Granted, the critical reaction to Republic has been less than stellar. But let’s not mince words about this minced (FINE, it’s cubed) tuna appetizer, which the menu describes as Ahi tuna tartar with sesame seeds and rice crackers, served with creamy, spicy dressing ($10): it might just be the excellent photography, but the tuna looks lively and succulent. If we didn’t know better, we’d even say it’s marbled like a fine cut of steak, but since we do know better, at least the fat-colored dressing is finding all the right grooves in the meat. We appreciate that they’re not using globs of Japanese mayonnaise, which, while delicious, is heavy and dated. Were we to have constructed this dish ourselves, those sesame seeds would be black, because the lightly toasted ones lose themselves against the tuna. Dig?
Until Monday…
Republic [MenuPages]
Republic [Official Site]
[Photo: where would we be without Zesmerelda/flickr]
