The other night Chef Tai demonstrated why I fell in love with this place when it opened: that unbeatable combination of innovation and healthiness. That's not easy to pull off, and most people don't bother, preferring to just pile on more fat fat fat fat fat fat and leave it at that. Not here they don't.
I'm one of those people powerfully influenced by properly photographed images of food. And by that I mean the well done professional ones top notch restaurants upload to their web sites, not the grainy out of focus ones amateurs like myself (and many others on Yelp) upload. If I see a pic that is something obviously gross and unhealthy and blood sugar rush coma inducing like a greasy pile of fries covered in melted cheese, I head in the other direction. If I see something like that which appeared on Chef Tai's website the other day, I head there.
The sablefish was a beautiful cut of a sustainably harvested very healthy Alaskan deep-water fish served in a beautiful presentation. How can something this rich be healthy? It is...and it looks damn pretty. The "unified" Ahi tuna tartare (the pun: there's uni on top) was served on a bed of quinoa (Yeah, healthy!) mixed with amazing seasonings and what appeared to be currants (cranberries?) and was off the chain. Last one of the trio I sampled was a fantastic monkfish (alas not so sustainable these days) on a bed of veggies and corn puree. I bow to Chef Tai's innovation here, and the man really seems to have fun doing it too.
I will repeat again, this is THE place to go for seafood in BCS. This is THE place to go to eat healthy and not limit yourself to salads. I have so much respect for a restaurant that goes out of its way to cater to the folks in BCS who take personal health seriously, and I am not at all surprised as to the number of health conscious customers who I run into here (some quite famous in this community) on a regular basis.
If Chef Tai ever quits his day job, I hope its to open a catering service to deliver what is irritatingly referred to as "spa cuisine" to his legion of fans. So happy when this place gets its groove back.
Party of 5, went for lunch on ring day.
Service was a bit slow, but that's okay because the food was absolutely incredible. For lunch we got the crab cake trio, banh mi, avocado BLT, tomato soup & salad, and a spicy tuna roll. Every single thing we got was excellent. The portions are small, but filling.
We also got the Spanish almond Basque cake, which took quite a while to make, was a little bit overcooked/dry, but it was still delicious.
We didn't get any wine, so we can't say anything about that. The food was excellent and the service was fine. Definitely the best restaurant in CS that I've been to. I will return, hopefully often.
Veritas is terrific. It has changed since it opened just a few years ago, but there are consistent threads that are consistent and worthy of comment.
Chef Tai is indisputably excellent at his craft, specializing in using scrupulously fresh ingredients to create interesting flavors and flavor profiles. In particular, the caliber of Tai's seafood is particularly worthy of note, and is unmatched anywhere in the area. You can find comparably fresh, high-quality seafood in Austin or Houston or other major cities, but there's just nothing like it here in Aggieland (with no disrespect to Madden's or even The Republic). For example: When there are fresh Gulf snapper, Tai has it, and prepares it fabulously. His miso sea bass is a signature dish, and it is flavorful and perfectly prepared. His spicy tuna sushi roll rocks.
The restaurant, when it first opened, had a lovely small-plates approach to dining. It was very sophisticated and cosmopolitan. I loved it. Tai made ceviche that differed by the day -- sometimes, amazingly, by the hour! -- as well as sushi and sashimi that were inventive and original. Small plates went for $10 or $12 and contained a few bites suitable for sharing.
Some locals found it confusing, I think. No Big Protein, no Starchy Side -- you know, can it be dinner without those? Tai adjusted once, adding composed plates with protein, starch, and veg, but also leaving the "tasting menu" in place with small portions and ceviches. More recently, the tasting menu has disappeared entirely, and the menu now looks very  conventional in a way that's typical of high-end restaurants. There is much less emphasis on seafood than there was -- there is no ceviche on the menu, at all, for example -- and he now offers a Wayagu steak that's quite nice.
Tai is a creative enough chef that, if you ask for him to make a ceviche, he will, and happily. That's a great feature. But still, it's not even on the menu now. Too bad. Ceviche with an Asian twist can be unreal.
The wine list is very good, but it, too, has taken something of a step toward the more conventional. It's still good. It used to be the best in the area. The wines by the glass are a bit underwhelming, though I like the Chablis a lot. The bartenders make the second-best cocktails in the area (behind the folks at The Republic). Very solid, but not as creative. When I go to Veritas, I'm more wine focused.
