Agua's interior is an interesting mix between the Legation Quarter's French and Italian restaurant: not as retro-minimalistic as Sadler and not as cosy-kitschy as Boulud. The inside is comfortable and warm, with soft lighting and plushy chairs, and red being the more than predominant color.
Service was as flawless as in the neighboring restaurants, while the friendly service manager and Mare Nostrum's former chef wandering around to chit-chat with customers gave it a more personal touch. Jordi Valles' handwriting is clearly visible in Agua's dishes, which are prepared with the same attention to details as they were at his former place, without overloading the plates with tons of ingredients or different flavors.
As a starter, the tuna in herbs was marinated to perfection and visibly fresh, and the veal cheek as main course was of rarely seen tenderness, in perfect combination with pumpkin puree and nuts. The monkfish, catch of the day, was full with flavor and of nutty consistency, and the plates well enough charged to leave you fully satisfied. Wines by the glass are more on the expensive side, but considering what awaits you downstairs it would be a waste to drink too much at the restaurant!
We only planned to have a quick glance at the bar, but our attention was caught right away by an impressive bottle juggling session by its barkeeper. Introducing himself as Jacky (and later admitting he just won the Asia-Pacific bartender award last year, and currently ranks fifth on the world's best bartenders list), he surprised us with an awesome selection of state-of the-art cocktails, each of them prepared with eye-catching moves and perfectly matching ingredients, adding a little twist to every single creation - fresh raspberries, a sip of champagne or pomelo juice.
We were also lucky enough to witness the creation of a completely new Jaegermeister-based shot, which paired with wasabi and lemon juice to give your tastebuds a glimpse into a whole new world of liquid herbs and spices. All the way through our drinks, Jacky kept chatting and explaining the different flavor combinations to us without being obtrusive, and we were happy to learn about his Canadian/Hong Kong background and previous experiences.
Jacky also gave us a quick tour around the upper deck of the agua complex, which is nicely decorated and gives you a good view on the Legation Quarter complex and the ongoing construction at the National Museum - definitely a site to remember for next spring, or even this winter if you don't mind a bit of chill.
Altogether, our stay at Agua got a perfect finish thanks to Jacky and his crew, who made it a very memorable experience. We'll definitely be back for more food and mouth-watering cocktail creations!
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