Skip to main contentFivespice's terrace offers views rare lakeside views, and its interior interprets the Asian theme in a sophisticated mix of materials like bamboo, limestone and iridescent tile. If only the food evoked Asia as richly as the décor. In Southeast Asian cooking, skillful cooks balance salty, sweet, sour and spicy flavors in each dish—on our first visit to Fivespice, each dish seemed to get just one flavor rather than all four. The second time around, the kitchen sharpened up. Vietnamese grilled calamari looked and tasted stunning; the scallops, perfectly crusted, came on a bed of stir-fried greens and mushrooms so good they inspired competitive cross-table chopstick spearing. Still, Fivespice has a long way to go before it does justice to the subtlety and verve of the cuisines it aspires to serve. (Originally reviewed 3/2/05.)
WWeek 2015