The service at Veritas is almost always excellent. I have had a couple of underwhelming service experiences, but from what I can tell, those people have been weeded out.
Overall, it's a very fine restaurant. I miss the original Veritas, and always will. The current version is still wonderful, but when you miss the original, it's hard to fully embrace the changes fully.
Before stepping into the place, I was already happy b/c:
1. Called on game day to ask for last minute, same day reservations. Â Not only was i NOT laughably told, "yeh right"; the owner himself promised to find us a private table if we didn't mind dining early @ 5:30. (Game was over at 4....perfect timing)
2. It was directly across the street from our hotel (after an Aggies win, celebratory drunk fans / students make diving dangerous. Â Takes one to know one...
3. My dear Yelp app screamed PICK ME PICK ME when scouring the narrow choices of Aggieland dining.
We were seated immediately at "the chef" table: basically a small back bar area seating that gives you front row action into the kitchen. Â I was personally amazed at the multitasking skills of owner Tye and how he effortlessly wielded knives while entertaining guests on the history of the restaurant.....oh, how I wish to be the charming hostess everyone gathers round while preparing multi coarse meals, swilling wine, and telling jokes. Â Like my mother, no one is allowed in my kitchen until the food is deemed done. I'm a nervous wreck chopping, mixing, timing, and cleaning. Aka, a messy, nervous chef is not fun to be around.
First, the Amoosh boosh (spelling is off, but phonetically correct) means "happy mouth": a little morsel of fried goodness that resembled, dare I say, a corn hush puppy ? Â My happy mouth wanted more....
Next was creamy poblano soup....yummo
Appetizer: steak sushi...."say what???" Â Yup, rarish steak served up in a rice roll complete with rice vinegar and soy. Â Didn't think it could get much better but it did....
(Edited NOTE to diners: try at least ONE entree from the separate "specials menu" the chef changes up regularly....next 2 choices were off the regulator menu)
Out came my red snapper cooked to perfection with a mild sweet aftertaste that didn't overpower like some syrupy sweet glazes. Â Complete w pearlized onions on a bed of buttery mashed potatoes, this entree rocked my world. Â Hubby had the Kobe beef special that was equally amazing. Â
I was busting at the seams when Sam suggested dessert, but quickly loosened my belt when I heard RVC (red velvet cake....all very good things must have acronyms...VIP, CEO, OMG)
But, I must warn you.....all good things must come to an end, and at this point, the dessert was the perfect ending to a perfect night....moist, cream cheese icing, I want MORE!!
The dining experience couldn't have been more enjoyable without:
1. personable convo throughout the meal  with the owner/chef, a 2002 Aggie alumni
2. Meeting a young married couple on "date night", celebrating his return from tour /deployment to Iraq, and enjoying pics of their beautiful 2 year old baby girl.
3. Â Running into other "Tylerites", and shaking hands with the young quarterback, Johnny Manziel, who had led our team to victory against Arkansas.
Gig 'em and God bless!!!!
In vino veritas!!
 What a great little surprise in the middle of Texas A&M stomping grounds!  Out and about visiting my goddaughter who is a freshman at A&M, I thought our celebratory affair would be BBQ and beer (not that there's anything wrong with the former; I quite like BBQ!) until I turned to Yelp and discovered that a "white tablecloth" restaurant with outdoor seating and a creative Paso Robles chef was right around the corner.
 Service was a bit cold at first, with no introduction to the menu or specials, but warmed up as the night progressed.  We were not introduced to the tasting menu concept, nor told of the specials, merely greeted and asked what we'd like to order.  When I asked a question, our server seemed a little taken aback and answered quickly without further expounding on what I thought was a golden opportunity to entice us into a grand cullinary adventure in the hands of their chef.  Again, he did grow warmer as the night progressed.
 We started with a Languedoc-Roussillon sparkler as an apertif, but moved to a Loire Valley Vouvray to pair with appetizers of spicy tuna sushi roll, asian carpaccio, and flash fried calamari.  The sushi featured beautiful knifework on the tuna both within and wrapped around the hugely portioned roll (our table ordered 2) and the beef carpaccio demonstrated that same prowess with perfect cuts in an amazing asian flair.  However, the calamari was overbreaded and overcooked for my taste-- like a rubberband coated in beer batter. I prefer a lighter breading, flash fried and succulent, but the rest of our party wolfed down every bite. The salad was fresh and well balanced, yet quite predictable, as was the butternut squash soup.  Adequate, but not "amazingly good". Even though it's late September, It's still quite balmy in TX! It's hard to get excited about butternut squash soup when it's 80+ degrees outside.
