East End Bistrot — Restaurant in Raleigh

Once again the The Shogun of Snaxx has stumbled upon a new restaraunt on the scene in Raleigh. Toyotomi had the privilege of eating at Fin's back in the day in downtown Raleigh where Chef William D’Auvray was the Owner/Chef. Now back in the Raleigh area with this French Bistro called East End Bistro. The Shogun Toyotomi Shibayoshi will now tell of a epic food battle fought in the bistro. First we start with the Asparagus Soup with Lobster and crème fraîche, The Shogun loved how the small bites of Lobster paired with the aspargus soup for a stunning bite, after bite after bite. Toyotomi says do not pass up the soup course, its truly a great start to your meal that gets beterr course by course.

On to the Cru course , The Shogun hits the Cru hard with lightning fast bites and katana strikes, The Winter Bluefin Tuna Toro literally melts in the Shoguns mouth, Toyotomi we say that the Champagne was enhnced by the flavor and delicacy of the Bluefin and also the Kona Kampachi, both were little fishy warrior bites that will please even the toughest critic, as the Shogun is Japanese he can say without a doubt that this is some of the best raw fish in the area hands down, truly legendary bites have left the Shogun yearning of home and how fresh this fish was.

Hors D’Oeuvres of Boulette De Veau and Peeky Toe Crab Souffle were magnificent in that both had exceptional flavor and textures, the Souffle was cooked perfectly and the coral butter served with it was breathtaking, the extra coral butter was used by the Shogun to put ontop of the housemade bread, OH MY GOD....... soooo gucci sooo good. Now for the main battle, The Shogun and his vassals got the True Ribeye with Beurre noisette for the accoutrement, and also the Ora King Salmon. Both dishes fought bravely but Toyotomi fought them with the power of a living god and had to eat them both up in full. Salmon was perfctly cooked and the Ribeye was just to die for, if you are a fan of a good steak and like the steak to really shine on its on, then this is the place for you to get a ribeye or a delmonico. The Shogun had almost fallen in battle to the Beurre noisette, which if he is not mistaken is like a brown butter. Another phenominal sauce by the chef, Toyotomi let other at the table try the Beurre noisette and they all wanted more, the Shogun gave Quick Katana slices at those grubby little human hands trying to get more sauce, its that good belive me.

Dessert was where the last food battle had taken place, a graveyard of defeated plates and dishes had been cleared after each course to make way for the course that will decide the score for this Bistro. The cheeecake was trying to stave off the Quick Katana and fork attacks from all sides but it was consumed by the greed of the Shogun and the humans. If heaven could be on a plate this cheescake was it, Toyotomi fears no earthly or heavenly being, and will come back to attack this piece of heaven any day and any time.

A Final score of 5 Katana's will be giving to East End bistro and its staff for a job well done and truly deserving of the highest score a restaraunt can get on the Imperial Shogun Scoring Chart, aka ISSC. Do yourself and your friends a favor by going out to East End Bistro and inviting them to come along. Great Food and also Great service, the Cocktails at the bar will also not dissapoint, a wonderful experince all around. Shogun Toyotomi says...

We ate at East End Bistrot on Wednesday evening and had a decidedly mediocre food experience. I might have otherwise rated East End three stars, but given the stratospheric prices, I'm knocking them down to two.

First, the good things: the atmosphere is beautiful and romantic out on the patio, the wait staff and hosts were all incredibly gracious and attentive, meeting our every need with elegance and charm, and the menu promises an array of exciting tastes. The pacing was absolutely perfect.

Sadly, however, the food just didn't measure up. We started well with quite delicious and rich crab puffs that felt positively decadent. Unfortunately, they were the best items we ate all evening. The lamb dumplings were kind of bland, tasting only mildly of lamb and not especially flavorful. The caesar salad was well executed and generous with a very good dressing that included white Japanese anchovies that were a standout. The 9oz filet mignon with bearnaise was overcooked and though it was still juicy and redolent, was decidedly not the medium rare we ordered, falling squarely into medium. Not a disaster, but not what you're looking for when you drop $68 on a steak that is served alone on a plate. That demands perfection and we didn't get it. The pork chop was also fine, but also definitely overcooked, bordering on dry, and also bland. Yes, there was a balsamic glaze that had some complexity, but the pork chop itself was under-seasoned and overcooked, not a combination one seeks. Finally, our two sides dishes, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms of the woods were well prepared but underwhelming, competently executed, but lacking any sort of wow factor.

Nothing was bad, but nothing was great either, and for a grand total of $326 for two people with tax and tip, but not even dessert and coffee, I was expecting and hoping for more.

Maybe if you're made of money, this will be alright for you, but I will not sign up for that again. You could spend half as much for triple the flavor at a number of other Raleigh restaurants. I recommend...

100 out of 5 ⭐️s. Buckle up- this is going to be a minute…. We tried nearly everything. 3 appetizers, both soups, a salad, the sashimi, 3 entrees and several cocktails. We were celebrating a family event and this was a destination no one had enjoyed yet, so we took the leap.

Atmosphere— You will enter another place and time. The establishment is not large, it’s the perfect atmosphere for an intimate dinner. The seating along the wall curved into the room, cozy, upscale and elegantly comfortable.

Kids— I would not bring my children (10 years old) but mostly because this was a night for the adults and it’s not intended for small ones.

The Staff— Cal was knowledgeable and kind, funny and did not rush us. And we took our time - so incredibly thankful for his consideration. Explained everything on the menu, described his recommendations and suggested complementing dishes. He helped us plan a 6 course journey that we shared. 🎩 off to Cal.

The Menu— mostly in French with English translations. Be ok asking questions. While the language may not have been familiar, the food was worth every experience.

The FOOOOOD— standing applause for the Kitchen and Chef. 🧑‍🍳 every bite was better than the next. Parsnip soup, mushroom soup, Toro, crab Puffs, Brussels sprouts, gratin potatoes, Veal Meatballs, chateaubriand, ribeye, sea bass, … I’m not doing the menu names justice….. please try it all. There was not a bad bite to be had. We all had different favorites but loved the entire experience.

The 🍷 List— though I’ll aspire to be a sommelier, but today I am not. For a routine traveler of the US…. This list made me smile. Old world, New World, every varietal. My family is a simple pallet, so I chose a favorite, but this was a carefully planned accompaniment to the menu and there is something for all.

Bottom line, I’ll dream of going back. Give my applause to the entire staff and so appreciative for the amazing experience that was had for my...