We were on the ground floor at The Ray Hotel, in Delray Beach, Fl — 233 NE 2nd Ave — trying to enjoy our meal at AKIRA BACK, (a “fancy-schmancy” restaurant named after a Korean-born, Michelin-starred, chef), but were having quite a challenge. Service was off, as were our first three courses: the “Pop Rockin’,” the “Cow-Wow Roll,” and the “Protein,” (all reviewed earlier). Undaunted and unbroken, we bravely decided to shoot for a final item.▫️
In the menu’s “mains for sharing” section, we spotted the “Seared Halibut – Japanese Mushrooms, Soy Beurre Blanc” ($42, pre-tax/tip), and when our server assured us that it was big enough to split, we gave it a try.
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Known by the scientific name of Hippoglossus stenolepis, this ocean creature can live up to 40 years, attain an average size of about 8 ft (2.4 m), and weigh up to 500 lb (226.8 kg).
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Many describe it as a mild sweet-tasting white-flesh, akin to that of tilapia. And because it offers a gentle flavor profile, it typically pairs well with an array of sauces and seasonings. BUT the problem is that this protein is known to dry out quickly if over-cooked. And yet, that’s precisely what landed on our table — a piece of dried-out, hardened fish. And while this variation of the classic French butter sauce is usually made by mixing white wine, soy sauce, and rice vinegar with melted butter, even those additional flavor profiles did nothing to undo the hardness of the brick placed in the center of our plate. Since we weren’t on a construction site, we scored this $52.50+ (post-tax and tip) masonry unit an ”F.”
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Let’s just say, this dish lacks a porpoise … and belongs in trouter space.
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