When you come to a restaurant like this, you are either in for a great experience (see Quattro and Michy's) or a disaster--Karu was a little of both. The food was very good. The steak was a little underdone and the mash that came with the lamb was a little off, but as a whole, the food was nicely done. The sweetbreads were delicious, the lamb was perhaps some of the best I've had, and the black cod was also a favorite. The desserts were less spectacular--the gelatinous ice cream with the croquetas didn't appeal, although the croquetas themselves were delicious.
The biggest problem at Karu is presentation. A restaurant is in the service industry. I go there to spend money on good food and have an enjoyable experience. You cater to me--I don't have to follow your dumb rules. We were castigated by the waiter because I handed him the menu after ordering. "I rather collect them all at the same time," he said. Why not just take it? He wasn't even taking down our order--he had an assistant standing next to him writing it down. When I asked if he preferred the steak or the lamb, his answer reminded me of a salesman that says "that one is better because it costs more." In other words, the waiter was presenting himself as an authority, dictating the terms of the evening to us, but he had no substance--he made us uncomfortable. Karu would be better off just using the efficient assistant waiters/busboys, who were very responsive.
In the end, I think that Karu is on the cusp of being a very good restaurant and destination (the location itself is an adventure) or people will be so turned off by the theatrics to create the "proper" atmosphere that the food will be overlooked, the chef will seek greener pastures and Karu & Y will be remembered as an experiment--one of the last vestiges of the real estate-fueled excesses of the aughts. I'd give them another shot but only because of the food.
Pros: The Food
Cons: The Forced Attempts to Create "Atmosphere"
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