Piece Meal
Conundrum’s eclectic menu misses the mark.
- Photo by Diana R. Levine
Chef Eric Wernsing’s apparent goal at his new Harvard Square restaurant, Conundrum, was to give diners anything and everything they crave. Technically, he’s accomplished it: On the menu there are Southwestern, French, Italian, and Asian-inspired dishes. But Wernsing’s approach means that only a few meet the highest standards.
There are cute touches: Puzzle piece bread plates, for instance, play to the brain-tickling name and accent the cozy space. But instead of global inspiration, we found a hodgepodge of predictable fare—tuna tartare, salmon, and rack of lamb—and inconsistent execution. Appetizers like a shrimp Culican spiced with chipotle butter made for a sweet, peppery start but the tuna was tasteless under a too-strong ginger–kaffir lime sauce and the tamarind-glazed pork loin was juicy but cloying. It was desserts, like the Bananas Conundrum—sautéed bananas and chocolate ice cream atop chocolate crêpes—that showed expertise. It’s a goal Conundrum should strive for with every dish.
>> 56 JFK St., Cambridge, 617-868-0335, conundrumrestaurant.com.
There are cute touches: Puzzle piece bread plates, for instance, play to the brain-tickling name and accent the cozy space. But instead of global inspiration, we found a hodgepodge of predictable fare—tuna tartare, salmon, and rack of lamb—and inconsistent execution. Appetizers like a shrimp Culican spiced with chipotle butter made for a sweet, peppery start but the tuna was tasteless under a too-strong ginger–kaffir lime sauce and the tamarind-glazed pork loin was juicy but cloying. It was desserts, like the Bananas Conundrum—sautéed bananas and chocolate ice cream atop chocolate crêpes—that showed expertise. It’s a goal Conundrum should strive for with every dish.
>> 56 JFK St., Cambridge, 617-868-0335, conundrumrestaurant.com.
Originally published in Boston magazine, August 2006