 For entrees, we moved on to a Bourdeaux Blend (Medoc appellation) which paired nicely with my entree of wagyu au poivre (seasonal special) and garlic mashed potatoes, as well as my friend's ribeye with creamy, delicious risotto--both perfectly executed! I can't really remember what everyone else had for dinner, as I was savouring every bite of the wagyu au poivre. Â
 I have a special weakness for bread pudding, and chose it for the second night in a row-- and wasn't disappointed. The prize for dessert, however, goes to the dark chocolate truffles that are handmade and each pack a hugely disproportional whallop of sultry goodness into each square millimeter of this sexy and sumptuous designer dessert. The port drinkers in my party went for a tawny and paired it with both truffles and the fried cheesecake-- and had no complaints.  I went for the "Happy Ending", a concoction not unlike a milkshake in texture with Vodka, Godiva White Chocolate, Cherry Heering, Simple Syrup, and heavy cream. It tasted like a white chocolate smoothie with a bite and paired so well with my bread pudding and vanilla ice cream.  A match made in heaven. Â
  The truth about veritas (Haha! I gotcha, didn't I?): Overall, I recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a gastronomic adventure in College Station, TX.  The wine list was sparse for the name, as another Yelper has pointed out.  It wasn't really what we expected from a Paso Robles chef with a "Wine Bistro" named veritas (the inference being, of course, "in vino veritas") We ordered the top end of each selection, so our picks were a hit for the price point.  I didn't expect to find a wine bistro with a popular chef's tasting menu in the middle of Texas A&M, home of great BBQ and beer. I'm tougher on white table-cloth, formal establishments than I am on non-pretentious, great food dives because of the ration of money spent to quality consumed.  As such, there remain a few things that need ironing out to bring Veritas up to its self-professed hype. Once those little tweaks are made, I see no reason it cannot rise to a five star rating!!
Edit 12/9/2012: I've now also had Christopher's steak. Chef Tai's work at Veritas still wins, guy is a freakish food genius.
I've had various steaks everywhere in town (except Christopher's so, I'll revise when that happens) and I have to say this place has the best steak. Favorite has been the blue cheese crumble topped steak. Also check this place out for lunch, much more reasonable price, but just as delicious.
It was freakishly cold in the conference room when I visited. Â I was literally warming my hands with the table candle. Â It is summertime in Texas, midday. Â How much are they spending keeping this place cold? Â :) Â
Went here for a group meeting at lunch. Â The food was good, the menu very innovative. Â We had the salad with heart of palm which was pretty good. Â Unfortunately, I think there was some confusion because the food came out painfully slow and we all still had to get back to work. Â To their defense, I believe the service staff thought we were going to be there for much longer.
Even with the cold temp and service confusion, I can tell Veritas is a 5 star and I just happened to not have a 5 star experience. Â The food is outstanding and the staff seemed like the generally cared to make us happy.
Ummmmmm....what the heck is this place doing in College Station? Â If this joint was located in Austin it would be crawling with people all the time. Nevertheless, this restaurant is a winner winner (skip the chicken dinner). Â I went for lunch and sat at the bar, which is what you do when you want great service. Take notes, younguns. Â Stop complaining about service and grab a seat at the bar.
Chef Tai came and greeted me and listened to my ever annoying question, "What's your favorite thing to eat here?" He pointed me a couple of different directions. I sat there and agonized over getting the spicy tuna roll, Kobe beef burger or the petite filet with the soup of the day and a salad. All were about $15. Since I was super hungry and felt like having a steak, I opted for the filet. And bring a glass of that delicious malbec too, would ya?
The service was phenomenal. My water was always full. The servers and tenders were constantly checking in on me to make sure I was good. The filet was cooked a perfect medium rare. Not the best ever, but for $15 it was great! Â The salad and soup were amazing! Â After I licked my plate clean I thought about getting the tuna roll....but I'm not a complete fatty. And that would have turned from a reasonable lunch to a special occasion lunch. And a special occasion it was not! Â The one downfall is their cheapest glass of wine is 7 or 8 bucks. I've seen how much those bottles cost at HEB, guys.
You go Chef Tai! Â Thanks for a great experience. Next time I'm in College Station for business I'm coming for your spicy tuna roll AND your Kobe beef burger.
