On my list for some time: Revel.
Had wanted to visit the original but it is closed until 2019 for renovation so, since I was in the area, I decided to visit the SLU pop up for lunch.
The space is quite nice with a modern touch. If you are alone, a seat at the prep table is a great way to see all the action…..and you can talk with the chef who, along with his wife and co-owner, are of Iron Chef fame.
I think the food is best described as Asian fusion with heavy Korean influences. Expect rice bowls but, you’ll also find things like trout with chimichurri and beet kale salad with sesame feta.
My choice was the short rib rice bowl served with egg yolk, sambal daikon and mustard greens. As a special treat they have 4 sauces you can add to the dish that range from savory….miso paste to very spicy…a chili based sriracha like example and in between……fish sauce and soy with garlic. So, experiment a bit to see which ones you like. The beef was perfectly cooked to a medium rare over a wood fired grill.
Lunch ended with an interesting dessert….Revel Motherload which is, as you probably guessed, chocolate based. In addition to chocolate, there is a layer of miso caramel and the crust is pretzel based. It comes “crowned” with fried chocolate…..I have no idea how you pull that one off! I’d describe it as a very very rich dessert which is best shared.
Service was very good.
