Oh, the hype! I had wanted to like Honey Salt; I really did. Don't get me wrong; they do not serve bad food. They just serve it in flavors that are catered to palates that hardly ventures out the perimeter of Summerlin. Upon arrival, we found the outdoor dining area to be directly outside the entrance of the restaurant. They picket-fenced the area and hung christmas lights overhead, but it still seemed odd to be fifty feet away from Talbots (a women's clothing store). I do give them credit for trying though. Upon walking in, the bar sits on the left and the dining area sits on the right with the open kitchen toward the back of the dining area. The decoration is a relaxed chic - California style with a Hampton twist. I like it very much; it's tastefully done but not so much that it feels pretentious, which is what seems to be what Summerlin is all about, unfortunately. (Tivoli Village, anyone?) We waited at the bar for our entire party, and the bartender was very nice. I tried the Garden Mule, and it tasted like a mojito to me. It had a huge basil leaf in the drink, and I am not sure if the basil was not washed properly, but my drink had this pesticide taste to it. (Know what I'm talking about? I may be crazy, too...) I took the basil out, and over time, it tasted better... Not sure if it was the removal of the leaf or as I was finishing the drink... The staff at the bar was very nice and offered us water and all the things a good bar offers. No problems there. Upon being seated at our table, we were greeted by Casey right away. We were explained the menu, and Casey was extremely helpful with the wine selection of the night. We went with the Nobilo Icon Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012 at the price of $43 a bottle. Now getting down to business. The bread basket was good. Nothing to write home about, but I must warn you about how good the butter is. Beware, because you will want to eat the butter with a spoon. "Getting Comfortable" (that's what they named the appetizers: We had the England Fry and the octopus. The octopus was good, but it was not spectacular (and not for the price either). It's good enough to share between two persons. The England Fry was nothing special at all, and I mean nothing. I can make better shishito peppers at home... and find much better calamari and fried clams elsewhere! Everyone I talked to raved about the scallops, I had the scallops. For $31, you get six scallops (which is more than you usually get at other places) and a handful of cauliflowers. The scallops were cooked right, not over or under cooked, but it was, once again, uneventful on the palate other than the overpowering truffle sauce. If you like truffle, then you may find this dish fulfilling. But I personally like my seafood with a hint of truffle, as how truffle should be... The bf had the sea bass, and as soon as the dish arrives at the table, I knew it was going to be not good. It looked dried and overcooked, and it tasted like it. I was not at all impressed with the sea bass at all. I would not recommend it unless dried fish is what you like. One of our friends had the duck confit salad, and it looked boring, which I personally think it's hard for a duck confit salad to look boring. It's duck confit! I digress... Our other friend, the husband of the friend who got the duck confit, had the curry. It did not seem like he was ecstatic about the curry. His wife actually literally said it tasted like "dirt." To reflect accurately, she did say that she does not like Indian curry. All in all, was Honey Salt terrible? No. It obviously has its redeeming qualities to deserve a 2-star from me. I think the owner scaled the flavors of the food just right for the Summerlin clientele. (If you do not know what I am talking about, maybe you'll like this restaurant, and I encourage you to try it!) However, I am afraid Honey Salt can be easily overlooked for another "trendy chic locally grown restaurant" that seem to be sprouting up in the Summerlin area left and right. I personally, unfortunately, will not be coming back soon...
Choose the sentiment of this review?
Available options: (a). negative; (b). positive;
(a).