Mussels with green curry, coconut, chiles, lemongrass and cilantro
Executive Chef Ben Watters
Aloi, which began as a food truck in 2017 and celebrates one year in its Scott’s Addition space this month, has locked down the urban sophisticate vibe. Housed in Pearson’s former woodshop, many of the details in the space were actually designed by him — the bar, tables and ceiling decor are all custom creations. The kitchen, which bills itself as serving “seasonal contemporary American fare,” is headed by chef Ben Watters, previously of Brenner Pass and Lemaire, while Adan Velis (also of Sabai) doubles as the general manager and beverage director. Together, the three have created a space that promises sophistication and polish. And it delivers on that promise — sometimes, at least.
While the design here is understated, subtle is not the first word that comes to mind when describing the dishes at Aloi, although for some of them, that works. The mushroom pâté, for example, is rich and earthy, a puree of deeply flavored cremini and oyster mushrooms thickened with cashew cream and then topped with hazelnuts, porcini-accented cocoa powder and a cherry gelée made with agar. When smeared on the grilled bread that arrives alongside, it nearly made a vegan of me.
The lounge at Aloi
The bone marrow beignets, too, are an over-the-top success. Though the dish sounds like it could be a mishmash of trends gone wrong, the beignets are light, with savory hints from the marrow; the mushroom ragout they sit atop is bursting with flavor. Radish blossoms and pickled mustard seeds add a nice foil of spice and tang.
Bone marrow beignets
Perfectly cooked in a rich, spicy broth infused with green curry, coconut, chiles, lemongrass and cilantro, the mussels arrive with plenty of bread to sop it up. While I can recall experiencing this particular combination of coconut, chiles and mussels at other Richmond restaurants, Aloi’s version is the best, hands down.
In some cases, though, the kitchen’s more-is-more mentality feels like a shouting match on the plate. The roasted cauliflower dish includes house-made buffalo sauce, compressed celery, several dollops of carrot puree and a puddle of blue-cheese cream that completely overwhelms the delicately crisp florets. The clam and ham pasta, likewise, is a pile of burly ingredients trying to out-muscle one another; the combination of clams, salty chunks of ham, molasses-cured egg yolk, shaved Parmesan, breadcrumbs and a sprinkling of over-crunchy peas was excessively oily and salty.
The Edible Garden, a pile of lentils and bright, buttery green vegetables — asparagus, favas, green beans, baby leeks — certainly fulfills the “seasonal” promise but the dish feels unfinished and lacks a starch to offset the runny egg and all of the (delicious) fat and greenery. (Although since frybread is listed on the menu as an accompaniment, perhaps it usually comes with one.)
The Fixie Frappé cocktail on draft
As for cocktails, they lean sweet. The Strawberry Blonde — singani, Plantation dark rum, egg white, strawberry-cardamom gastrique and lemon, topped with strawberry powder — was too syrupy for my taste, at least as an aperitif. It would have made an excellent dessert drink, one almost certainly more satisfying than the cloying chocolate torte that we ordered. And I can envision the draft cocktail, a riff on a mimosa with house-made rhubarb-grapefruit amaro called the Fixie Frappé, hitting the spot on a warm summer day out on the inviting patio.
The gate to Aloi’s recently opened patio
The service, overall, is excellent, full of the sort of touches that separate great hospitality from good: servers who answer questions knowledgeably, people on the floor who pay attention and jump in where needed, staffers who remember guests and ask how they liked everything during their last visit.
Yet as a whole, Aloi stopped short of a truly sublime experience for me. Although it’s a beautiful spot with perfectly sexy Saturday date-night vibes, the unevenness on the plate reveals that it falls short as a destination spot for a blow-your-mind dinner — at least for now. But it’s certainly worth a visit to sit at the bar, soak up the ambiance and order some appetizers — or a drink, for dessert — and forget you’re in Richmond for an evening.
3.5 out of 5 stars
3103 W. Leigh St.
804-355-5555
$8 to $28
