My former and future roomate, good friend, and sake enthusiast Laura turned 21 this week. For months she had looked forward to her first sake bar experience, and upon hearing of a happy hour at Formosa Asian Cuisine, 241 E. College Street, Iowa City, Laura, our friends Eric and Misha, and I decided to take the plunge and sample the offerings.
Formosa features a modern lounge atmosphere with the clean lines, cool colors, and decorative details that give the restaurant a decidedly zen atmosphere. There are few extraneous decorations in the restaurant, and even the tables are set sparsely to create a clean, simple palette on which the true art is served: the food.
Our waitress arrived after a few moments with water, but we had been given sufficient time to chose our food and drink before she showed up. Our drink and appetizer orders were taken promptly, and while our drinks came quickly, the appetizers took a while longer to arrive.
I ordered a French martini and an order of braised pork spring rolls. Laura had a decanter of the house sake, warmed, and a vegetable tempura. Eric also ordered the pork spring rolls, as well as a pint of Kirin Ichiban. Misha took advantage of the sushi specials and ordered a variety of sushi rolls.
My French martini was excellent: a well-balanced mix of spirits and juices that was tart without being sour and sweet without being syrupy. The egg rolls were crispy and served with a tangy citrusy sweet and sour glaze that complimented the pork in the egg rolls nicely. My only criticism was that while the filling had that nice, fatty, slow-roasted, archetypically porky quality, it could have been more flavorful. The pork was relatively unseasoned, so in each bite I could only taste the dipping sauce. Finally, the $7 appetizer came with only four tiny egg rolls.
The house sake was a cheap Gekkeikan nihonshu, and while it was bargain priced at $4 for a carafe, it was disappointing in flavor. Even expertly warmed, it had a tanginess that should never be present in a sake, and a bitter--almost chemical--finish. The tempuralooked beautiful--both in culinary execution and plating, and I was informed that the fried vegetables were delicious. The sauce, however, was a bit too salty and tart.
The Kirin Ichiban was a bargain, once again, at $2 for a pint glass. The classic Japanese beer was quite satisfying, with a clean and citrusy flavor and peanutty finish that beautifully complimented the braised pork in the egg rolls.
I didn't sample the sushi for myself, but I was told it was pretty good, and a good value for the price.
Final Assessment
The Good: Cocktails were good, as well as the on-tap Japanese beer. Citrus dipping sauce was heavenly. Chic, upscale atmosphere that was still inviting. Gorgeous plating techniques.
The Bad: Misleading drink specials (despite a sign advertising $3 Martinis, mine cost me $7.) Slow service. Small portions at a moderate price.
Price: $$$
Food Quality: **
Beverage Quality: ***
Overall Value: **
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