Return to Dd33
Dd33 reminds me of l33t-speak, the practice of using letters and numbers in combinations for the sake of cryptic writing. Instead, it denotes the initials and age of the chef at a far west-end restaurant that I have now visited a number of times, including this past weekend.
First-up is their appetizer of fried oysters, among the flavors include seaweed, sweet, and sour. The best part is the crunchy exterior with its coating of panko bread crumbs.
While the flavors work on this dish, the underlying seaweed atop lemon wasn’t for me… I’m not fond of the seaweed texture or ultimately, the flavor. The oysters, however, were large, and still had good flavor underneath their breading.
The star entrée has been their sablefish. Luxurious for its fat and smooth flavor, this typically is done with a miso-topping.
This time around, the fish flavor was weak. Subtle would be the positive word here; weak I chose instead because the dish has transformed since its initial offering. The more sweet miso glaze that first came on this fish, for me, was a stronger statement. The fish was done perfectly, however, and without the comparison with its earlier incarnation, I might not have been as critical.
Dd33 typically likes to serve “Shangai” with their dishes. In this case, they’re talking about baby bok-choy. Everytime I find this bland. Yes, it’s good, and it’s got a palatable flavor in its immature form, but I can’t help but notice the wateriness of the bok choy when it’s cooked this way. There are so many sweet and savory broths that could be used to add more definition to the bok choy.
The wasabi mashed potatoes that came with the dish were both a curse and a revelation. On their own, they were the spot-on consistency, they were punchy with spice and bite, and they were well-seasoned. However, the base/side dish shouldn’t compete with the main star. In this case, the potatoes were too overwhelming compared to the subtle, muted flavors of the fish. Against a steak, these would have been a better match.
The second entrée were “short” ribs, with a sweet, anise-inspired spice rub.
I have ordered their ribs as an appetizer, which have been superb. These were as well. The downside was the sweet potatoes. I’m not a fan of sweet potato/yam, and found the sweet, signature flavor appropriate. Yet, there was simply too much of that. A small side tasting of the sweet potato, alongside another starch, would have been preferred.
I’ve always been impressed with the friendliness of staff at Dd33, and our waitress was great. One service note that displeased me, however, was when the waitress replaced my dirty fork from the appetizer back onto the table for use as my entrée silver. I think when a customer puts the utensil on a finished plate, it should be removed and replenished. Previously at Dd33, the silver has been brought-out anew with each course.
Dd33 still is a place I’d return. It’s got a strong menu with many creative combinations of Asian-fusion flavors. There’s always room for improvement, but I’m glad to see someone in Richmond is trying.
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