Excellent dining in College Station. Â Everything served was prepared nicely. The pork was flavorful and tender...and the calamari appetizer was cooked to perfection. Â My wife and I went after an Aggie Football game late in the evening and the place was really buzzing with activity and great live music. It is a little hard to find in the shopping center maze...don't let that discourage you from going.
Review Source:I love, love, love, love, LOVE Veritas. This is, without a doubt, the best restaurant in College Station.
I love the attentive, professional service. I love the simple elegance of the small but cozy interior. I love that this is a restaurant that delivers on its promise of a fine dining experience. Most of all, I LOVE the food. While I was there, I ordered omakase which is the 6 course chef's tasting menu. With each and every plate I was delighted with how well everything was prepared. Meats and seafood were cooked to perfection. The best tomato I've ever had was a golden cherry tomato found in my diver scallop dish. The ingredients were fresh, and at the end of each course I was eagerly anticipating the next. Chef Tai really knows how to pair both flavors and textures in a way that is exciting and innovative, yet not over the top. He understands the food and how to serve it best - whether to let its natural flavors shine through a mild butter sauce or to complicate it with rosemary ajus.
Chef Tai, I beg of you - please move to LA and start a restaurant there.
Excellent food, artfully presented in an exquisite atmosphere... Â If you're looking for fine dining in Aggieland, Veritas is one of the best restaurants in town with food and service that deserve a 5 star rating. Â I highly recommend the Tuna Tartar Tacos...mmmmm! Â Bring your wallet...as $30-$50 per person is probably the average ticket at dinner. Â I've heard lunch is more reasonably priced...but have never been for lunch. Â Veritas also has a food truck, "Chef Tai's Mobile Bistro," w/ a less expensive menu.
Review Source:I love Veritas! I've been here for business lunch, a glass of wine at the end of the day, and for a special dinner with family/friends. In all cases, my experience has been fantastic. The standards for the food are exceptional and its always a treat to be here. I've had both the red-meat and seafood and loved them - and it can be extremely difficult to find a place (ANYWHERE) that truly is a master of both. The ambiance is soothing, feeling like I'm entering an oasis every time I'm there. And personally, every time I've been there the service has been spot-on.
No, it isn't cheap - so I consider it a treat - but more than worth the price.
The best meal I've had in a long time....even outside of College Station. I can't believe this place is here!!
Our party all partook in the Prix Fixe menu (55 per person) and it was well worth it! Â The chef sent out an amuse bouche prior to starting which was very nice to start off the evening. Â Started with house salad which was solid, and then came the beef carpaccio. Â Oh.My.God. The thickest, most delicious beef carpaccio I've ever had. Â It's served with watercress, garlic, chives and a truffle chili oil. Crazy good. Â Hubby had the Tuna Tartare to start, which was equally jaw-dropping. Â (See photos)
    I had the duck which was amazing....cooked nicely and well seasoned.  Hubby had the prime tenderloin which was well cooked and a very nice cut.  It was served with only one piece of asparagus which seemed strange, but whatever.  The true shining star of the meal was the Hawaiian Sea Bass.  Our friend ordered this and it was hands down the best fish I've ever had in my life. It was buttery perfection with bok choy and a miso glaze. Portion size was impressive as well.  She wasn't able to finish the fish, despite help from 3 others!  Would order the sea bass the next time for sure.
    The dessert was an assortment of sweets and very good. There was a forgettable chocolate tarte, served with a wonderful pistachio ice cream. Â
    Great wine selection that they know well and can help you pair with your meal.  Service was truly impeccable and the ambiance was lovely. Will definitely eat here again, though will need to save some money to do so!  Five stars....well deserved.
In order to get 5 stars, dining must be an experience-not just a meal. That's what eating at Veritas is-an experience. The ambiance is exquisite, the Jazz sultry yet soothing, the service professional and enthusiastic. The seafood choices are the best in town. The Tapas style sharing allows one's palate to be utterly adventurous while on a College Station budget. The Wagu steak is the best beef available on the planet (Kobe is Wagu for you snobbies out there). The Asian-fusion cuisine is demonstrative of Executive Chef Tai's brilliance. You don't need to travel to Houston, Austin, or Dallas to experience dining excellence (or spend that kind of money either ;-) ) !
Review Source:Note to visitors of College Station. Most people here consider Chili's as a bombdiggity restaurant. With that in mind understand my 3 star rating. This place is good no doubt about it. I personally think it is way too expensive for what you get.
