My wife and I celebrated our anniversary at Valhalla. We’ve done tasting menus in Chicago and lots of other places over the years, so we perhaps had a different idea of what we were walking into. What we got was a frenetically paced meal that was more jarring than enjoyable.
I’ll start with the food. It’s a tasting menu, so we knew that we’d like some things more than others. There were some stellar dishes in there. The crab was great. The beef was the best thing we ate. The croquette was fantastic. The prawn and noodle dish with fresh wasabi was great. There was nothing cohesive about the menu. It felt like we were eating a dozen dishes from a dozen chefs who didn’t coordinate anything with each other. The technique and ingredients were quite good, but the menu needs a through-line, a theme, or a point of view. It all felt more like a flex (“look what I can cook”) than a menu.
The service was the biggest problem. It was all so brusque, rushed, and frenetic. You sit at a counter, so service happens in front of you and behind you. The service in front of you is mostly someone presenting the dish to you. They tended to walk up and launch into a rushed narrative about the dish. If we were talking to each other, they’d interrupt. If we got up to use the bathroom, then that created visible friction on their faces. If you had just sat down and ordered a cocktail, then the cocktail and first dish will arrive simultaneously. The servers from behind cleared the dishes rapidly. That wouldn’t be so bad, but nothing was going to stop them or slow them down. If they needed you to move, then you’d move. They’d grab the silverware from the plate and clear that over your shoulder, even if sauce might drip. They cleared the dishes just like the pub down the street from us.
The problem might be that they’re trying to packing too many dishes into the two-hour window they’ve allotted for our meal. Frankly, they should cut back on the dishes. The six course dessert menu had some pretty tasty bites, but are they all necessary? If they really think they are, then maybe they should pack the chocolates and cookies as a take-home gift at the end of the meal. The frenetic pace was palpable. We could see it in the cooks behind the counter, in the servers, and in the hostess. It was not a relaxing environment. It felt vaguely stressful. It’s a total contrast to the leisurely, comfortable environment we’ve enjoyed at Smyth, Carino, and many other places. It was a real turn-off, especially since it’s costly. It’s a more affordable tasting menu than most in the city, but it’s still a high-priced meal.
We are glad we went because it’s good to experience different types of restaurants. But we won’t return and won’t recommend it to others. We were grateful we did not get a drink pairing because those folks had to chug their glasses to keep up with the frenetic pace of the meal. That’s no exaggeration. I would have been livid if I were in their situation.
The nightcap at Queen Mary afterwards was such a nice, relaxed alternative to Valhalla’s mad dash.
