We just wanted a couple of snack-y things, so we decided to split some of their PEI Mussels (aka Bangkok Mussels) and Beef Mandu (Korean dumplings). But we had to get some fancy drinks to start with. This place is very clearly a fancy cocktail bar. Lots of tinctures, bitters, garnishes in plain sight, and tweezers. Yes, I said tweezers. I always ask D when we go places if the food will be “tweezer-y”, meaning will the chefs deliberately place small items on my food with tweezers. In theory, I don’t mind it, but it’s a good barometer of how fancy a place is. I didn’t even know that cocktails could be tweezer-y, but alas, they CAN. I truly am jesting, but the tweezers are in plain sight. And they use them. The bar tenders, dare I say mixologists, were very fun and talkative, but they were also REALLY good at what they do. They know their craft. Like I said, I joke about the tweezers, but they know how to use them.
I ordered a Green Lotus Grogg – three rums, lime, honey passionfruit syrup, crushed ice, and bitters. Delicious! D ordered the Pretty In Peach – tequila blend, peach, grapefruit cordial, lime, cava, with a cayenne cinnamon rim. Also, delicious!
The PEI Mussels were really some of the best I’ve had. These mussels were poached in Thom Kha Gai inspired broth (think Thai Curry/Soup) with plenty of red chili peppers and all kinds of mushrooms. It’s also served with a big chunk of crusty bread made next door. The richness of the broth was pretty stellar and the choose-how-much-heat-you-want chilis were fantastic. The mussels were really tender and not gritty. Just all-around fantastic work on these!
The Beef Mandu is a handful of bite-sized Korean dumplings with beef, tofu, garlic, ginger, and scallions, topped with chili garlic crisp and sesame soy dressing. These were little pouches of spicy joy. We ended up keeping very close track of sharing so no one got more than the other person. But thankfully, we share pretty well most days. D had heard people mentioning these were the best things there, and I’d be really surprised if that wasn’t the truth. They were great.
We had to end the night with some dessert. I went with the chocolate beet cake with goat cheese frosting - it sounded interesting. It WAS definitely interesting. D said she could taste too much beet, and I thought there wasn't enough beet flavor, which I know doesn't help you decide at all. But the goat cheese frosting was really delicious and prevalent. It's not for everyone, but I still thought it was pretty good.
D went with a trio of desserts (which I believe change from time to time depending on the dessert chef's mood) - a lemon bar, a fancy truffle, and a nut bar with some frosting. The truffle was good, but not mind blowing. The nut bar was really pretty interesting and surprising. But the lemon bar was the clear winner this evening.
Overall, this place is worth going back to. Lots of people watching to do and if the people don’t entertain you, then the cocktail magicians at the bar will.
Top 5 things about Emerald
1. Beef Mandu
2. PEI Mussels
3. Green Lotus Grogg
4. Pretty In Peach
5. Atmosphere/Ambience
Bottom 5 things
1. This place doesn’t take many people to be packed, just be patient and wait
2. Someone will complain about the prices, but it’s totally worth it
3. Best not to come with a big group unless you’re ok with sitting in multiple areas
4. Nothing is actually a negative here – it’s delightful!
5.
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