Every city has them, those places you know, but haven't been to yet. The restaurant of the Hilton hotel is exactly like that and that's why I took a step inside.
All I can say is: More people should do that! Read more about my experiences at JAQ below.
Entering JAQ is already a party. When you see the flashing text “Hello Gorgeous”, a smile will spontaneously appear on your face. We are welcomed by the host with an equally big smile who guides us to our table. We sit at the window and have a view of the facade of the Old Luxor Theater. Not much exciting happens there on the outside of course, but the interior of JAQ is all the more interesting. While we marvel at the sleek design with hip and playful elements, we are presented with the menu.
What is immediately noticeable is that there is an above-average range of vegetarian dishes, spread over all courses (including the drinks snacks!). We start the evening with the “Sharing is caring” section of the menu and have some bread & dips, Korean BBQ ribs and the vegetarian Gyoza. The ribs fall off the bone when touched and are therefore super tender. What's also nice is that they are not drenched with sauce, but are basted in normal proportions. The vegetarian gyoza also positively surprise us. Especially the combination with the homemade beet mayonnaise is heavenly.
After this successful starter, we choose the fried plaice with king prawns and the duck breast as main course. We are advised to drink the Chilean chardonnay and the Argentinian malbec with this. A nice detail is that the truffle fries we include actually contain freshly grated truffle instead of a load of truffle mayo, you don't see that often!
The duck breast is nicely cooked and the accompanying orange Grand Marnier sauce should even be on the menu as a soup, so tasty. The plaice dish is also popular, but it is very "rich", as they would say in the patisserie. Of course everything gets better with a knob of butter, but with the risotto it's a bit too much for me which makes it very powerful. The fish itself, on the other hand, is perfectly prepared. We are also satisfied with the wine choice. The buttery chardonnay balances the dish with its fresh sour aftertaste and the heavy malbec is a nice addition to the soft taste of the duck.
We are now well on track, but a dessert is really too much, so I'll save the promising JAQ's sundae for next time. What we still have room for are JAQ's coffee favourites. The perfect compromise between my eyes and my stomach. Your coffee then comes together with a freshly baked madeleine, wonderfully airy and with a belly, as it should be, and a brownie. Just a little more than a coffee biscuit, but also just a little less than a full-fledged dessert.
Then the final verdict: JAQ knows how to positively surprise! The nice thing about this restaurant is that there is something for every guest. For example, you can turn it into an extensive culinary evening if you go for the 3-course surprise menu. But if this isn't your thing, you can of course also stop by for a burger and continue the evening elsewhere in the centre.
I haven't even talked about the bar area yet. This is really the perfect place to have a drink. The snacks are of good quality and the range of gin tonics and cocktails undoubtedly contains something for everyone! You really have to experience it yourself. So, Gorgeous, will you come and have a look soon?