Food-
This is a good note. The food is not bad at all. Like I have said in other reviews for Chef Tai, I think he is a great chef and good at his craft. Master? Not yet. I have had a Master's food before and paid the same price with a head over hills different experience. Should you eat here? Yes, I would eat here. You are sure to experience good food, with flare and with items you might not have been exposed to before. So why not 4 or five stars? To be at the price point they are... better execution, better service.
Service-
The service is subpar every time I have been in here. Mostly because the folks working there figure this is one of the only higher end restaurants in town so they should act as though we are privilege to eat there. Last time I walked in there the hostess literally stared at me... no, "Hi welcome, how may I help you". I awkwardly waited for her to say something (you have to be careful now-a-days with people using ear pieces to talk on the phone...I could get off on a tangent here with a story about me and this lady in the Denver Airport who I thought was having a conversation with me...), finally I said we would like to eat, to which she almost begrudgingly showed us our table. Our waiter presented himself as a old time pompous food dork, mis pronouncing items while trying to maintain he knew everything about food. Look folks, people just want good service. Know the menu, have an opinion and treat people like you would like to be treated.
Phenomenal! Â I've been to Veritas several times over the last 2 1/2 yrs - each time sitting at the bar & enjoying wine - sometimes with an appetizer - sometimes with a meal. Â Chef Tai is an amazing creator of fresh, seasonal dishes. Â His standards are high and he described accepting only certain fish. Â Frequently, an amuse bouche will be delivered for a unique taste to start your experience. Â Â The "Simply Grilled" fish with veggies is an often-listed special. Â The red fish was amazing - fresh, flavorful and light. Â Spicy tuna roll was better than any I've had in California (and I've had my share of sushi)! Â The ability to select cheeses for the cheese plate is a nice touch (stinky or mellow - they have a nice selection). Â And while I am not a big dessert person, I did once get the sweet cantaloupe gelato - holy cow, was that an amazing way to end the experience! Â
I realize I have used the term experience several times, but that's exactly what it is. Â Included in that are the regulars - it's a cast of very educated and successful characters with interesting stories, insights and more than a couple jokes. Â On Fridays & Saturdays, they have music. Â The trio on Friday is really talented and plays jazz standards with Kelsey's voice subtly peppering the air and her smile warming the room & Greg tickling of the ivories like a master musician. Â
And... if  you think you don't have time or the money for Veritas, check out Chef Tai's mobile food truck with frequent stops around town - there's no skipping on quality ingredients, yet the prices are right for everyday lunch or supper.
My favorite restaurant in town!
Love the food, love the atmosphere, love the staff. Â I wish we can dine here every week. Â
Our favorite is Omakase paired with wine - it's not cheap but it's worth every penny. Â Everything that's put in front of you is so original and delicious. Â They come in small portions but there are so many courses; by the end you are full and satisfied. Â
Some of the regular menu items look small and are meant to be ordered as a part of a course, I think. Â For example, just ordering one plate is not going to fill you up.
We love meeting people there - everyone is usually very laid back and we often just meet and chat with people.
I've tried their lunches a couple of times. Â But for lunch, I would rather go to their gourment mobile. Â
Their desserts are amazing. Â
This place makes me want to get a second job so I can go there more often.
We love this place.
The Wagyu beef was the best piece of meat I've ever had in my life. No kidding, it is worth every penny!
The fried calamari was very good, the beef carpaccio was excellent, and the wine selection is expansive.
The only thing we really didn't like was the creamy soup (I think it was a celery soup), it just didn't do anything for me.
The service was good, but not quite as attentive as it should have been for this type of place.
We took Greg's advice and sat at the Chef's table, and that was such a great experience! It really made my husband's birthday special, so I highly recommend reserving it. Chef Tai was there, but left to go to a city council meeting that night- I love that he is so involved in our community :)
The French-Asian fusion menu always has something new and unheard of for my friends and I. Whether you want a gourmet burger, sushi or a chef's tasting menu, this is the place! I go for casual lunches, dressy date night, or girl's night at the bar. The staff is a little Luke-warm, but is always able to offer an articulate opinion on wine pairings or new dishes. Chef Tai is wonderfully creative, and Veritas, by far, is my favorite fine dining restaurant in B/CS.
