Banq puts a twist on dinner
There's nothing worse than walking into a place and predicting the ambience is way cooler and more enticing than the food could ever be. Likewise, there's nothing better than discovering a restaurant where the style matches the substance, and then some.
Banq is such a place. Handsome to the point of distraction, this brand-new restaurant in the old Penny Savings Bank in the South End looks like nothing else in Boston. Local restaurateurs Hemant Chowdhry and Mark Raab have jointly opened Banq, and Monica Ponce de Leon and Nader Tehrani of Boston design firm Office dA have made stunning use of the former bank, which was built in 1917. The ceiling is overwhelmed with blond birchwood cut into curvaceous panels, giving Banq a rather oceanic and downright sexy vibe. Spacious, high-backed booths rim the restaurant's outer walls and feel surprisingly private, while a smattering of tables in the center is more conducive to romance. A modest bar area greets you upon entering, and it seems an after-work crowd has already found a new favorite watering hole.
Depending on your imagination, the interior conjures all sorts of wild notions. One of us thinks we have entered a windswept desert landscape; another is reminded of being inside a cave. And for the two of us who once lived in New Bedford, we can't help but think the slatted wood ceiling resembles a giant whale skeleton. The design is as much a conversation piece as the cuisine and crowd, which is your typical South End mix of the young and the restless.
The food? Oh, right. It almost seems secondary after the decor and the cocktails (try the subtle basil lime gin-gin; steer clear of the saccharine lemongrass melon collins) until our first morsels arrive. What a relief: They're fantastic, starting with the bread - a basket of doughy discs with a plate of spiced tomatillo spread, which changes daily.
In a nice break from South End tradition, the prices are impressively moderate, with entrees hovering in the mid-$20 range, and bottles of wine (organized under New World and Old World headings) start at $23.
It doesn't seem firm just yet what direction executive chef Ranveer Brar's menu will take - but that's not a slight. Everything we try is delectable. The website advertises the cuisine as French-inspired, but it's all over the map, from India, Vietnam, Thailand, and France. You start with the "Asian amuse," or "small bites to intrigue you," and entrees include the usual suspects: fish, meat, and poultry. (A zucchini and tofu steak is a welcome addition, though.)
Befitting the just-a-taste portions of an amuse-bouche, petite spring rolls come loaded with tender lamb and a salty soy-ginger seasoning. And a baby-beet plate is most memorable for its smear of creamy Vermont chevre. For an appetizer, the flash-seared Vietnamese shrimp sit atop tangy glass noodles and a nice coconut salad. We would gladly order all of these in entree portions.
Instead, we're satisfied with our other options for main courses. Char-grilled haddock is flaky and moist, a perfect foil to the zesty crunch of slivered water chestnuts underneath. Duck breast, while delicious, has a flurry of accoutrements, but we can barely taste the roasted pepper and mushroom gateau with yucca mash. Braised shortribs are better yet, juicy and tender with spears of roasted yams on the side. Of the meat entrees, we agree the accompanying sauces aren't nearly as remarkable as the meat itself. (The dreaded words "barbecue sauce from a bottle" are uttered.)
The one unanimous quibble? Our entrees arrive cold, even the meat dishes, which you would guess might be the last items to come out of the kitchen. But it also makes sense since the restaurant's temperature has fluctuated wildly between drafty and toasty throughout our two-hour meal.
Even our server, a pert blonde who pays precise attention to empty cocktail glasses, seems a little tentative about Banq's growing pains. We ask if the pear pie dessert is indeed pear as noted on the menu, and she seems a little embarrassed that it's actually apple. "We're still working out the kinks," she offers with a smile, but no apology is needed. Nearly two weeks out of the gate, and Banq is already rearing, ready for prime time. Beware the forthcoming masses.
Banq, 1375 Washington St., South End. 617-451-0077. banqrestaurant.com. Amuse-bouche: $4.50-$5.50. Appetizers: $9-$12. Entrees: $19-$26. Wines by the glass: $7-$9.
James Reed can be reached at jreed@globe.com. 