Nemesis Urban Bistro

Nemesis is what chef/owner Micah Edelstein wants it to be -- take it or leave it. We'll take it. The hip, relaxed 30-seater is welcoming, the eclectic and delectable cuisine infused with influences from Micah's native South Africa. The resultant melding of distinctive spices and ingredients creates flavors not available on any other plates in town. Don't believe me? Where else can you find kangaroo carpaccio with rooibos tea-smoked tomato oil? Duck-meat pot stickers come efficaciously braised with figs; cubes of lamb are skewered with dried, sherry-soaked apricots and paired with pomegranate syrup and minted yogurt ; and smoked veal bobotie brings a scrumptious round of moist meatloaf capped with diced apricots. Main plates include a trio of huge, meaty scallops with saffron-tomato sauce studded with currants and ground chorizo. It might be a relatively conservative assemblage for Nemesis, but it still features taste notes that are not often encountered. Malva pudding with Amarula sauce and piri piri caramel comes capped with rooibos ice cream. Don't recognize these ingredients? That's half the fun. The other half is unique, home-cooked, highly flavorful fare at reasonable prices. There's no place like Nemesis.