I have been to many wonderful restaurants but few have topped the experience and meal I had at Tempo Dulu in Portland, Maine. Located in the Danforth Inn, I started the meal in the bar area where their mixologist (bartender) suggested great mocktails all night. Each drink was different and had my taste buds working in hundreds of different ways. After about 20 minutes, I took my seat for dinner.
I evaluated the menu which had many promising offerings but what intrigued me the most (and what I ordered) was the Chef’s tasting which featured four different courses of the meal. What made this outing an experience rather than just another meal was that each course was so layered. They first brought out a palate teaser that featured a Poached Shrimp, Miso glaze, Fennel sauce, and Chili oil. The Shrimp was cooked perfectly, not too chewy which can sometimes be hard to do with shrimp. The bite had a calm mellow flavor with a great earthy taste. The chili oil added an explosion of flavor which topped off the dish.
The next course that came out was the first part of the Chef’s tasting. It was Scallops with Watercress, Citrus, Magic sauce, and Caviar. This dish was very refreshing with the perfectly prepared Scallops offering a smooth finish. Caviar built the taste with a punch of salt. The watercress had a nice freshness that topped off the bite. Overall the dish had a crazy combo of flavors that were both a pleasant surprise and delicious.
Next came the Lobster broth which was phenomenal. The Lobster was cooked beautifully. All the parts blended marvelously together. The herbs gave an amazing earthy taste. It had a great balance of spice in it. You mostly got the kick in the aftertaste which was nice because that was what you remembered. It was a nice touch to the meal.
The last part of the meal was filled with many different elements including Lobster and Pork Spring Roll, Braised Lamb Bumbu Bamboo, Curried Steamed Fish, Egg in Tomato Sambal, and Moo Ping. Each offering was small but together made a nice main course. The spring rolls were sweet, crispy, and salty all at the same time which made it a very enjoyable taste. The lamb was great with a salty aftertaste. The curried steamed fish was cod which was nice and flaky with a mild fresh fish taste. The egg in the tomato sambal was creamy and delicate with an explosion from the sambal (a hot sauce or paste made from a mixture of chili peppers). Finally the Moo ping (skewers) were pork that was tender and had a mellow taste and were an intriguing bite.
Overall the experience at Tempo Dulu was one of the best I’ve ever had at any restaurant and it truly blew me away with something that many other restaurants lack – attention to detail. Detail of the flavor. The little things made the meal so incredible. It truly embodied what is so great about the food industry – creativity. I can see myself returning as soon as possible. If you can make the trip, you won’t regret it.
Eats. Drinks. 