Switch Grill: Cool Ambiance, Great Wine

Switch Grill offers a cool ambiance, great service and a killer wine list. The menu is extensive and very attractive, but while there are deals to be had, the restaurant's still working to balance prices with quantity and quality.

Switch is going for something between Flamme and an upscale steakhouse. In terms of the grill menu, this works well. The imported meats are reasonably priced (we had a lamb rack for ¥130) and come with a choice of marinade and sauce. The starters, though, are much more expensive than Flamme's, although prices and dishes were still being tweaked when we visited. The spiced maguro tuna tartar (¥85) offers a slightly spicy, slightly sweet taste that's both South American- and Asian-influenced. It all sits atop beautiful tamago egg. The marinated asparagus and endive salad is made with high quality ingredients and has a good mustard dressing, but it's far too small and simple for ¥60. Even more disappointing were the shrimp spring rolls. At ¥60, they're nearly twice the price of the rolls at Susu, but smaller and prone to falling apart. However, we loved the tomato and mozzarella flat bread pizza (¥55). Desserts are also better value, with excellent house-made ice cream (¥42) and a unique crème fraiche cheesecake (¥48) with passion fruit sorbet.

In contrast to the food, the wine list is insanely cheap, with a strong selection. Glasses start at ¥25. The pours aren't huge, but it's hard to believe that you can get a glass of Momo Sauvignon Blanc here for ¥45 when it's ¥98 at Union.

Servers speak excellent English and are friendly, good-humored, attentive and flexible. The two-story space is decorated in red and black, with comfortable seats, good lighting and relaxed, loungy music.

Our rating: 3.5/5 stars

DETAILS

What: Switch Grill

Where: Regentland Bldg, 66 Gongti Beilu, 工体北路66号

Tel: 6553-5691