The Requin pop-up opened earlier this month in the former Gypsy Soul space in Mosaic District. It gives former Top Chef contestant Jennifer Carroll an opportunity to experiment with dishes that might appear on the her permanent restaurant's menu. It's opening in 2017 in partnership with Mike Isabella in The Wharf development in the Southwest waterfront.
The pop-up menu features plenty of seafood like smoked blue catfish rillettes, fluke ceviche, and bouillabaisse. There are also vegetable boards, small plates like beef carpaccio, and large entrees like cote de boeuf that are designed for 2-4 people.
Requin only has ten Yelp reviews right now, with an overall rating of four stars. But there's also plenty of chatter on food blogs and social media. Read on for the early word on the Requin pop-up:
The Price Debate News: Open Table poster good4u writes,"Small plates are "in," but for big eaters, that turns out to be expensive." Tyler Cowen says, "While this place isn’t cheap like many of the other options in this guide, for what you get it is reasonably priced." Yelper Anita G. writes, "Overall the food was meh, not worth the hype or price." [OT, TC, Yelp]
The Exceptional Veggie Planches News: Brightest Young Things writes, "It featured peppered celery root, beet jerky, blistered shishito, eggplant-tomato ratatouille. The beet jerky is what’s interesting. Similar to beef jerky, each batch of beet jerky is slightly different. Also similar to beef jerky, it makes you salivate after the first piece... " Yelper Mike. T says it was "exceptional," and Open Table poster ffxdiner writes, "My favorites were the veggie planches (esp. the ratatouille & blistered peppers.)" [BYT, Yelp, OT]
The Standout Fingerling Potatoes with Salami News: Yelper Tucker H. writes, "The real standout of the small plates for us was the smashed potatoes...The crisp salami batons added a lovely crunch to the dish..." Open Table poster good4u writes, "The smashed fingerling potatoes were great, and a bargain at $10.00." Tyler Cowen also says it's his favorite appetizer on the menu. [Yelp, OT, TC]
The Ok-But-Not-Great Catfish Rillettes News: Foursquare user Eric C. likes the blue catfish rillettes, and Instagrammer @hungryasianrke says they're delicious. Don Rockwell forum poster lotus125 writes, "Smoke blue catfish rilletes tasted like any ok-but-not-great smoked fish salad." [FS, Instagram, DR]
The Literally the Best Carpaccio News: Yelper Hannah H. writes, "literally the BEST beef capraccio we've had - it was super flavorful, tender, and just an overall amazing dish!" Instagrammer @yippieskippy says "only complaint from the group [was] having to share this between the 6 of us." Open Table poster Pablo also says the carpaccio was a favorite dish. [Yelp, Instagram, OT]
The Comforting Escargot News: Open Table poster Datenight writes, "the escargot being very nice and tender." Brightest Young Things calls it "great comfort food for chili days" But Yelper Karla E. says, "The escargot was lost in a puff pastry that completely overshadowed the snail" [OT, BYT, Yelp]
The Treasures of the Sea News: Instagrammer @madisonalpern writes, "Spectacular bouillabaisse filled with all the treasures of the sea!" Open Table poster Datenight says it’s exceptional, but Yelper Karla E. says it’s just ok. [Instagram, OT, Yelp]
The Classic Dover Sole News: Open Table poster ffxdiner says this was a favorite dish. He writes, "The fish was really delicious & there was plenty of it for all of us." Another Open Table poster calls it "a Dover Sole that redefines the classic," and Instagrammer @rinaldi2pt0 says it’s "super delicious." [OT, Instagram]
The Best Bite of the Night News: Don Rockwell forum poster lotus125 writes, "The mussels escabeche were very good -- certainly the best bite of food of the night."Instagrammer @hungryasianrke says it's "fresh & delicious." [DR, Instagram]
The Awesome Profiteroles News: Instagrammer @angrakis says they were "awesome," and Brightest Young Things says, "It tastes as good as it looks and is surprisingly easy to share." [Instagram, BYT]