Tabu Grill – Laguna Beach

We just went here for our anniversary diner. We were both looking forward to a fantastic culinary experience as Tabu has received a 29 out of 30 from Zagat! We have only dined at one other restaurant that received such a high rating and that was The French Laundry, so needless to say our expectations were set very high.

I most likely would have given this 5 stars if the did not a have any expectations going in, but in the end the food just did not live up to my expectations and the service was just so so.

Still a really good place some of the best soup I have had in a long time. I will be back, just with lower expectations.

What we ate:
Roast Beet and Mushroom Soup
Awesome color and flavor. A fun an inventive soup. I would go back just for this soup.

Yelllow Fin Poke
Nicely done. Taro chips were a nice touch.

Griled Ceasar Salad
I am a sucker for grilled romaine, throw on some citrus with a house fresh Ceasar dressing and it is hard to go wrong.

Rack of Lamb
Worst and most expensive dish of the night. Outside was overlay charred and started to take on a burnt taste (this was with it ordered med rare). The quality of the rack was also poor, small and fatty. One positive note was the mint jus it was served with.

Kobe Flat Iron Steak
The steak was done very nicely. It was perfectly cooked and very tender. It was accompanied by blue cheese macaroni that was unfortunately not up to par and brought down the overall experience of the dish. I was actually looking forward to the macaroni as I have recently been on a mission to find the best gourmet mac n’ cheese, but this feel way short. (in case your interested currently on the top of the list is Roy’s Newport Beach, it is not on the menu so you must ask for it).