Ek Bar, Ottawa

I hate to say it, but this place was terrible. Spent nearly 300$ for 2 people for the tasting menu, but the price didnt match the quality. First, the food was bland. Nothing was necessarily spiced right or spicy. Got a mushroom soup and naan as one of my courses, but there was nothing Indian about it. Simple fixes could have made the dish pop, like a drizzle of coriander/cilantro oil on the soup for example, or a trio of dips for the naan. Second, presentation was all over the place. Got the lamb that came on a crushed up papadum and looked like something someone who just started cooking for themselves would make. Again, It just tasted one-note, BUT there were simple fixes that could have saved the dish. A drizzle of raita, maybe some pomegranate seeds for a pop of freshness, an accompanying coriander sauce. The dish looked so haphazardly put together, and just seemed to lack care. Third, the shrimp I ordered seemed to have been just seared on the sides, but was raw in the middle and cold to the touch. Again I hate to say all this, because I get the vision and frankly from a philosophical point of view, we have for too long relegated Indian food, Thai food, Chinese food, etc. below Italian or French cuisine, despite the complexity of their own flavours, cooking techniques and ingredients. And frankly, that doesn't seem right. BUT Ek Bar isn't it. Now, maybe I didnt go on a good day, or maybe I didnt order the right dishes. But there are just so many better Indian restaurants, like Madhuban for example, which is always great. I have no issues spending the money or with the concept of elevated indian food as a whole. I spent about the same at Dishoom in London, so thats not the problem. But, when you advertise your restaurant as offering elevated Indian food, but what you serve is bland or undercooked, you're wasting my time and money as a customer and doing a disservice to the entire cuisine. Dessert was good though.