Dapur

I should not be allowed to keep my Livingsocial or Groupon accounts. Not because I buy too many coupons, but because I buy too many coupons and forget to redeem them until they expire. I'm trying to break myself of that habit now, because as this post on my main blog describes, my time in this town is limited and running out fast. Dapur is located just up the street from where I am now, walking distance away. I had little excuse not to go, if I even wanted to make one up.

Dapur is located in the corner of a small strip mall, and I got the impression that it was a cramped, tiny place. Not surprising for a small plate concept. But the building turned out to be much more spacious than I thought. Far from being crowded, the staff could actually get away with putting in more tables. I still imagine the kitchen to be tiny.

The hostess was friendly and bubbly, complimenting my old blouse as I walked in the door. I don't know if this says more about my fashion sense or her skills of sugarcoating, but I found my way to the bar area and found a seat. Again, this side of the establishment looked almost barren, even with the couches and tall tables surrounding the bar. At the back of the room was a large wooden door and a skinny strip of stage, as if set up for some kind of shows, but nothing happened.

The server was friendly and attentive despite there already being a handful of guests seated there. The couple sitting next to me had already gone through two or three plates. I needed a minute to look through the menus, full of unfamiliar and interesting things.

I first decided on a coconut caipiroska, and had a hard time pronouncing that order to the bartender. It was a mix of coconut vodka, lime juice, and cane syrup. I probably still can't be trusted to say it properly, but the drink was tasty.

More time was needed to look through food orders, but my eyes kept settling on the miso cod. For some reason I expected the serving to be bigger, but hey. I was in a tapas restaurant.

I had a slip of the tongue and ordered miso salmon instead. By now I was sure I had made a fool of myself. Though the little bit of cod was delicious, I think I liked the miso-honey sauce best. Unfortunately, chopsticks are not suited for scooping bits of sauce off of a plate.

This was also my first time trying baby ginger. I'm a big fan of ginger and have been known to eat the pickled ginger straight from a serving of sushi. Pickled baby ginger has a similar flavor, but somewhat brighter.

Not done with my miso fix yet, I ordered a bowl of miso soup. There was nothing extraordinary about it, just a good bowl of soup. I then realized how long it'd been since I had some, and made a note in my mind to find out how to make some at home.

I had to pay sales tax according to the terms of my Groupon, which was fine. I did get a chuckle out of the fact that the bartender put me down as GIRL in the POS system. I'm not sure why it was funny then. Maybe the caipiroska got to me.

Bartender got a $5 tip. I'd recommend going back for lunch, but unless you have money to burn (as I usually don't) or order from the large plate menu, the food you would get is unsatisfying for dinner.