The sister restaurant of 12,000 Francs delivers promising American flavours, despite its muted quarters
The new sister establishment of Elgin Street’s 12,000 Francs, Big Sur continues to make good use of chef Conor Beach’s knack for preserving seasonal ingredients, from tart and spicy pickles to homemade jams, weaved into balanced dishes with complex flavours. The elongated dining room is equipped with a well-stocked bar, a sizeable main dining area and al fresco seating that stretches across the entrance of the restaurant.
The room comfortably seats about 50 guests, and tables are sparsely scattered across the space, although an occasional two-top table placed between two pillars was particularly difficult to squeeze in between. The dining area on both ends are spacious and prime for a comfortable night out, but for a restaurant inspired by the sunny West Coast, lighting is an issue—although the space boasts floor-to-ceiling window panels, the room seemed dim, tired and lifeless, and the looping dance music couldn’t ail the lack of spirit in the otherwise handsome wood-toned room.
Big Sur’s a la carte menu is grill-focused, rather similar to the offerings at neighboring Meats. Here, the meats are home-brined and smoked before being served. We skipped the salads and began with herb halloumi, a sizeable chunk of grilled cheese resting on top of black bean-filled pupusa pancake, spicy pickles and tomatillo jam. The filled pancake was rich, enhanced with the chewy, molten halloumi and offset by the sharp heat of the pickles and sweet and tangy tomatillo jam—a nice fruity touch to mellow out the stinging heat of the preserved cabbage and chillies.
