It’s worth a stop if you’d rather skip the
shows in the Theatre District and test your creative forces instead, opting to
devise your very own Deus ex Machina for the evening.
M Bar’s a great little stage, for your
premiere.
*
M
Bar and Lounge:
Full dinner/bar menu
available, as well as suggested wine and cheese pairings.
Asana:
Boston always had the Blue Diner.
There’s Dunkin’ Donuts and Friendly’s. And of course, you’ve got your local
neighborhood joints for a fried egg sandwich. But what it’s lacked, in many
ways, is the proper place for the “Power Breakfast.”
The morning meeting that suits the suits, a
place to spin deals before the day’s even begun.
Enter, Asana:
The
Mandarin Oriental’s expansive restaurant within the hotel on the first
floor.
As with the M Bar, Asana’s
floor-to-ceiling glass windows look directly out onto Boylston Street and its
sneakered subway power-walkers - briefcase in hand - harried and hurried to
work.
Seated inside, however, is a
sophisticated oasis with a breakfast menu that will leave savory food lovers
wont for naught.
We began with the Chinese
Delight:
an assortment of steamed dim
sum, plain congee, spring onions, condiments, jasmine tea, and soy milk.
The presentation was superb, and the dumplings
were nice and light, the wonton wrapper filled with ground pork and
scallions.
The congee (highly boiled
rice) was slightly thicker than I would have liked, and a bit lumpy.
But the variety of flavors offered to season
the rice (hot, spicy, sweet), was a good introduction to the mixology of
congee-seasoning.
One thing I will
say:
the soy milk was perfect. Instead
of being overly heavy and sweet, it was light and somewhat nutty, not thick and
cumbersome. It complimented the dumplings well.
The Japanese Journey was a lovely -
and additionally surprising - savory addition to the breakfast menu.
Miso soup was brought out first, then a Bento
Box of tofu, seaweed, egg omelet, salmon, steamed rice, umeboshi, kuyri
cucumber, and green tea.
The miso soup
was surprisingly hearty, with large, firm squares of tofu, seaweed, and
mushrooms.
What it lacked in overall
flavor, it made up for in low-fat, high-protein, sheer nutritional value.
The egg omelet, sadly, was a bit
disappointing.
Sweet and thick, there
wasn’t much to it, simply a firm slice of “scrambled” egg, plated well, but
missing any zest.
The pickled cucumber
and ginger added a nice crunch to compliment the egg, but the two flavors never
entirely married, instead, sitting separately in their own theatre boxes,
perhaps gazing longingly at one another, wishing there were a way to make it
work.
The salmon was simply that:
a nice, firm, yet tender piece of fish.
Again, however, much flavor was lacking,
requiring dipping in the soy sauce more than one would have hoped.
The Grilled Petite Beef Tenderloin,
however, was the quintessential American Breakfast, evoking what Gordon Gekko
may have eaten before taking power-brokering his way to the top of the
corporate ladder.
Cooked medium to
perfection, the sweet tenderloin medallions were full of flavor, the buttery
button mushrooms firm and chewy.
With
wheat toast, marmalade and coffee, the combination struck the perfect chord.
Executive Chef Nicolas Boutin
doesn’t stop at breakfast, with all-day dining available for anyone’s
fancy.
Jonah lump crab, Maine lobster
salad, Long Island duck breast, black miso cod, macadamia nut cheesecake, and a
formidable selection of the finest cheeses (from ewe’s milk to hard favorites)
and their compliments (fruit, nuts, pastes, and artisanal breads), all flourish
on the menu.
This is a restaurant of sophistication
and swagger. And from sunrise to sunset, delectable dining is yours to
enjoy.
For a special treat, ask for a
visit to the unique glass-encased Chef’s Table in the kitchen.
With seating for up to eight guests, diners
can watch their meals prepared, before their very eyes.
Additionally, the Five-Star Fine
Dining establishment, L’Espalier, is located next door to the Mandarin
Oriental, as well as its little sister, Sel de la Terre. *
With
such an abundance of dining choices, no guest of the Mandarin will have to
venture much beyond his or her hotel room, for a gastronomic journey to France,
the Far East, or beyond.
*L’Espalier Restaurant (not formally affiliated with the
Mandarin Oriental).
Please see separate
review.