Review Source:we just went here for the first time recently. I spent many years traveling and have eaten at good restaurants all over the world. We found everything here to be really very good without any qualifiers such as a sanctimonious slight to its College Station location. Thankfully we also did not find the atmosphere to be at all pretentious - we were dressed quite casually and went there at the last moment. Despite that, there were no sideways glances from the staff or patrons.
Everything from the mise en bouch to entree was excellent. We had soup as a starter and it was even better than I expected. The risotto was excellent and our entree of sea bass and steak were delicious and perfectly cooked. We both liked the presentation of each dish too. In fact, we both commented on the china which is definitely a first for us. i don't think I've ever even paid much attention to it anywhere else. The dishes are slightly tilted towards you so it makes a nice presentation
Look forward to the next trip
This place is just okay. Â Sorry, all you "foodies" who think it's fantastic, and maybe it is, for College Station, TX. The space is beautiful, no doubt. Â Good wine list, cool serving pieces and stemware, interesting menu and specials, good people-watching spot...But being a real foodie, being partnered up with a frigging GREAT chef who is also a foodie snob...we just don't get it. Â
We've been there twice, it being a special-occasion-only kind of place because of the prices, and frankly, both times were disappointing, but for different reasons each time. Â The first time, we went with another couple, and decided to all pass around different menu offerings. Â I ordered macaroni and cheese, thinking, "Okay, this is a high-end joint and Chef Tai's supposed to be a wizard...Wow me" and it was mediocre. Â However, the rest of the group passed around sushi that they all went monkey sh*t over (I don't eat raw), so I guess it all kind of evened out, food-wise. Â
The service is kind of awful, but given the seasonal nature of living in a college town and getting whomever you can to serve may explain the spaced-out nature of the servers, who get orders wrong, have BS explanations for menu questions and just seem stoned.
We decided to give it another stab for Valentine's Day, and wow, we were so disappointed. Â Dropping about $100 for two people at a meal is a big deal for us, financially speaking, and we expected way better than burnt duck (on one side, raw in the middle) and burnt (on one side) salmon (raw on the other). Â We had some sort of talked-up appetizer that was actually just a glorified eggroll...for like $12. Â I will say this, however. Â My partner went nuts over his port, and I swooned a little over the truffles for dessert. Â Sadly, I'm not sure the truffles were produced there. Â Again, our server was just weird, offering a made-up story about why there was no amuse bouche this time and kinda bopping around with nothing in his hands on a really busy night.
All in all, I've had way better. Â Then again, I've lived in Chicago, Honolulu, Kansas City, and Austin, so I may be a little more traveled than most. Â But still, come on. Â If this is the best B/CS can do for fine dining, I'm sad. Â I won't give Veritas any more money until they step up their game. Â I know they're capable.
As a disclaimer: Â We have only been here for lunch and eaten off the lunch menu. Â Some day when we don't have small children (or a business dinner) we'll hopefully try dinner here.
The lunches are extraordinarily reasonably priced for the quality of the food. Â Prices range from $6 to $45, and are centered somewhere in the $12-14 range.
The quality of the fish in the sushi is better than any other restaurant in town, though their sushi selection is limited at lunch (not that we mind). Â
The roasted beet salad is delightful, though it includes salad greens in addition to beets. Â My avocado BLT was the best BLT I've ever had. Â The fish tacos are better than Bodega, and better than many I have had in Los Angeles. Â The Kobe burger is good. Â The fries are good, though you can really taste the earthy truffle oil and though I like it, my spouse is not a fan. Â
They used to have a brie sandwich that my son loved, but I'm happy that the menu hasn't stayed boring and static. Â I'm excited to try the offerings we have not yet had.
We ordered the Omakase 6 Course meal for our Anniversary.The whole combination was awesome and perfectly planned in every course of the meal.
If you have a very special occasion I highly recommend letting the chef plan your meal with the Omakase course. Â I will have to say that waiting for every course was exciting and fun and something I would do again =)
So thanks to yelp, we found this place and loved it! We are savvy diners and were not to hopeful in this college town, but thanks to yelpers we found this and loved everything! Great mixology, beer for hubby, and the Tasmanian salmon sushi roll was ridiculously amazing! Thank tou yelpers!
Review Source:Great restaurant with great food. Â This level of restuarant is truly a nice find to not be in a major metropolitan city. Â Great dishes. Â My only critisism is that the menu is unfocused. Â The theme seems to be all over the board, so paring courses for an entire meal is a hit and miss. Â Each plate is fabulous as a stand-alone, but, finding a plate that transitions well to the next course is a little difficult. Â Chef, please focus the menu, then you will be playing in the big league. Â Otherwise, great job.
