The first family dine out experience after months of stay-home dining since COVID hit us was at South Union Park and boy was it great to be out for hearty restaurateur grub.

With burpple 1 for 1 we had 2 portions of the new short rib katsu dish. An excellent decision as the tender “fall off the bone” ribs in a fried breaded crust was almost revolutionary when you contemplate the technical cooking attention that went into ensuring the crust remains crunchy and meat remains tasty yet tender. On a bed of napa cabbage and interestingly dark onion purée, this was a substantial and balanced meal for me.

For a starter I decided on the seafood minestrone because almost every other table had a serving. Be patient to let the fresh out of the oven soup cool after you cut through the flaky puff pastry that felt like the pride of a pastry chef if handmade (context: I have been baking so much as part of my COVID diaries activity and boy are crusts, flaky pastries a true challenge). Yet the captious palate would have preferred fresh seafood instead of scrawny shrimps and shelled clams.