WAYAN

Wayan is so good I kept forgetting what was happening in the world.  Midway through dinner, when I excused myself to use the ladies room, I forgot to remask upon entering the dining room, as if the whole al fresco dining situation had been a choice and not an ultimatum.  Our server could not have been more hospitable, smiling and gracious and actually said straight out what a pleasure it was to work there.  I think he is not alone, and this happy workplace informs the whole staff’s comportment, which in turn, makes it a really  lovey place to visit.  And that sentiment must also carry over into the kitchen, or more likely, blossom from it, because there is love in this food, and sheer deliciousness.   Cedric has apparently learned well from his father, and maybe even taken it a step further with this solid and superb take on Indonesian flavors.   A fresh heirloom tomato salad sang of summer, and while not the most revolutionary dish it was wildly tasty, peak produce, each tomato varietal boasting its own unique flavor, and a refreshing, zingy chili-garlic vinaigrette enhanced with sesame.   We came to a consensus on our favorite dishes, one of which was an exceptional octopus, two fat tentacles roasted ’til the tips achieved a bacon-like  crispness.  They sat on a bed of richly sweet hunks of roasted fennel bulb zipped up with a sweet chili sauce. Hiramasa  (Amberjack) sashimi was simple and light, graced with a ginger-tumeric dressing kicked up with sambal.    A half head of cauliflower was roasted to just the verge of softness, still resisting the knife but tender enough to acquiesce, thickly coated with curry and spices so as not to need the kicky little pitcher of saffron-yellow curry sauce that came along for the ride, but it was nice to alternate bites with mini-surges of heat.  Crisp niblets of corn and sprigs of cilantro kept it fresh, and don't forget to squeeze that lime assertively over the whole shebang.  .   The other dish we all loved was the hake, salty enough to recall the ocean from which is came, meltingly tender underneath a savory tomato concasse and flanked with an array of summery patty pan squash, those little UFOs of the zucchini world, and a few chewy nubs of okra We shared everything we ordered, but the whole roasted fish was the only thing too big for a single diner.  This sizable black bass (whom we named Fernando) was an textbook example of a perfectly roasted whole fish, flaky-fleshed and succulent, although the steamed broccoli accompanying seemed a bit of an afterthought; it wasn't even on the menu, and while I'm never one to turn down an extra vegetable, this one could’ve been either slightly more cooked or seasoned in some way.  Thick slices of Gold bar squash lived up to its name, and was more interesting.   Desserts wanted for something more refreshing: the only fruit option was a banana sundae that read more cake than split, with its ube ice cream accompaniment.  There is also an pandan custard and, in a divergence from the tropics,  a cast iron cookie served with buttermilk ice cream.  I would've rather an exotic fruit pudding or, maybe as a riff from his dad's playbook, a molten pineapple upside down cake.  But Wayan renewed my zest to start back on the restaurant exploration circuit.  I hope as restaurateurs figure out this whole new world of hospitality that more restaurants like Wayan follow suit.  If anyone needs a how-to tutorial on dining during Covid19, make a Resy here.  I couldn't have been more impressed. 20 Spring Street 917.261.4388