Review Source:Veritas perfectly nailed a very special day for my family. Â I had the distinct please of showing not only my Father one of the finest examples of food and service in Brazos Valley yet at the same time paired with my lovely wife Hiroko whom was still Jet-Lagged from her return from Japan, and wanting the best America has to offer. Â
Upon arriving at Veritas with no reservations (I suggest you do that), we got extremely lucky and were seated at the Chef's table overlooking the kitchen. Â And by a damned stroke of luck we actually caught Chef Tai himself, in person (totally forgot to take a photo with him!) and he made our lunch. Â Right there in front of us. Â It was an afternoon that we will never forget.
The service here was the most excellent top notch that you could wish for at any top Restaurant such as in New York City, Chicago, and yeah, even Tokyo. Â While we could not at all ignore that Chef Tai himself was creating our food as we watched, in that dream state all staff treated us with sheer awesomeness like what we have come to expect when picking special places. (If you read my last 1000 reviews including the top in America). Â Â Â They listened to us carefully and understood what we liked, and provided. Â
I am not going to go into detail about what we ordered yet will state that it was exceptionally well priced for the quality, we obtained some "WOW" factors where it's just so good that that you can not help but laugh and be happy. Â I got addicted to a type of meat and now HAVE to go back for that as it's the best I have seen outside of Akita, Japan, and I am a lover of that style. Â Addicted. Â Seriously addicted. Â No. Â Maybe you don't understand. Â I am -seriously- addicted to it and -have- to go back. Â :)
In my experience of writing on Yelp, I have only listed one single restaurant as being my favorite in Texas, and I have as of today upgraded it to the best in the United States. Â That is Cocoamoda in Calvert Texas. Â And would you believe Chef Tai is pairing with Chef Wilkinson soon? Â Yes they are. Â
Veritas has earned it's slot in my #2 position of my Favorite Restaurants in the United States, only over-shadowed by Cocoamoda in Calvert. Â
Simple story goes, that if you are in College Station and want the best there is, at a fair price, with absolutely exceptional service that will listen to what you like and act on your likes, Â the sum is = VERITAS
Veritas is most certainly one of the highest caliber restaurants in College Station, while at the same time being fair priced and while at the same time you might just be able to meet Chef Tai. Â Â Â We were thrilled and Chef Tai created a day we will never forget. Â
6 Thumbs up! Â Â :)
Been visiting College Station a bit recently, and have really enjoyed dinning at Veritas twice so far in the last couple months. Â The staff was very friendly and provided just the right level of presence and service. Â When the weather's right, as it was for my second trip, the outside dinning area is a nice option, though it can be a bit noisy with everything else in the area.
For the first trip I and a friend tried a selection of the plates form the Tastings menu, as well as some of the day's specials prepared as Tasting plates. Â (Tastings = tapas style, small servings, so it was an excellent way to try a lot of different things from the menu and specials!) Â They were all very good; the only disappointment being a couple pieces of rubber trying to pass as octopus in the scallops and octopus dish. Â The second time we started our experience with oysters, which were quite good. Â The garnish on the oysters was nicely thought out, though the oysters would have been very good straight-up as well. For this second trip we ordered main courses, the duck from the main menu and the antelope from the specials, and both were excellent! Â (The antelope was also one of a number of "GO TEXAN!" dishes offered as part of a state-wide campaign this week to support local growers and restaurants.) Â Both trips concluded with an excellent dessert: a selection of artisanal cheeses accompanied by a good port and a very good Karly muscat for my friend!
After hearing good responses about this place we went to this place for a special dinner.
We were disappointed.
The food is good (when it is not bad), - but the place has too much pretense and does not deliver.
Good:
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The place has rather nice ambience, somewhat romantic (which didn't correlate with the corporate-looking people sitting at the bar).
Strange:
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Interior: Behind bar it has interesting looking storage of wine bottles. The main problem with it that you can neither see the bottles well, not you can take a bottle in your hands. This is in contrast to some restaurants that specialize in wine (elsewhere) that have wine shelves where you can choose your wine and have it served with your dinner.
Weird-to-bad:
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Food: We ordered what was written on the menu as "ceviche". We know and like ceviche (mostly in its Mexican version).
