We arrived at Boxwood restaurant on a Wednesday evening. It was pretty early and the restaurant was therefore still empty. Funnily enough it didn’t fill up much further during the evening. Either it was the Wednesday or people are starting to save a bit more. Because it cannot be the food.
dining room @Boxwood restaurant
We began the evening with a delicious vermouth cocktail, one could almost think it was color coordinated with the restaurant.
vermouth cocktail @Boxwood restaurant
I shared the starter variation, which gave me a chance to sample all three available starters. Beef tartar with black garlic, soy, pickled egg yolk, and shiso leaves. To be honest I can’t say that I noticed any of these ingredients, but I do remember the buttered (sourdough?) toast that came with it. The tartar had a creamy consistency without tasting greasy and was lovely seasoned. Really, really tasty!
Next up was a scallop ceviche on a bed of cucumber. If there was Leche de Tigre in there, it hid well. Not like at Mochi am Markt, where the ceviche swam in the tiger milk. The scallop was great, the cucumber underneath was a bit too acidic and not spicy enough.
A vegetarian starter rounded up the variations. Cauliflower came in form of a mousse and pickled, with black olives, and kefir. The pickled cauliflower was delicious, the mousse a bit bland, but the kefir provided a nice touch of freshness and brought it all together. I liked the dish.
starter variations @Boxwood restaurant
We got one entrée and I was lucky enough to get to try it. The Onsen egg lay on a bed of sunchoke mash with herbal bacon and Indian cress. I didn’t notice any herbal flavor in the bacon, especially since this was a lardo for all I know. The egg was topped with more sunchoke in form of chips. This dish was deemed the overall winner. Not by me, but by the person eating the egg.
Onsen egg @Boxwood restaurant
The main dishes also got good reviews. The Wiener Schnitzel was huge and the breadcrumb crust looked spot on. Not one morsel remained, which is the best compliment you can give a chef. Served with cranberry jam and potato lamb lettuce salad, it was perfect.
Wiener Schnitzel @Boxwood restaurant
The vegetarian bulgur risotto with purple haze carrots, fava beans, black cabbage, and pink ginger looked dramatic. Apparently it not only looked good, but also tasted delicious. There was no complaint from this corner, but only an empty plate left on the table afterwards.
bulgur risotto @Boxwood restaurant
Who would have thought that the most interesting dish out of the kitchen would be the chicken? Corn-fed chicken supreme came with black truffle, wild broccoli, stock from roasted onions, and roasted potatoes (they had a fancy French name). The truffle was on top of a foam served on the side which covered a chicken fricassee. The chicken had a lovely look and an even better taste. The crunchy skin on top rounded out this dish nicely.
chicken supreme @Boxwood restaurant
The tagliata di manzo on the other hand didn’t get rave reviews. Maybe because I ordered the dish. But really, it was just a lackluster plate and the meat was tough. Usually tagliata is juicy and nicely pink. But at Boxwood it came in a Denver cut (think flank steak) and the really thin-cut meat was almost cooked all the way through and had limp arugula salad on top. Garlic oil was served on the side, which was just repugnant. That really doesn’t go well with this dish. Overall a disappointment.
tagliata di manzo @Boxwood
restaurant
The desserts fared better again. I shared a lemon tarte with curd cheese ice cream, crumble, and pickled lemon. The taste of the lemon filling was spot on and harmonized perfectly with the ice cream. Too bad that the tartelette shell was so soft. I really like it a lot better when it has a snap.
lemon tarte @Boxwood restaurant
The other ordered dessert at our table was the Valrhona chocolate slice with stewed plums, Ras El Hanout, and white chocolate. The rich chocolate mousse disappeared from the plates within minutes and it was very quiet during this time. Except for small approving noises, nothing could be heard. A winner!
Valrhona chocolate slice @Boxwood restaurant
Service was really attentive and friendly during our visit. Let’s assume this is always the case and not due to the lack of other patrons. Overall a really enjoyable evening! Yours, Pollybert
Boxwood Restaurant
101 Wien, Grashofgasse 1
Tel: +43 1 2958899
Email: reservierung@boxwood.at
Mon-Fri:17:00-24:00, Sat-Sun: 12:00-24:00
https://www.boxwood.at/en/