What we've got was a bowl with 3-4 pieces of tuna cut like a typical sashimi, with a typical vinegar-based sauce that is often served with some white-fish-based sashimi (e.g. albacor). Surprised, we asked the waitress whether it was ceviche, as it didn't look like one, but she confirmed. (She offered to take it away if we didn't like it, - but it was a good quality sashimi, so we didn't send it back) Later she cam back and told us that there are two types of ceviche: Mexican and Peruvian, and the one we've got is the chef's interpretation of ceviche.
At that point we could barely hold our laughter.
(see pictures of various types of ceviche e.g. on Wikipedia: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCeviche&s=ca54ee8a1a7227622e8947ff13d64214bc4c4ad00c534e5a82a3da9aec749862" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/…</a> )
Bad:
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When they brought "seared scallop truffle potato" for my wife, as she was about to bite the first scallop, I saw her face changing, and she asked me to smell the scallops. I smelt, and I could also feel a typical smell of "not-so-fresh" seafood. So, we very politely told the waitress about that. In a moment the chef came to our table and said that he can make some other dish instead, but that that was smell of truffles.
We like various mashrooms, and we ate truffles before. Given that I may not have tried all types of truffles, I cannot imagine that any mashroom can small as spoiled seafood.
The rest of the food was OK, but not spectacular, especially taking into account the high cost and _very_ small portions (smaller than at any US-based French restaurant I've eaten at). In my opinion it was not better than what Christopher's or La Riviera have.
We might try it again, but so far, 4 months later I am still not very inclined on going back there.
The food that was good is ~ 3.5-4 stars
The rotten seafood smell ~ 0 stars
Being defensive about that and "ceviche" - 1 star
Quality per Price ratio ~ Â 1.5 star
Overall rating: ~2-2.5 stars.
My first time at Veritas back when it first opened was a big disappointment. Â I was charged $12 for ONE single scallop and the service was somewhat disappointing. Â Since then, Veritas have made changes to their menu and has become one of my favorite places in B/CS area. Â Their sushi rolls is the best in town, in my opinion. Â I also love their truffle fries. Â The service has also improved a lot.
Review Source:Veritas is elegant and when the food is on it's REALLY on. Unfortunately, we've had terribly inconsistent experiences even when ordering the same items. For starters, I recommend the innovative sushi rolls. Sometimes they have too much spice or tartness, but they are like no sushi roll you've had before. The proteins are all usually good for an entree, but we've encountered execution problems more than once. For this kind of money, I expect more.
Review Source:I spent the weekend in College Station and lucked in by stumbling upon Veritas.
The chef is very creative with his daily specials and tasting menu options. the decor is exquisite and the stemware excellent. Our server was extremely efficient and helpful with the menu. I also thought the by the glass wine selections were wonderful and the pricing of the wines decent.
I'd recommend the Filet or The Grouper fish if its on the docket when you dine at Veritas. Thumbs up!
Living in the SF Bay area and on short-term assignment, I have a fairly high standard for restauants, I have been extremely surprised and pleased by two visits to Veritas (we fly in occasionally from Austin for dinner where I am staffed with a consulting team). The menu is grounded in the chef's sushi background and presents a series of simple (but well proportioned) "small plates" with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and very nice presentation. The fish is flown in from Hawaii and was very high quality (I had the sashimi). There are some simple rolls (e.g. seared ahi tuna) and a series of first courses, mainly seafood based.
The second courses are more oriented towards meat. My espresso crusted venison was well prepared with an emphasis towards a blending of subtle flavors.
I have found the service helpful and friendly on both visits.
Faux-sophistication is in abundance, here. Â The adequate wine holding cannot disguise shortcomings in the quality of meal preparation ... the inexperienced waitstaff is down right irritating. Â Executive Chef Tai Lee puts forth in inviting menu, but unfortunatlely the invitation is shallow. Â My salmon (a very simple dish) was too dry, and I was served tough and stringy asparagus. Â My dinner companions fared no better ... cold grilled vegetables and overcooked tuna. The kitchen was out of sync, extending our stay.
Upon being seated, our waiter launched into an unsolicited, well-rehersed, five minute diatribe on dining in College Station. Â With much puffery, he overexplained how one should interpret the impending "sophisticated" experience at Veritas ... very offputting.
Importantly, Tai Lee must take his place in ranking among local chefs behind Peter Maddan, Chris Lampo, and Luis Becerra ... each of whom offers better meal preparation than Veritas. Â And, for those seeking a truly sophisticated dining experience, opt for Houston ... its worth the drive.
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